Figure 1.--The image of empire was one of the advance of civilization. Europeans were told they were bringing Chritianity and the benefits of modern science to the backward areas of the globe. The image here is an idealized view promoted in Europe. The realities of colonial rule, however, were often quite different than this civilizing mission. Click on the image to see the impact of Belgian colonianl rule. Virtually enslaved workers, including children, who did not meet work quotas were mutilated by Belgian colonial overseerers.

It was not until the 1870s did the Europeans began to carve out colonies in sub-Saharan Africa. It was then that the "Scramble for Africa" began. [Scramble] Africa in the 1860s was still in many ways the Dark Continent. Basic geographic information such as the source of the Nile was still unknown. The work of explorers was headline news. The source of the Nile was found by Burton and Speke finally discovered the source of the Nile (1865). A U.S. newspaper sent Henry Stanley (a former work house boy) to find Dr. David Stanley. The search and eventual encounter made headlines throughout America and Europe (1869). Stanley died in Africa and his body was brought back to Britain to be burried in Westminster Abbey, an indication of the importance of these explorers to the Victorians. Colonial rule soon followed. The European edplorers brought back accounts of backward peoples, continuing slave trade, primitive religious rites, and sexual abandon. The most horrifgy accounts to the Victorians was cannibalism. Even today the continuingbimage of primitive Africa is Europan explorers in a large iron cooking pot. Thus the European people were prepared for seizing colonies and this was further inspired by rising nationalism. The colonial era was launched by one of Europe's smallest countries--Belgium. King Leopold II, who proved to be the most brutal colonizers launched the colonial race in Africa. Belgium was a new country and had not participated in the colonial competition of the 16th and 17th century. Now Leopold declared, "Belgium must have a colony". The colony Leopold founded, the Belgian Congo, was a far cry from the humanitarian inpulse with which th Victorians justified colonialism. The French followed with a huge colonial empire in West Africa which connect with their older North African colonies. The British effort was more chaotic. Colonies were created in both West and East Africa. In South Africa, the British not only faced the Bohrs, but also the Zulus. Cecil Rhodes dreamed of railroad connecting British colonies from Captown to Cairo. There were also Portuguese and Spanish colonies. The new European states also paricipated. The Germans were late to the table, but claimed their own colonies in southern and western Africa. Italy obtained colonies in East Africa. This was all accomplished in a relitively short period and with surprising little conflict between the power involved, probably because the Royal Navy was still so dominant. Economic interests from these countries rapidly moved into the new colonies to exploit the resources.

Misionaries

Relatively little missionary work was done in Africa until the 19th century. Tere were Christians in northeastern Africa (Egyptian Copts and Ethiopian Chrustians) where the churches dated from the very beginning of Christianity. Other than that Christianity was limited to the remnants of the Kongolese Empire (modern Congo Brazzaville and western Democratic Republic of the Congo). Catholic missionary expeditions were launched after the Napoleonic Wars in West Africa, especially Senegal. There were also efforts in Gabon. French Jesuit missionaries began working along the coast at this time and they gradually began working with the native kingdoms in the interior. Protestant missionaries began working in Sierra Leone (1804). The missionaries came from many different European and American churches. They competed with each other for converts and their were, as a result, conflicts. The abolition movement had a major impact on spreadung Christinity. Britian and America abolished tge slave trase (1807). The Royal Navy and to a lesser extent the U.S. Navy launched a decades long campaign to end the slave trade. The British abolished slavery throughout their Empire (1834). Outlawing first the slave trade and and then slavry itself created large numbers of free slaves thatvhadc been Christianized. It also proved to be an enducemnent to set up European Christian missions. Human compassion in Europe for the plight of slaves led to donations for funding mission work in Africa. This began in northern American states even while slavery continued in the southern states. The Protestants spread the Christian gospel through the slaves who were liberated from slaving ships along the West Coast. American abolitionists promoted the resettlmentbof feeed slaves in Liberia. Christianity was at the center of the abolitionist movenents in America and Britain. Christian missionaries brought not only the Gospel but education and health care. Many of the first schools and hospitals in Africa were the work of missionaries. Many Africans wanted education. And just as Protestantism in Europe played a major role in founding public education, Christian missionaries in Africa founded schools so that converted Africans could read the Bible. Dr. David Livingstone (1813-73) is perhps the best known missionary. The slave trade which continued in East Africa wher Islam had a powerful pressence in Zanzubar. Arab slave traders operatung from Zanzibar and coastal ports. The Royal Navy began anti-slavery operations in the Indian Ocean, but resistance from Arab emirates made supressing the slave trade a difficult indertaking. Dr. Livingston believed that the slave trade could only be suppressed by a combination of Christianity and trade. He travelled extensively from east to west in eastern and southern Africa working to bringing Christianity to Africans. He never stayed long in any single location. He achievd some success among the Tswana people (in modern Botswana). Conversion to Christianity in somecareas caused social upheaval. Livingstone and other missionaries was, howver, were unable to seriously impede the slave trade. Their conversions were mostly Africans who had traditional religious beliefs. Few Muslims converted which affected effirts to end the skave trade. Livingston and othr missionaries advocated for European Governments to formally colonize africa as a way of finally ending the slave trade.

Africa in the late-19th Century

It was not until the 1870s did the Europeans began to carve out colonies in sub-Saharan Africa. It was then that the "Scramble for Africa" began. [Scramble] Africa in the 1860s was still in many ways the Dark Continent. The Europeans had enclaves along the coast. They were first established by the Portuguese (15th century). The Spanish, Dutch, English, and French followed in their wake (16th century). These were, however, with the exception of South Africa, trading outposts. And few Europeans ventured into the interior. Those that did, did not go very far into the interior and primarily stayed along major rivers. Basic geographic information such as the source of the Nile was still unknown. The work of explorers was headline news. The source of the Nile was found by Burton and Speke finally discovered the source of the Nile (1865). A U.S. newspaper sent Henry Stanley (a former work house boy) to find Dr. David Stanley. The search and eventual encounter made headlines throughout America and Europe (1869). Stanley died in Africa and his body was brought back to Britain to be burried in Westminster Abbey, an indication of the importance of these explorers to the Victorians. Colonial rule soon followed. While the lines abd features began to apper on the map large areas of Africa even in the late-19th century were hardly touched or visited by Europeans. And what the Europeans found were tribes and villages little changed from the time when the Europeans first arrived. The exception was those reas ravahed by the Arab and European slave trade.

Civilizing Mission

The European edplorers brought back accounts of backward peoples, continuing slave trade, primitive religious rites, and sexual abandon. The most horrifyimg accounts to the Victorians was cannibalism. Even today the continuingbimage of primitive Africa is Europan explorers in a large iron cooking pot. Thus the European people were prepared for seizing colonies by the notion that they were brining the benefits of modern society to the backward peoples of the world. The actual impact of colonial rule was often very different from the rosy view provide by European governments. Klpinger described the "White man's burden". This was to bring the nenefits of modern science and Christianity to Africa. Thus the work of missionaries and doctors was widely publicized. All the colonial regimes, however, were primarily designed to exploit colonies economically. There were differences in colonial regimes. The Belgians were the most brutal and rapacious. There was, however, an element of brutality and exploitation in all the European colonial empires. Much of this was not well known by the public at large. There was also racial prejudice. The Scramble for Africa coincided with the cult of Social Darwinism and Eugenics in the West.

Nationalism

Seizing colonies was further inspired by rising nationalism. The size of a country's empire became a matter of national pride. Europeans became fascinated about Africa. Europeans and Americans were intreaged about the search for Dr. Switzer. Europeans were both intreagued and repeled by images of Africa, with both the natives judged savages and the exotic beasts. We note photographers taking exotic images of Africa for sale in Europe. A good example is the Zangaki brothers.

Economics

Economic interests from these countries rapidly moved into the new colonies to exploit the resources. [Larence, p. 288.] The basic arguments were the need for raw material and markets. The development of European colonies was commonly focused on producing raw materials ahd shipping them tobthe coast for export. At the time, it ws widely believed that major powers needed colonies. They were prestige items, but also considered to be of significant ecoonomic importance. Marx believed that the exploitation of colonies was necessary to sustain capitalist economies. It came as a shock to most Europeans after World war II and decolonization that Europen economies were not adversely afected. And the most successful country, German, had lost their colonies after World war I. And it also surprised large number of people in the former colonies that living conditions and standards actually declined in many former countries after the colonial power declined.

National Imperial Expansion

The colonial era in sub-Saharan Africa was launched by one of Europe's smallest countries--Belgium. The French followed with a huge colonial empire in West Africa which connect with their older North African colonies. The British effort was more chaotic. Colonies were created in both West and East Africa. In South Africa, the British not only faced the Bohrs, but also the Zulus. Cecil Rhodes dreamed of railroad connecting British colonies from Captown to Cairo. Portuguese explorerors had begun the European expansion in Africa. As a result Portugal was an important colonial power in Africa. Spain was not an important player in African colonialism. The Pope had essentially divided the world between Spain and Portugal. South America except for Brazil which buldged toward Aftica was alloted to Spain. Thus the Spanish focus was west toward the Americas rather than south toward Africa. The new European states also paricipated. The Germans were late to the table, but claimed their own colonies in southern and western Africa. Italy obtained colonies in East Africa. This was all accomplished in a relitively short period and with surprising little conflict between the power involved, probably because the Royal Navy was still so dominant. Details on the boundaries were worked out by Lord Salisbury and Count von Bismarck. [Wilson, p. 489.]

Congress of Berlin (1874)

The Congress of Berlin did not launch the European "Scramble for Africa," but it did help set the fround rule for the competition and helped avoud potentially serious conflict among the participating European powers for more tha 15 years. It was anunusual diplomatic inititive fostered by German Chancellor Bismrck. Such international conferences were until then primarily convenrd to iron out the aftermath of a war. The idea of settleing such problems before they led to war was virtually unhward of in international diplomacy. All of the major powers had reasons to attend, especially France, Britain and the new European powerhouse of Germany. Other participating countries were Belgium, Portugal, and Spain. There were several issues addressed at the Congress, but the most contentious was the future of the Congo River basin.

Tribal Groups

Europe over more than two millenia of over devestating conflict has organized itseld along ethnic and linguistic lines. This has not occurred in Africa. Most modern African states reflect the boundaeies drawn by European colonial powers in the 19th century during the scramble for Africa. The Europeans commonly ignored tribal and linguistic afinities among African peoples. This mean that tribal groups were fracrtured and separated by boundaries. And in some cases tribes with a history of hostility to each other were left together in the same country. Thus modern African states commonly are composed of multiple tribal groups. And many tribal groups populate multiple countries. We have begun to collect information on some of these tribal groups. One such group are the Tuareg of the southern Sahara, a people who for milenia dominated the trans-Saharan cammel caravans.

Major Events

for several centuries tyhe Europeans only opened trading posts along yhe cpast of Aftrica. Only with the Scrable for Africa (1870s) did they begin to colonize and move inland. They thus controlled Africa for about aentury before the decolonization pricess bvegan (mid-1950). Here are some of the major events during that period.

Ending the slave trade

Not well understood in the modern emotional woke discussion of slavery is tghe fact that african slavery was not a purly European imposition. Arabs and Africanswere involved long before the Europeans got involved. And while the Europeans were involved in the horific Trans-Atlastic sjave trade (16th-19th century). the Europeans were also kinvolved in ending the slsve trade, especially Britain. And slavery itself was not ended in Africa itself until the continent was colonized. Again Britain played a key role. This is not to justify in any way the horrors of the Trans-Atlanyic slave trade ans slavery itself. Iy was arime against humanity, it is to intriduce a degree of historical ccuracy into the study of slavery which was the most egregious, but not gthe most weide-spread form of forced ;asbor hich asflicted manj=kind t=for millennias.

