Imperialism/Nationalism in Africa

An ABC for Baby Patriots

The White Man’s BurdenRudyard Kipling, 1899

Take up the White Man’s burden

Send forth the best ye breed—

Go bind your sons to exileTo serve your captives’

need;To wait in heavy harness,On fluttered folk and wild—Your new-caught, sullen

peoples,Half-devil and half-child.

Take up the White Man’s burden—

The savage wars of peace—

Fill full the mouth of FamineAnd bid the sickness cease;And when your goal is

nearestThe end for others sought,Watch sloth and heathen

FollyBring all your hopes to

nought.

Early European Involvement

• Prior to mid-1800s Europe’s involvement was mostly slave-trading missions

• Zero-sum game:• What is it?• Social Darwinism:• What is it?• Ironic—elimination of slave trade brought in

imperial/colonial ventures that will have more disastrous consequences than slaving for Africa

• Prior to 1850 only major attempts to take African territory was in S. Africa and Algeria

• Between 1880-1914 the rest of Africa was colonized (minus Liberia/Ethiopia)

What made this possible?

• Superior weapons

• Technological expertise

3 Paths of European Imperialism

• 1=Colony (direct rule)

• 2=Protectorate (had own government but policies “influenced” by foreign power)

• 3=Sphere of Influence (region of country which imperial power had exclusive investments or trade rights)

Case Study: Egypt

• Egypt gained independence from Ottomans in 1805

• French constructed Suez Canal to link trade from Med. to Red Seas

• Egypt held some interest in the canal, but b/c of debts sold parts to GB

• GB wanted complete control of the Suez Canal (link between Mediterranean Sea/Red Sea), so invaded Egypt in 1882

• Egypt became a British protectorate

Case Study: South Africa

• 1652 the Dutch (Afrikaners) settled in Cape Town @ Cape of Good Hope

• Immediately enslaved natives• In Napoleonic Wars GB seized Cape Colony and

forbade slavery• Apx. 10,000 Afrikaners (called Boers by British)

fled Cape Colony and est. independent republics in interior of South Africa

• In their constitution stated “There shall be no equality in State or Church between white and black”

• Early 1900s Cape Colony was united with Afrikaner republics and formed South Africa

• New govt’s goal was to maintain white supremacy over black majority

• In 1948 Afrikaners won majority of seats in legislature—invented “apartheid”

Laws of Apartheid:

• No marriage between whites/non-whites

• Population Registration Act-classified population—if non-white had to carry passbook

• Bantu Authorities Act-stripped of citizenship in S.Africa—had to move to native homeland

• Public Safety Act—allowed for police repression

Case Study: Belgian Congo• Dr. David Livingstone traveled throughout

Africa—was the 1st European to cross from the Atlantic to Indian Ocean

• He loved the Congo/the people—wound up living the rest of his life in Africa

• Disappeared for 6 years (mostly due to illness)—Henry Stanley was sent by a NY newspaper to find him

• Stanley also explored Africa, but unlike Livingstone, he hated it

• The accounts of both of these men became legendary—prompted King Leopold II of Belgium to send men to colonize interior of Africa—became the Belgian Congo

• King Leopold II wanted to get in on the “scramble for Africa”—small European nation w/o many natural resources

• Made Congo his own personal plantation—after 20 years “gave” it to the Belgian gov’t. in exchange for large loans

• Enslaved the natives—had them cut down forests for rubber trees and kill elephants for their tusks

• Stripped Congo of many of its people/natural resources

• Considered one of most brutal examples of European colonization—outraged the international community

• Estimated that apx. 10 million Africans died during this 20 year period

Impact of Imperialism in Africa

• Africa stripped of natural resources• Natives forced to work @ low wages (or enslaved)• Families split up (often men forced to live in dormitories)• Developed an elite/educated class that was often

favored by Europeans (given best jobs/education)• Led to resentment and divisiveness• Political boundaries didn’t take into account tribal groups

—some tribes that had historic animosity now part of same state

• Stripped of culture– Few schools, but taught European languages/ways– Rejected African religions/customs– Taught that European ways were the best

National Movements

• Many Africans fought in WWI—assumed that they would gain independence after the war—they were wrong

• Ironically many of those that were educated by Europeans to take on role of ruling class became leaders of independence movements

• Because of military superiority, difficult for Africans to achieve much until after WWII

• By 1930s European states started making reforms, but by then increasing # of African leaders calling for independence, not just reforms

Independence and Its Consequences

• After WWII most of Europe realized that colonization of Africa must end (new UN Charter stated all people had right to self-determination)

• From 1957-1970s most of Africa gained independence—mostly through peaceful means

• South Africa didn’t gain full independence until early 1990s when blacks won right to vote for 1st time—ended apartheid

Problems

• Most leaders came from middle class—European education and ideals counter to many of their people

• Much corruption ($ spent on luxuries and personal militias)

• Little industrialization—still depended on the West for manufactured goods

• Most states were single-export states—when price dropped entire economy suffered

• Droughts/famines

• Little $ to spend on infrastructure• Warring ethnic groups—much civil

war• Divisive measures taken by

Europeans exacerbated hostilities– E.G. Rwanda

• Belgians created Hutu/Tutsi tribes based on physical features

• Those that appeared more European became Tutsi—given better education/jobs

• Led to resentment that eventually led to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda