IMPERIALISM IN AFRICA

Except in the Mediterranean coastal regions in the north and few Portuguese and Arab trading posts on the Eastern and Western coasts, the major part of the African continent was mostly unknown to the Europeans. Africa was known as ‘the Dark Continent’. The adventurous explorations undertaken by explorers opened up the African continent for European colonization and imperialism.

The greed for African territories resulted in a scramble among European countries. Most Africans resisted European imperialists. Thus, the scramble involved European armies using modern weapons to crush opposition and establish authority over the continent’s inhabitants. The exploration of the interior parts of the continent revealed the great potentiality of exploitation of mineral and other resources and this attracted the Europeans. This led to a race for colonies and partition of Africa amongst various European powers.

European competition over African territory began when Belgian King Leopold II established the International African Association and tried to acquire trading rights from the native chief of the Congo region. King Leopold II created the Congo Free State. Initially, he treated this region as his private property, but handed over the administration of the Congo Free State to Belgian Government in 1908. Thereafter it came to be known as Belgian Congo.

The Portuguese colonies in Africa included Angola, Mozambique, Portuguese Guinea, the islands of Azores, Cape Verde and Madeira.

The Germans established a protectorate over an extensive territory in South Western part just below Portuguese West Africa (Angola) and called it German South West Africa. She also acquired considerable territories of South East Africa like Cameroons and Togoland.

Spain acquired Morocco, Canary Islands, certain islands on the Guinea Coast, Rio do Oro and Rio Muni.

Italy acquired Eritrea on the Red Sea and Italian Somaliland. Italy also obtained Libya and Ethiopia.

French colonialism in Africa began in mid-seventeenth century. They established trading posts along the West Coast of Africa and on the island of Madagascar. The French conquered Algeria, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Dahomey, Senegal and Morocco, part of Guinea Coast and part of Somali land. France also established her control over Egypt. However, she had to give up her claims over Egypt in favor of England.

England made maximum gain in the scramble for Africa. Cecil Rhodes promoted the Cape Town-to-Cairo Railway. Thus, England established control over Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal and Rhodesia.

England had acquired Cape Colony from the Dutch during Napoleonic wars. The Dutch settlers also known as Boers (farmers) had fled from Cape Colony and established themselves in neighboring republics of Natal, Transvaal and Orange Free State. The British conquered Natal. The discovery of diamonds and gold led to British migration to Transvaal.

The Boers refused to pass laws permitting the exploitation of their resources by foreign firms. They also taxed immigrants heavily. The British claimed a share in the government of Transvaal. The Boers under President Paul Kruger refused to acknowledge British claim. This led to the Boer war between British and Boers. Boers were defeated and Transvaal was annexed.

England’s domination of Egypt in 1800s was chiefly due to the fear of what might happen if the Ottoman Empire fell into the hands of Russians. England bought 44% of shares in the Suez Canal Company. Khedive (Viceroy of Egypt) was threatened with bankruptcy, so he sold shares to England. This provided England an effective control over Suez Canal. British imperialism also extended to Sudan, Nigeria, Gambia, Gold Coast, Uganda and Kenya.