Zulu Revolt (1879)

One of the most famous of Britain's colonial wars was the war fought aginst the Zulu Kingdom of southern Africa. The Zulus were a formidacle warrior people who had ammassed a huge kingdom by force of arms (19th century). Shaka Zulu (1787-1828) played major role in expanding the kingsom. was the founder of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. The Zulus An important part of their success was that defeated clans were integrated into the kingdom on a basis of full equality. When Britain and other Europen countries had begun to more firmly establish colonial rule, they had to contend with the Zulu Kingdom which controled much of what is today KwaZulu-Natal and Southern Africa. The Zulus were a formidabke force although poorly armed. Lord Carnarvon, Secretary of State for the Colonies, was intent on expading British imperial control in South Africa. He wanted to create a federation of British colonies and Boer Republics. He appointed Sir Bartle Frere to be the British High Commissioner in South Africa to carry out his plan. Zululand bordered on Natal and the Transvaal, one of the Boer Repubics. Zulu King Cetshwayo refused to cooperate and acceot federatioin and British control and to dusband thev Zulu army. Frere ordered Lieutenant-General Lord Chelmsford invaded Zululand to force compliance (January 1879). He assumed that he would have trouble brining the Zukus to battle. Chelmsford divided his force into three columns which proved to be a major mistake. His battle plan was to surround the Zulus and force them into a costly battle before capturing the royal capital at Ulundi. Chelmsford A right column crossed into Zululand near the mouth of the Tugela River ans set up a base at an abandoned missionary station at Eshowe. His left column entered Zululand from the Transvaal and marched on Utrecht. The center column which Chelmsford personally led crossed the Buffalo River at the Rorke's Drift mission station. The Zulus were well-trained, although poorly armed, mostly with leather shields and spears. Chelmsford faulty asessment of the Zulus resulted in disater on the Isandlwana. The British public was shocked to read that 'spear-wielding savages' had defeated a modern British army. The Zulus fought bravely, but could not overcome modern weaponry. The result were some of the blodiest battles in colonial warfare. The disciplined Zulus just kept cominmg in the face of modern weaponry.

Mhadist Revolt (1883-98)

The Egyptian Khedive, desirng to gain control of the south, appointed General Charles 'Chinese' Gordon as governor general of Equatoria (1873). His authority was extended to the entire Sudan (1877). Gordon put his relentless energy to work gaining control of Sudan and end the slave trade. Gordon worked tirelessly for 6 years to gain control over rebelious tribes. Egyptian garrisons were establishes throughout the Sudan. When Gordon leaves for England, it looked like he has suceeded in establishing Egyptian control and ending the slave trade (1880). A year later, a charismatic tribal leader embued with Islam emerges in Sudan--Mohammed Ahmed who styled himself the Mahdi. He capitalizes on the widespread discontent and resentment toward both the British snd Egyptians among the tribes. A major reason for the discontent was Gordon's efforts to supress the slave trade which had been a highly profitable activity. The Mahdi lived with disciples on an island in the White Nile. There he was inspired by the revelation that he is the long-awaited Mahdi. He proclaimed his new role and called for the creation of a strict Islamic state ruled by Sharia which legitimized slavery. Egyptian authorities in Khartoum ordered his arrest. He and his small band of followers escaped to the mountains. The Mahdi's skills and the religious fervor of his followers allowed him to attack isolated Egyptian garrisons (1883). The Egyptians dispatch three armies to the Sudan, each of which are defeated. One is commanded by a Bitish general. He is able to take several important towns, including El Obeid. Gradually Khartoum itself was threatened. Khartoum was populated by many non-Sudanese civilians which face death at the hands of the Mahdi and his followers. The British government headed by Prime Minister William Gladstone at the time was trying to limit the growth of the Empire. He did not want to send a British army, despite increasing public pressure for action. Under pressure gto do something, he decided to send General Gordon, but with very limited forces and orders to oversee the evacution of Khartoum, not fightbit out. Gordon sailed down the Nile and reached Khartoum (February 18, 1884)

