Africa Flashcards
Why did the Empire in Africa expand in the late 19th C?
- Mineral wealth
- Capacity for cattle production
- Tropical trade and markets to trade in
- Ports and harbours of Zanzibar, the cape and the West Coast were becoming sought after
- Industrial revolution meant better ships and weapons which made it easier to establish footholds
- Coal, iron and timber to feed british industry
- Civilise and convert the ‘uncivilised’ ‘heathans’
- Investment opportunities
- Exploration and cartography purposes
- Egypt and the Suez was becoming vital
What was British presence in Africa like pre-1880?
Very few possesions. Only controlled coastal areas in some parts of west Africa (e.g. Sierra Leone) and then South Africa
What percentage of African land was seized by Britain, France, Germany and Belgium between 1800 and 1900?
Approximately 90%
What was Gladstone’s pre-1882 colonial policy?
Non-interventionism (he was not a jingoist like many Tories)
What marked the European partition of Africa?
Britain’s official occupation of Egypt in 1882 under Gladstone
When was the Brussels conference?
1876
Who held the Brussels conference?
King Leopold of Belgium motivated by his desire to protect Belgian interests in the Congo and promote European co-operation
What were the three main things agreed at the Brussels conference?
- Africans were incapable of developing natural resources so european intervention was needed
- The routes to Africa’s great lakes needed to be developed by the construction of roads and railways
- An International African Assosciation should be established to coordinate European efforts in Africa
What was the consequence of the Brussels comference in 1876?
Heightened European rivalry and competition due to suspicion of Leopold’s intentions. France and Germany in response to this explored the Congo themselves.
