Download Age of Imperialism

Age of Imperialism
• Imperialism – Take over a country or land by a
stronger country
• Industrialization stirred
ambitions in many
European nations.
• Powerful nations
wanted more resources
and new markets.
• Powerful nation looked
to Africa as a source of
raw materials and a
market from industrial
products.
• Africa was divided into
hundreds of ethic
groups.
• These groups spoke
over 1,000 different
languages.
• While some groups
were large, others were
no larger than a small
village.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_0fyUYB3cA
• Outside of trade, Europeans knew little about
Africa before the Industrial Revolution.
• European travel into the interior was
extremely limited.
• Rainforests, swamps
and cataracts made it
difficult to the
Europeans to explore
Africa.
• Europeans also feared
diseases such as malaria
and sleeping sickness.
In 1901, a sleeping sickness epidemic killed over
¼ million people in Uganda, including about 2/3 of
the lakeshore population
• By the early 1800s, the
invention of steam
powered boats allowed
the Europeans to
navigate the African
rivers.
• By 1829, Europeans
were protected from
malaria by quinine.
• In the late 1860s, Dr.
David Livingstone, a
missionary from
Scotland, traveled deep
into central Africa to
promote Christianity.
• In England,
Livingstone’s writings
and lectures ignited the
public’s imagination
about Africa.
• After several years
without any news from
Livingstone, rumors
spread that Livingstone
was taken captive, lost
or dead.
• In 1871, The New York
Herald hired Henry
Stanley to investigate
the situation.
• After 8 months of
searching, Stanley
finally found Dr.
Livingstone.
• Stanley greeted him “Dr.
Livingstone, I
presume?”
• Stanley continued to
explore Africa.
• Stanley’s expeditions
sparked the interest of
King Leopold II of
Belgium.
• Leopold gained control
of a large region of land
in the Congo.
• In the Congo, Leopold
set up a colony 80 times
larger than Belgium.
• Colony – Land
controlled by another
country
• Leopold plundered the
natural resources of the
Congo and forced the
natives to work for him.
• Over 10 million Congo
natives died due to
these abuses.
• The actions of Leopold
alarmed many other
European nations.
• These nations also
began to set up colonies
in Africa.
• Due to industrialization,
European nations were
able to take over Africa
and conquer the native
people.
• Europeans possessed
much more powerful
weapons
• Europe - Machine guns
• Africa - Outdated
weapons
• Wars between various ethnic and tribal groups
within Africa further helped the Europeans
conquer Africa.
Berlin Conference
• European nations
feared war among
themselves
• In 1884, 14 European
nations met to regulate
the colonization of
Africa.
• Africa was not
represented.
• At the Berlin
Conference, nations
agreed that any
European country could
take land in Africa with
few restrictions.
• As late as 1880,
• By 1914, Europe
Europeans controlled only
controlled nearly all of
10% of the continent’s
Africa
land
• Africans resisted the
Europeans with varying
degrees of success.
However, Europeans
possessed superior
weapons.
• With the single
exception of Ethiopia,
every attempt at
resistance ultimately
failed
AFRICAN RESISTANCE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COLONIAL RULE – 1870-1914
1. Chimurenga Resistance (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe was colonized in the early 1890s by the British South African Company. The Company used a
combination of deceit and violence to gain control of Zimbabwe and to take away the best land from the Shona and Ndebele peoples. In 1896/1897 in
separate acts, both of these groups staged armed uprising against the European colonialists. Traditional religious leaders played an important part in
leading these resistance movements. Chimurenga is the Shona word for uprising. The BSAC used brutal force to put down the Chimurenga.
2. Battle of Isandhlawana. South Africa was colonized by the Dutch and the British much earlier than other parts of Africa were colonized. From the
beginning of Dutch colonialism in the 17th century, African peoples resisted European penetration and control. However, there were parts of South
Africa that resisted European control until the end of the 19th century. In spite of colonial efforts, Zululand remained free of colonial control until 1880.
