The Opening of Africa

1. European Partitioning of the Dark Continent The Opening of Africa

2. The Belgian Congo • International Congo Association (1878) • Private organization – Leopold II (King of Belgium) and other financiers • H.M. Stanley – explored the Congo basin and established trade “contracts” with 500 chiefs • Created competition • Brazza – France – explored Congo Region and also developed trade agreements • Portugal expanded colonies in Angola and Mozambique

3. Germany • Karl Peters • Explored and created German East Africa • Signed trade agreements with chiefs • Created tension with Great Britain • Bismarck decided to support colonies as outlet for economic depression and political support of nationalists in the Reichstag

4. Berlin Conference (1884) • Bismarck • Called conference of European nations and the US to resolve Africa issue • Two primary goals: • Establish Congo as international state under the control of Leopold and a free trade zone • Establish rules for the European colonization of African territory

5. Rules • Countries must occupy territory with military forces or administrators • Must notify other countries what it considers to be colonized territory • Congo • Exploited for rubber resources

6. European Competition • Portugal • Angola, Mozambique • Italy • Wanted to establish credentials as Great Power • Libya, Eritrea, Italian Somaliland • Defeated by Ethiopia (1896) at the Battle of Adowa • Germany • Cameroons, Togo, German East Africa, German Southwest Africa

7. France • Expanded African empire after defeat in Franco-Prussian War • Maintain Great Power Status • Wanted to establish an East-West belt of colonies stretching across north-central Africa linking the Atlantic to Red Sea/Indian Ocean • French West Africa, Algeria, Tunisia , French Equatorial Africa, French Somalia, Madagascar • Wanted to occupy Sudan to complete the belt

8. Egypt • 1869 – Ferdinand de Lesseps – French engineer – completed the Suez Canal • Linked Med. Sea and Red Sea – cut travel time to India and Middle East • 1875 – Khedive of Egypt – Ismail Pasha – bankrupt • British investors bought a majority of shares of Suez Canal – established “ownership” • 1882 – Britain made Egypt protectorate to stabilize Egypt politically • Intensified French – British rivalry in Africa

9. Great Britain • Wanted to control a north-south belt stretching mostly along the east coast of Africa from South Africa to Egypt • Cecil Rhodes • Rhodesia, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Egypt, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, Nigeria, British East Africa, British Somaliland

10. The Fashoda Crisis (1898) • Expansion into the Sudan • General Kitchener defeated Muslim troops at Battle of Omdurman (1898) • Kitchener encountered Marchand (Fr. Gen.) at Fashoda in the Sudan • Two generals did not fight • French agreed to evacuate the Sudan for British recognition of France in W. Africa

11. The Boer War • South Africa • Cecil Rhodes • Prime minister of the Cape Colony • Wanted to extend British influence into the Transvaal and the Orange Free State • Settled by the Boers (Dutch = farmer) • Also known as Afrikaaners • Discovery of gold and diamonds (1860s) increased tension – GB wanted to annex Boer territory

12. Jameson Raid (1895) – first attempt by Britain to create revolution in Transvaal – failed • Wilhelm II (Ger.) – sent telegram to Paul Kruger (Pres. of Transvaal) congratulating him on defeat of British • Increased tension between GB and Ger.

13. 1899 – 1902 • GB invaded with force of 300,000 troops • Used concentration camps to help subdue Boer civilians and control countryside during the campaign • Women and children died from starvation • Transvaal and Orange Free State combined with Cape Colony and Natal to form the Union of South Africa • GB politically isolated – NO support from other European powers • Created sense to end splendid isolationism