Ethiopian victory over the Italians at Adowa (1896)

The Europen powers until the late-19th century did not colonize sub-Saharan Africa. For the most part they simply set up coastal trading stations. This did not change until the second half of the 19th century. What followed has been described as the Scramble for Africa. A divided Ethiopia at war with itself as was the case in the 18th century would have been easy prey for the Europeans. In fact, Ethiopia was the only country in Africa to successfully resist the Europeans. This was in large measure because of two strong emperors and competition among the European powers. Ras Kassa had himself crowned as the emperor at Axum under the name Tewodros (1855). He organized an army to reunite the provinces. He brought Tigre, Amhara and Shoa once again under the control of the central government. Despite his success, Tewodros shot himself when the British besieged his fortress (1867). He was succeeded by John IV who the British armed. John IV further expanded the provinces under control of the Empire. He gained control of the Afars, the Somalis of Harrar and the Ogadam, and the Gallas. The British forced John to accept the young vassal King of Shoa as his heir, Menelik. He proved to be a strong leader, influenced by the British, but no puppet. Menelik built up a strong army with enough modern arms to defeat the Italians at Adowa (1896). This would prove to be the only European colonial power to be defeated by an African army.

Fashoda Incident (1898)

The Fashoda Incident was a potentially tragic diplomatic dispute between France and Britain at the end of the 19th century. Both countries were major participants in the 19th century European Scramble for Africa. Some British leaders wanted to complete Cecil Rhodes's dream of a continuous strip of colonial possessions from Cape Town north to Cairo. France in contrast wanted an overland route from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. The French Government (Third Republic) ordered Major J. B. Marchand with a small force from Brazzaville to move west and seize the needed territory (May 1, 1897). The Sudan at the time was Egyptian territory and not as British colony. The British were, however, involved because of their protectorate over Egypt and effort to end the slave trade in Sudan. A British-led Egyptian force was in the process of retaking the Sudan from Mahadi's successor, the Khalifa. The British Government warned the French not to proceed with this enterprise. Major Marchand's small force crossed over 2,000 mi (3,200 km) of virtually unexplored wilderness. Marchand's force reached Fashoda (now Kodok) on the Nile in the southern Sudan (July 10, 1898). Marchand managed to repel a Mahdist attack. He paused at Fashoda, expecting a Franco-Ethiopian force to reinforce him from the east. Lord Kitchener's Anglo-Egyptian army defeated the principal Mahadist force at Omdurman in the north (September 2) Learning of the French incursion, Kitchener led forces south (upriver) on orders from British Prime-Minister Lord Salisbury. He reached Fashoda (September 10). Kitchener met with Marchand. He claimed the entire Nile valley for Britain. Both forces prudently withdrew without firing a shot. The resolution of the conflicting claims was worked out by British and French diplomats. The governing factor was that Britain had a substantial army in Khartoum as a result of operation against the Mahadist forces. France in contrast had no sizeable forces in the area. France renounced all rights to the Nile basin and the Sudan in return for a guarantee of its sizeable claims in West and Central Africa. The Fashoda Incident is today a little remembered historical footnote. But it could have dramatically changed history. If Britain and France had fought a colonial war in Africa, the likelihood of a British and French rapprochement in the 20th century would have been much less likely, meaning Kaiser Wilhelm II would not have faced a powerful Allied resistance when in attempted to expand German territory West, launching World War I (1914).

