African Imperialism: Consequences and Impact

1. 1) African diversity: - HUNDREDS of ethnic groups - More than 1000 languages - Combination of indigenous (native) tribal religious customs, plus Christianity and Islam

2. 2) Primary basis for European interaction with Africa, before the age of imperialism: • The slave trade! • 3) Early obstacles to greater European interference in Africa: • 1. Armed African resistance • 2. Impassable geography (jungles, rivers, mountains, deserts… no infrastructure) • 3. Disease (esp. malaria) • 4) First major claim of African territory: • King Leopold II of Belgium, • in the Congo River Valley

3. 4) Belgian Congo (cont.): • Leopold licensed companies that brutally exploited Africans, with hard labor and harsh penalties for not making work quotas… at least 10 million Congolese died.

4. 5) Following Belgium into Africa:

5. 6) Causes of [African] imperialism (WHY?): • 1. ECONOMIC: capitalism, industrial growth • - cheap access to raw materials / natural resources • - access to new, expanded global markets & trade routes • 2. NATIONALISM: pride & prestige • 3. CULTURAL / SOCIAL: • Missionary efforts (converting Africans to Christianity) • Racism, Social Darwinism (economic survival of the fittest) • *Ethnocentrism – judging one's own culture as superior to all others... resulting “duty” to force one's own idea of “progress” and “civilization” on others • 4. SECURITY: defense, protection of territory & trade routes, keep up with rival powers (keep balance of power?)

6. Special importance of EGYPT to BRITAIN: • The Suez Canal provides a shorter route to Britain’s imperial possessions (India, Australia).

7. 7) HOW Europe conquers Africa so easily: • 1. Industrial Europe has superior military technology • 2. Industrial Europe has superior technology associated with transportation, communication & infrastructure (steamships, railroads, telegraph) … these allow conquering nations to extend control • 3. European medicinal advances (i.e. quinine) to protect against disease • 4. Euro powers play rival African groups against one another: • - exploit existing tribal & religious conflicts • - prey upon African diversity & lack of African unity • = DIVIDE & CONQUER

8. 8) Berlin Conference (1885): • Purpose: Europeans seek to avoid war while establishing “rules” for the conquering of Africa • Outcome: Africa divided • up among Euro powers • with no consideration of • traditional ethnic regions • … problems to follow.

9. 9) Only independent African nations by 1900: Ethiopia  strong leader, well armed, favorable geography (mountains) Liberia  U.S. ties (founded as freed slave colony, became independent in 1847)

10. 10) Industrial Europe seeks control of Africa for RESOURCES and as a new MARKET… • Africa is quite profitable for the former, but not the latter (too poor!) • 11) Europe changes the African economy: • BEFORE: SUBSISTENT farming (self-sufficient!) • Individual farmers locally grow, produce & barter all that is needed to support community needs. • AFTER: CASH-CROP PLANTATIONS • - Large-scale commercial farming, owned by Europeans • - FEW crops grown in LARGE VOLUME for EXPORT, rather than to feed local communities • EFFECT: Africa transitions from a SUBSISTENT economy to a MARKET economy (Africans now paid low WAGES)

11. 12) Competition in SOUTH AFRICA: • Large deposits of GOLD and DIAMONDS • Original settlers: Dutch farmers (Boers)… the British follow… African tribes lose to both (>dozen, largest is Zulu).

12. 13) Boer War (1899): - War between Boers (Dutch settlers) and British for control of South Africa... - Won by British - Biggest losers: Africans! (legacy: apartheid)

13. 14) European partitioning of Africa: • European approach: take whatever they could hold on to, with no regard for local ethnic groupings. • Problems (then): arbitrary boundaries combined diverse (and sometimes competing) ethnic & tribal groups, AND/OR unnaturally divided single ethnic groups into multiple areas of European control. • Problems (now): Modern African borders (among 54 nations) largely a legacy of European imperialism… has led to present-day civil wars, power struggles, and competition over resource wealth by competing ethnic groups.

14. 15) NEGATIVE effects of imperialism in Africa: • … Lost sovereignty (loss of independence) • … Large-scale death from: European diseases (i.e. smallpox), armed resistance to Euro invaders, hunger & famine from conversion to cash-crop commercial farming • … Forced assimilation (lost culture & traditions… esp. language!) • ... Discrimination & racist policies ... native people treated as “second class citizens in their own homes” • … Combining different ethnic groups OR dividing same ethnic groups (= African ethnic conflict today) • ... Economic imperialism (wealth from African resources exported to imperial nations)

15. 16) POSITIVE effects of imperialism in Africa: • … Reduced tribal & ethnic warfare (in areas under imperial control) • … Improved health & medicine* (= longer lifespans) • … Improved education & literacy (but not too much!)* • ... Improved infrastructure* (transportation & communication networks) • … Improved agricultural technology & techniques* • … Some economic growth (in international market for African goods) • * Primary motive is to benefit Europeans first

16. 17) European imperialism: positives v. negatives: • 1. Negatives outweigh positives in quantity & weight • 2. Many positives designed to help European conquerors… secondary benefits to Africa • 3. African wealth (in resources and people) benefitted Europeans first • 4. Modern effects: • - Political instability (dictators, civil wars, absence of democracies) • - Immense poverty from a lack of economic development & growth • - Unsustainable population growth • - Poor health care (dying from treatable diseases) • - Economic imperialism has replaced colonialism