History and Government
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Teaching and learning notes for the teacher and student. FORM THREE HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT BY E. CHELOTI 2013 FRIENDS SCHOOL KAMUSINGA 1. EUROPEAN INVASION AND THE PROCESS OF COLONIZATION OF AFRICA Introduction In the last Quarter of the 19th century, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and Portugal were in Africa, competing for colonies to boost their social, economic and political standing. They convened the Berlin conference of 1884-1885 (convened by Otto Von Bismarck, the Germany Chancellor) where they shared Africa in Europe without regard to the inhabitants. This is what is termed the invasion of Africa. By 1914, apart from Liberia and Ethiopia, the rest of Africa had been colonized The scramble and partition of Africa. Scramble. It refers to the rushing for something. In the African situation, it meant the rush for and struggle by European powers to acquire various parts of Africa during the 19th century. Partition It refers to the sharing of something In the African situation, it referred to the actual division of Africa by European powers during the Berlin conference of 1884-1885 Methods used by Europeans to acquire colonies in Africa. 1) Signing of treaties; a) Treaty signing with African leaders. ~ The British signed the Maasai Agreements (1904 and 1911), Buganda Agreement of 1900 and the Lewanika-Lochner treaty with Lozi. The royal Niger Company had by 1884, signed 37 treaties through George Goldie, with African leaders in Niger delta, Yorubaland and Gambia. ~ Carl peters signed treaties on behalf of Germany with the chiefs of Uzigua, Ukami, Usagara and ungulu. These treaties facilitated the acquisition of those areas for colonization. b) Treaties signed amongst European powers. These were known as Partition Agreements. For example; ~ The Anglo-Germany Agreements of 1886 and 1890 and Heligoland between the British and the Germans over the sharing of East Africa. ~ The Anglo Italian treaty signed in 1891 between the Italians and the British over possession of Eritrea and the Somali coast. ~ The treaty between the British and Portugal and France in 1890 on the sharing of Madagascar (France) Mozambique and Angola (Portugal). 2) Military conquest/ Use of force. Europeans employed outright war against those societies that resisted their invasion. E.g a) The French war against the Mandinka of Samori Toure (1870-1899) and their conquest of western Sudan from Senegal to Chad specifically in the Tukolor Empire, Segu and Masina by 1898. Tunisia, morocco and Algeria were acquired forcefully. b) The British used military force in the Nandi resistance from 1895-1905, the Chimurenga wars involving the Shona/Ndebele against the British, forced acquisition of Egypt and Sudan c) The Germans fought the Maji Maji wars from 1905- 1907. Key notes for the teacher and students- @Cheloti 2013 Page 2 d) The Italians were defeated during their Ethiopian campaign, by Menelik II in the battle of Adowa in 1896. e) The Portuguese forcefully established their rule over Angola, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique. 3) Use of missionaries as frontrunners. The Europeans used missionaries, carrying a bible in one hand and a gun in the other, who tried to convince the Africans to support the European goals. ~ Missionaries manipulated local quarrels and took sides in a view to promote European occupation. For example, in the case of Buganda where we had religious conflicts between Protestants, Muslims, Catholics and Traditionalists. ~ Sometimes the missionaries went to war against each other and against Africans. E.g the Franza-Ingeleza war of 1892 that pitted the Protestants (British) against the Catholics (French). Fredrick Lugard’s intervention on the side of Protestants set stage for the acquisition of Uganda by the British. ~ In Bulozi, Father Francois Coillard convinced Lewanika of the benefits of British protection. ~ In Nyasaland (Malawi) which was depicted as Livingstone’s country, missionaries (read role of Scottish missionaries) shaped public opinion in favour of imperial control. 4) Treachery and Divide and rule policy. ~ The Europeans instigated inter-tribal wars causing some Africans to support them against warring communities. E.g. use of the Wanga against the Luo and the Luhya in Kenya, the Ndebele/shona against the Lozi in Rhodesia. ~ The Italians lied to Menelik II by signing a treaty of friendship but which was published in Italian version indicating that Ethiopia had agreed becoming an Italian protectorate. ~ The Maasai agreement was written in a language that the Lenana never understood. 5) Use of company rule. The British and the Germans used chartered companies to acquire and rule their colonies. for example, the role played by the British South African Company of Cecil Rhodes, Imperial British East African Company of Sir William Mackinnon and the German East Africa Company of Carl Peters. 