Bohr War (1899-1902)

The Boer War, or South African War as it is sometimes called, is today an obscure footnote in history. At the time it was a major turning point in history. Not only did it occur at the transition from the Victorian to the Edwardian era, but it helped to confirm the growing opinion in England that it was the rising power of Germany under the mecurial Kaiser Wilhelm II that posed a danger to Britain rather than the traditional English enemy--France. This was a major transition in English thinking that had enormous repersusions in the 20th century. The War also convinced many that major reforms were needed to modernize the Army. The Boer War brought the term concentration camp" to the 20th century. A more happy impact was indirectly the War was involved in the founding of the Scouting movement. The British casualties were much higher than anticipated and the civilian casualties were even higher. European public opinion was incensed and the British began to see their Empire in a new light

Exposure of Belgian cruelty in the Congo (1903)

The loans the Belgian Government gave to King Leopold gave the Belgian Government the right to take control of the Congo. Thr Goverment did not, however, exercise its option (1901). The Congo Free State looked like it might continue as an example of a successful private enterprise. Soon after the Belgian Parliament decided not to make the Belgian Free State an actual colony, however, reports filtered out describing the abuses. It is at this time that ugly rumors began to appear in the European press about gastly atrocities being perpetrated by Congo authotities. Actual evidence was hard to come by because the King Leopold's Congo authorities controlled access. They denied the accusations. The Belgian press did not press the issue dilgently. The more aggressive British press did. Not only did the British press have a more open journalistic tradition, but Belgian trade restruictions created considerable indignation as well. As a result, an international campaign to unearth the truth about what was occurring in the Congo began to grow. The turning point came from the British. Roger Casement was the British Consul to the Congo Free State at Boma. The Foreign Office sent him an encrypted cable (1903). The Foreign Office ordered Casement to proceed into the Congo interior to investigate the rumors of abuses being perpetrated against the Congo people. Boma was located at the mouth of the Congo. Casement embarked on an extrordinary journey up the Congo River in the Henry Reed, a small steam launch, hired from American Baptist missionaries. He steamed into the interior of the Congo and only a cursory assessment revealed the awful truth. Casement found villages that have been depopulated. The people he does find are terrified and tell him horific stories of death and torture carried out by the Belgian authorities. And there was more than testimonials to verify stories. There was proof in the large number of traumitized victims whose hands have been amputated. The Foreign Office released the Casement report to the press. Eventually this and other reports were published in Belgian newspapers (1904). E. D. Morel published a similar account. And thanks to advances in photography and lithography, there was photograps which could be easily taken and published in magazines and newspapers. English missionary Alice Seeley Harris provide apauling evience of Belgian atricities. A disdraught Congo father arrived at Harris' mission clutching a parcel that contained what was left of his beloved 5-year-old daughter (1904). Belgian authorities were responsible for killed and dismembering her as a punishment when their village failed to meet the rubber quotas they imposed. The most terrible abuses were carried out in the highly profitable rubber concessions. The Congolese people were essentially enslaved to collect rubber. Inividuals were given quotas to collect. Those who failed to meet the quotas were punished. The punishments varied, but were often terrible--including amputations. As more information was published in Belgium, public pressure mounted for the Government to assume responsibility for administering the Congo Free Sate from the King. Parliament after extended debate decided to do so. Belgium annexed the Congo with a Treaty (November 28, 1907).

Heroe Revolt (1904)

