Good Afternoon!

1. Collect Congo Prompt

2. NVC

3. Imperialism in South Africa: A Diamond is Forever…

Essential Question: Why and how did the British come to take over South Africa?

The “Race” is on…• Economic forces driving

imperialism in Africa– Cash crops

• Rubber (the Congo)• Cocoa• Coffee

– Minerals/Resources• Ivory• Diamonds

Clash over South Africa• 1867 diamonds

discovered in South Africa– “The Mineral Revolution”:

leads to immigration and urbanization in the region

• Sets up conflict between three groups– The Boers– The Zulus– The British

The Three Sides• The Boers

– From the Netherlands– Dutch word for “farmer”– Early settlers c. 1652

• The Zulu Kingdom– Strongest kingdom in Africa led

by King Shaka– Civilization dates back to 900AD– Skilled warriors

• The British– Received rights to South Africa

at the Berlin Conference (1884)– 1886 now expanding

• “So little done, so much to do.”– Cecil Rhodes

Anglo-Zulu War

• Starts over land dispute– British give Zulus an

ultimatum to leave land given to Brits by Berlin Conference

• British invade Zululand– Battle of Isandlwana– "March slowly, attack at

dawn and eat up the red soldiers”

– 1300 British soldiers killed

Defeat of the Zulu• Technological advantages of

British– Steam engine– Telephone communication– Maxim gun: 1st machine gun

• Battle of Ulundi– “Concentrate fire with the

artillery and Maxim Guns, and keep it concentrated. Undertake no serious operations with detached units of troops. I will be astonished if they [the Zulus] survive this.”– Field Marshall Wolseley

The Boer Wars (1899-1912)• Boers: Dutch settlers

establish large farms c. 1652• Initial allies of the British

during the Zulu Wars• After defeat of Zulus, British

begin to encroach on their land (best diamond mines)– British encouraged by Cecil

Rhodes– “I would annex the planets if I

could. I often think of that. It makes me sad to see them so clear and yet so far.”—Cecil Rhodes

The First Total War• Boers much weaker than

British– resort to sneak attacks and

commando raids• Boer War characterized as first

“Total War”– Total War: nearly every civilian

is considered a combatant– Concentration camps– Scorched earth

• British victorious– Establish Union of South Africa

in 1910

Legacy of Imperialism• South Africa ruled by a

white minority until 1994• Our friend Cecil Rhodes

– De Beers: A diamond is forever• Conflict aka “blood”

diamonds continue to encourage violence and genocide to this day

• By 1914, only Liberia and Ethiopia are free of imperial rule