In 1879 in a strong show of resistance, a Zulu army under the leadership of King Cetshwayo at Isandhlawana defeated a force of 8,000 European
soldiers, killing 1,600. This was the single greatest defeat suffered by the British in their colonial endeavors in Africa and Asia!
3. Maji-Maji Uprising (Tanganyika). The Maji-Maji uprising of 1905 took place in south-eastern Tanganyika and was the most serious challenge to early
colonial rule in East Africa. The uprising was led by a religious prophet, Kinjikitile Ngwale, who called upon the people to resist the oppressive forced
labor and tax policies imposed by the German colonists. He promised his followers that if they applied holy water (maji in the local language) that he
provided to their bodies, they would be able to resist bullets from German guns. The uprising gained considerable local support before it was brutally
put down by German soldiers.
4. Battle of Adowa (Ethiopia) As you have already learned, Ethiopia along with Liberia, were the only African countries that were not colonized by
Europeans. It was not that European powers were not interested in colonizing Ethiopia-they were! Ethiopia was able to resist attempts of colonization
by the British and particularly by the Italians. Indeed, Italy was able to colonize a part of ancient Ethiopia, the area along the Red Sea. This was the
colony, and now independent country, of Eritrea. Under the leadership of Emperor Menelik, Ethiopia resisted European attempts to colonize all of
Ethiopia. Ethiopia won a decisive victory over Italy at the Battle of Adowa, December 1895. During the battle, approximately 4,000 Italian soldiers were
killed.
5. Asante Resistance (Ghana) Nowhere in West Africa was there a longer tradition of confrontation between African and European powers than in the
Gold Coast (present day Ghana) between the Asante kingdom and the British. From before the end of the slave trade in 1807, the British were
interested in extending their economic and political influence into the interior of the Gold Coast. These efforts were met with stiff resistance on the
part of the Asante kingdom. The Asante were able to defend their interests and freedom through a series of victories in battles with the British.
However, in 1874 after a half century of defeats, the British defeated the Asante at the Battle of Amoafo. This victory paved the way for British colonial
rule in the Gold Coast.
6. Samori Ture. In their attempt to colonize the vast interior of the West African Soudan, the French attempted to make treaties with powerful leaders
of African kingdoms. Some leaders were willing to negotiate with the French. Others were not. Samori Ture, who governed an area almost as large of
France in what is today Guinea, Mali, and Cote D'Ivoire strongly resisted French colonial expansion. Samori's first contact with the French was in 1882.
Over the next two decades, Samori battled against the French, at times defeating French forces, at times moving his people, government, and army in
order to evade French control. It was not until 1900 that the French finally captured Samori. The French exiled Samori to Gabon in Central Africa.
7. Libyan Resistance. Probably nowhere was the African-European confrontation so long and bloody as it was in Libya. In 1911 without warning, Italy
invaded the Libyan coastal cities of Tripoli, Benghazi, Homs, and Tubruk. While the Italians captured these cities, they were unable to capture the areas
surrounding them. Italy's attempt to conquer and colonize Libya was interrupted by World War I (1914-1918). After the war in a series of brutal
military attacks, Italy tried to bring Libya under its control. However, Libyans successfully defended themselves for many years. It was not until 1932,
twenty-one years after Italy's first invasions, that Libya was fully colonized.
• Only Liberia
and Ethiopia
remained
independent
• As European countries competed for colonies
in order to gain power and natural resources,
competition for territory increase the tensions
between Britain, France and Germany
• By 1900, the British
Empire extended over
five continents
• France controlled much
of Africa
• Germany began
colonizing late and
therefore controlled
only a small portion of
Africa.
• Britain gave France
possession of Morocco
in 1904
• Germany supported the
Moroccan movement to
gain independence
• Conflict between
Britain, France and
Germany over Morocco
nearly erupted in war
several times
• After Germany protested against the French
possession of Morocco in 1911, Britain
support France
• Germany ultimately back down and was given
part of the French Congo.
• As tensions between industrialized countries
grew, many other problems developed in
Europe during the Age of Imperialism
• These problems included militarism, the
development of powerful alliances and
nationalism