imperial expansion and liberal rule

Question 1

british policy changes in the 1890s

Answer 1

british policy in africa had become more assertive

until the 1880s, the british had largely established bases for their strategic value of trade purposes - this sometimes involved reacting to initiatives of other powers - matching settlement by france or germany by claiming the area where british traders had already established themselves

private chartered companies had been used to occupy/ administer territory

although there had been some intervention in egypt, the british were generally cautious - changed as imperial attitudes within britain had their effect on british expansionism in africa

conservative government 1895 were determined to uphold britain’s position in every part of the world - led to wars and threats of war over africa to consolidate empire

imperialism took on a less haphazard appearance - protectorates expanded in order to provide better security to pre existing ports, markets or resources and new territories were taken in order to limit the advance of fellow european imperialists

ground rules agreed on at berlin conference - imperial powers had to show evidence of their ‘effective occupation’ of african territories, encompassing both their administration and defence in order to claim a formal colony

Question 2

reasons for expansion

uganda

Answer 2

religion - anglican, french catholic and zanzibari missionaries had permeated bugandan people - highly successful

british east africa company got power over revenue, trade and administration of justice

buganda became a british protectorate

uganda railway from mombasa in 1896 in order to connect the coast with fertile and temperate highlands bordering lake victoria

consolidsted formal british takeover

660 miles of track, £5 million to build

enabled access to new markets
encouraged colonial settlement
faciliated the export of coffee and tea
stopped the need for slave porters to access the interior
protected source of the river nile against potential enemies
promoted british tourism

known as the lunatic line - difficulties encountered during construction

Question 3

rhodesia

Answer 3

strengthen control of cape colony - cecil rhodes

Question 4

zanzibar

Answer 4

britain’s influence in 1890

declared protectorate and had a puppet sultan, hamid bin thuwaini

mysteriuosly died - cousin took leadership without britain’s blessing

refused and was met with a naval bombardment of the sultan’s palace

after 38 minute, khalid was overthrown and hamud put into place as sultan for 6 years

britain involved to make sure it’s influence was still over zanzibar and that it could control it, as germany had tanzania

Question 5

cape colony:

why did britain want a british confederation of south africa?

Answer 5

to counter german territorial gains and boer confidence derived from the transvaal’s gold wealth

advoctated for by cecil rhodes (cape colony prime minister) and joseph chamberlain (colonial secretary)

Question 6

cape colony:

uitlanders

Answer 6

in 1895 gold seeking uitlanders of the transavaal were denied citizenship and voting rights by the boer government under the lead of paul kruger

sought the help of cecil rhodes - leading financial magnates of the rand goldfield

gave britain an excuse to intervene

Question 7

cape colony:

the jameson raid

Answer 7

1895

rhodes hatched a scheme to take control of the transvaal

several hundred men would seize johannesburg, trigger an uprising by the uitlanders and overthrow kruger’s government

left planning to dr jameson, a chartered company administrator

december - led 600 armed men into the transvaal

boer authorities had advance warnings of the raid

jameson surrendered quickly

rhodes forced to resign

Question 8

cape colony:

repercussions of the jameson raid

Answer 8

instead of weakening kruger, the raid strengthened him - made him more intransigent

deeply humiliated salisbury’s government

british government realised it could no longer persure it’s southern africa policies on the coattails of capitalists like rhodes

1897 - transvaal and orange free state agreed to a military pact

kruger was convinced war with britain was likely and equipped transvaal’s army with the best european rifles and artillery

Question 9

cape colony:

the coming of war

Answer 9

milner and kruger met at bloemfontein on 31st may 1899 in an effort to resolve the uitlander issue

when kruger refused his demands to give uitlanders the vote, milner walked out of the conference

salisbury’s government did not send substantial reinforcements to southern africa, suggesting that it did not want or expect war

salisbury believed that britain had an obligation to people of british descent in southern africa, and that transvaal aspired to a dutch south africa which would be damaging to britain’s prestige and had to be stopped

Question 10

cape colony:

the second boer war

Answer 10

joseph chamberlain wanted to avoid war but was not prepared to accept any weakening of british influence

negotiations with the boers broke down in 1899 when the boers, anxious to strike a blow before the british army of south africa could be reinforced invaded british territory and beseiged ladysmith in natal

the british poured in nearly 400,000 imperial troops at a cost of £250 million and under the generals kitchener and roberts took the ascendant from 1900 until 1902 until the boers were defeated

Question 11

cape colony:

peace of vereeniging

Answer 11

may 1902

ended the boer war

the boers acknowledged themselves as british subjects and the boer republics became british colonies with a promise of responsible self government

granted in 1905

1908 - prime ministers of the transvaal, orange free state and natal drew up a constitution for the union of south africa

an act of union established a single parliament and the union of south africa became a single british dominion territory in 1910