German authorities brutally supressed native uprisings. The first Hottentot Uprising (1893-94) was followed by the Herero Wars (1904). Europeans referred to the Khoikhoi as Hottentos. They were the native people of southwestern Africa, closely related to the Bushmen (or San people). They are also referred to as the Nama because of the language they speak. The Khoikhoi tribal leader Endrik Witbooi led the first Hottentot Uprising (1893-94), This was followed by a number of other incidents. of the occurred. The most important was the Herero Wars (1904). It is some times referred to as the Herero Genocide because of the German response in supressing the revolt. The Herero were a Bantu people. The insurgency was led by Hendrik Witbooi and Jakobus Morenga (the black Napoleon). The insurgents began by attacking the remote, unprotected farms of German settlers. About 150 German settlers were killed. The Nama also entered the struggle. Because of the large area involved, the colonial Schutztruppe of 766 Germans and and native auxiliary was unable to contain the the Herero insurgency. They even managed to reach Okahandja and Windhoek. They demolished the important railway bridge to Osona. In total, between 25,000 and 100,000 Herero, more than 10,000 Nama and 1,749 Germans died in the conflict. The Germans dispsatched 14,000 troops to the colony under the command of Lieutenant General Lothar von Trotha. The insurgents foolishly fought a comnventionl battle and were destoyed at the Battle of Waterberg (August 1904). The insurgency continued at a low level. The Germans finally defeated the rebellion (1907–08). Von Trotha delt with the defeated Herero harshly. He announced that they were no longer German subjects and ordering them to leave the colony, threatening to kill ny who remazined. The Herero were forced to leave therir farms and hide in the arid Omaheke region, ajoining the desolate Kalahari Desert. Many died of thirst. The Germans guarded the water sources and were ordered to shoot any adult male Herero who attmpted to get water. Other natives were held in detention. Their treatment varied, but included dispossession, deportation, forced labor, and racial descrimination. [Kössler and Melber] Some survived as the Himba people.

Moroccan crises (1905-11)

German Kaiser Wilhelm II becgan to us Germzany's growing indistrial and military migh to unsettle the peace of Europe. There swere two Norrocan cruses, the Tangier Crisus (1905-06) snd the Agadir Crisis (1911). Basically Wilhelm was disastisfied with the paultry colonia enclaves Germany acquired as a result of the Scrable for Africa. Morocco was a sore point because France acquired a protectorate over the kingdom at a time that the Kaiser was increasinly miffed at his small colonoal possessions. The Tangier Crisis was over the status of Morocco. The Kaiser even visited Tangier. Britzain backed the French move and an international conference affirmed French control. The primary result was worsened German relations with both France and Britain and the strengthening of the Anglo-French Entente. The Kasiser never forgot this humiliastion. He sparked anotherr crises when he deployed gunboars to ASgadir while France was engaged in supressing disorders inthe interior. Both of these crises are seen as steps toward World War I and the Kaiser's growing view that he and the the German Emoire were not receiving the respect it deserved.

French colonial defection from Vichy (1941-42)

The world was shocked by the German Wirld War IIn invasion and occuoation of Framce 1940). Frenmch colonies pledgedv alegiance to the pupet regime set up in Vichy. It looked like Gernjanybhad won the War and Britian would soon capitulate as well. When this did not occur, and it became clear that the Germans had not yet won the War, the Frebnch colonies in Africa began defecting to the Free Frech. This was all the actions of the actions of the French autorities in the colonies. The colonized Africans were not jnvolvded in the decisions.

Mau-Mau Insurgency (1950s)

Controling the Tsetse Fly

The European colonization of Africa is today seen as explotive and a crime against humanity. It certaibly was explotive and the Europeans did little to prepare Africans for self givernment. There were, howeverr, realm benefits to the African peooples which are largekly ignored by scholars weith woke agendas. Africa was exceedingly backward. A few empires, butt not great civilizations rose in Africa. They were for the most part pre-literate civilizations. There were various reasons for this, but one of the most important were the Tsetse fly and the diseses it carried which virtually depopulated large areaas of Africa. The advanced technologies the Europeans brought to Africa almong other matters had by the time the De-colonization pricess began brought thr tse-tse fly under control. It was an emense gift to gthe African people which is rarely mentiond today.

Sources

Lawrence, James. The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (London: Little Brown, 1994).

Wilson, A.N. The Victorians (W.S. Norton & Co.: New York, 200), 724p.

"Scranmle for Africa," Times, September 1884.

Created: 4:37 AM 4/20/2006
Last updated: 6:40 PM 8/26/2023