6) Luring/enticements. The Europeans gave gifts like cloth, weapons tools, drinks etc to African chiefs like Lewanika of the Lozi and Mwanga of Buganda thus luring them into collaboration. 7) Diplomatic skills. This involved building relations with African leaders, which were later, used to acquire the areas. The British employed this method in Maasailand and Yorubaland. 8) A blend of diplomacy and force. The British for example initially signed treaties with the Ndebele (Moffat and Rudd treaties), but they fought them during the Ndebele war of 1897. FACTORS THAT LED TO THE SCRAMBLE FOR COLONIES IN AFRICA. Economic factors 1. The industrial revolution in Europe. a) The revolution led to search for markets for European manufactured goods in Africa resulting in scramble for and partition. b) The need for raw materials. The machines invented processed goods faster than use of hand. The Europeans came to Africa in search of raw materials like cotton, palm oil, copper and iron ore. c) Cheap labour was also readily available in Africa after the abolition of slave trade. d) There was desire by the entrepreneurs to invest excess capital gained from accumulation of Key notes for the teacher and students- @Cheloti 2013 Page 3 profits from industrial investment. Africa provided an avenue for investment. e) Industrial revolution led to improved transport system, which was necessary for effective colonization. f) The military hardware manufactured during the revolution enabled Europeans to conquer African territories. g) The discovery of medicine enabled the Europeans to survive the African conditions and protect themselves from diseases such as malaria, yellow fever etc. h) Those who were rendered unemployed in Europe due to invention of machines had to move to Africa to assist in harnessing raw materials. i) Industrial revolution led to intense rivalry in trade, which was projected, into Africa. 2. Speculation about the availability of deep pockets of minerals in Africa. Gold and Bronze had been items of trade in Africa for centuries. The discovery of Diamond at Kimberly in the 1860s and Gold in the 1870s precipitated their appetite for Africa more. Political reasons. 1. Unification of Germany after under Otto Von Bismarck after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71. The rise of Germany upset the balance of power in Europe and there was need to rebalance out through acquisition of colonies in Africa. France for example had to redeem her lost glory (especially after the loss of mineral rich Alsace and Lorraine provinces) by acquiring eight colonies in Africa. 2. The rise of Public opinion in Europe. There was growth of public support towards the acquisition of colonies. With the rise of democracy in European states in the 19th c, it was fatal for any government to ignore public opinion. a) For example in 1882, due to public demand, the French assembly was compelled to ratify De Brazza’s treaty with Chief Makoko thus creating a French colony in Congo. b) German took over South-West Africa (Namibia), Togo and Cameroon due to what Bismarck termed as public demand. c) In Britain, the public demanded that Britain must maintain her position as the leading colonizing power by taking her share in Africa. 3. Militarism. Army officers in Europe favoured colonial expansionist wars to give them greater opportunities for glory or promotion. a) For example, in Sudan, it was the military offers, in search of glory, and not the French government who directed the extent of French colonization. b) British soldiers like Wolseley Kitchener supported the expansion of the British Empire in Africa. 4. The rise of Nationalism. In Europe, there was the rise of a general feeling of civilians that their nations should acquire overseas colonies for national prestige. The Germans began feeling they belonged to a superior race that must be shown by acquiring colonies in Africa. Strategic reasons. 1. Construction of the Suez Canal. (The Egyptian question). ~ The construction of the Suez Canal, opened in 1869, promoted a link between Europe and Asia/ shortened the routes to Far East. It also promoted international trade. It also made Egypt gain some strategic importance to Europeans. ~ The inability of Khedive Ishmael (1863-1879) to pay for the cost of the construction of the canal (due to his extravagancy) led to British full occupation of Egypt in 1882, being a major Key notes for the teacher and students- @Cheloti 2013 Page 4 shareholder in the Anglo-Suez Company that owned the canal. ~ The dismayed French planned diversions of the Nile waters, and make Egypt a desert, after occupying territories to the south of Egypt. ~ It was against the backdrop that Britain claimed Uganda (source of the Nile) in 1894, Kenya (the gateway to Uganda) in 1895 and Sudan (where the Nile passes) in 1898. 2. French activities in West Africa and the Congo The activities of France in Congo and West Africa, after loss of Egypt, through their Italian agent Savorgnan de Brazza in connection to acquisition of colonies alarmed other powers. This encouraged powers like Germany to join in the scramble and acquire Togo, Cameroon, Namibia and Tanganyika.