The expansion of the British Empire in Africa

Question 1

Why was there a so called “swing to the East”?

Answer 1

Loss of American colonies, defeat of the American War of Indepedence

Question 2

When did Cape Colony gain dominion status?

Answer 2

1872

Question 3

When was the Long Depression and why signficant?

Answer 3

1873-1896
European markets dipleted, looking for new Markets

Question 4

What are the key factors of expansion into Africa?

Answer 4

Trade/ economy
(coal, timber , iron sought in Africa , cycle of dependecny developed between Britain and Africa, whereby Britian bought reosurces and made manufactured goods to seel back to Africa)

Personal Influence
-Merchant- imperalsits
e,g Cecil Rhodes and George Goldie
-explorers
-missonaries

Strategic Factors
e.g British interests in West Africa required protection, led to forts built on cost of Gold Coast and costal defences in Sierra Leone

Moral Factors
-Victorian attidue “duty to civilise” famously, explorer David Livingston said he went to Africa to “try and make an open path for commerce and christainity”

Question 5

Why did Britain turn towards Egypt during the American Civil war 1861-1865?

Answer 5

Britain mills starved of raw cotton, Egypt good source of this material. Britain companies began investing heavily in the production of Egyptian cottons and in the ambitious modernising programme of the ruling Khedive Isma’il Pasha

Question 6

In the 1870s what percentage of Egyptian imports were coming from Britain?

Answer 6

40%

Question 7

When did Isma’il Pasha come into power of Egypt?

Answer 7

1863

Question 8

What modernisation projects did Isma’il Pasha introduce ?

Answer 8

Irrigation
railways
schools
and most significantly, the building of the Suez Canal

Question 9

How much shorter did the Suez canal make the journey to India?

Answer 9

6000 miles

Question 10

When was the completion of the Suez Canal?

Answer 10

1869

Question 11

When and for how much did Britain buy 44% of the shares of the Suez canal?

Answer 11

1875
£4 million
Disraeli bought them
This significantly encouraged British interests in Egypt

Question 12

When was Isma’il Pasha deposed?

Answer 12

1879
Due to economic mismanagement = Egypt in debt
Tewfiq became new Khedive

Question 13

What happened in June 1882?

Answer 13

Political violence spilt onto the streets of Alexandria
50 Europeans killed

Question 14

Who was Arabi Pasha?

Answer 14

Leader of nationalist rebellion, Tewfiq forced to appoint Pasha in government positions. Their fiercely anti-European stance provoked British concern over trade and investment as well as position in Egypt

Question 15

What was Prime Minister Gladstone’s response to violence at Alexandria?

Answer 15

Gladstone attempted to intervene with further violence, British navy forces bombarded Alexandria,
Arabi Pasha then declared war on Britain but was ultimately defeated by British at Tel el-Kebir
Tewfiq was then reinstated as a puppet ruler that year (1882)

Question 16

Who became Consul-General in 1882 of Egypt?

Answer 16

Sir Evelyn Baring

Question 17

How was British control over Egypt seemingly confirmed?

Answer 17

Though, an seemingly informal occupation of Egypt, the 1885 Convention of London secured an international loan to the Egyptian government which arguably confirmed British influence over Egypt

Question 18

What was the status of Egypt in relation to the Empire by 1885?

Answer 18

= on surface, under the rule of both Ottoman and local rule, however in reality Egypt was firmly under British administrative control, with Egypt holding the position of a “veiled Protectorate”

Question 19

Who was sent to Sudan to act as Governor General between 1877-1880?

Answer 19

general Gordon

Question 20

What happened in June 1881?

Answer 20

Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself as the Mahdi
and created a Jihadist army (drawing on long-term hostility towards Egyptian rule with hatred towards British) and sought to liberate Sudan from outside rule and by 1882 had completely taken over the surrounding area of Khartoum

Question 21

What was the British response to the failure of Hick’s expedition?

Answer 21

Gladstone reluctant to be drawn into any other conflict so sends General Gordon to oversee evacuation of Khartoum in 1884, but the British- Egyptian forces defending Khartoum were overrun on 1885
=Gladstone did not retaliate for fear of further loss of life and money

Question 21

What happened in 1883 in regards to the Sudan and Muhammad Ahmad?

Answer 21

British-Egyptian military expedition under command of William Hicks= failure, with Hicks being killed

Question 22

When was the next invasion of Sudan?

Answer 22

1896

Question 24

What were the reasons for British expansion into Africa?

Answer 24

New economic pressures
(Need for resources and markets to feed industrial growth)
-European markets depleted from the long depression (1873-1896)

Strategic Interests due to expanding European powers

Question 25

Who was the Khedive of Egypt 1854-1863?

Answer 25

Isma’ll Pasha

Question 26

Who was the khedive of Egypt 1863-1879?

Answer 26

Tewqik Pasha

Question 27

When was the Suez Canal completed?

Answer 27

1869

Question 28

By 1875 how many of the ships using the canal were British ?

Answer 28

80% Canal commercially and strategically vital to British interests in the Mediterranean and the East and India

Question 29

When did Disraeli buy shares in the Suez Canal and how many for how much ?

Answer 29

1875 £4 million loan by Rothschild For 44% stake

Question 30

Between 1863-1879 how much had Egypts debt grew from?

Answer 30

£3 million to £100 Million

Question 31

How much had the interest rate grown between 1863-1879?

Answer 31

7% to 20%

Question 32

Why had Egypt going into debt?

Answer 32

Ismai’ll had been rapidly aiming to reform Egypt with Over 100 miles of track laid Schools, roads and public buildings built =By 1875 Egyptian debt threatened economic crisis

Question 33

What was the 1878 Anglo-French reduce plan?

Answer 33

Dual economic control of the Egyptian economy by Britain and France -French controlled gov spending - Britain responsible for raising revenue = interest rates cut to 5% Government employees wages cut

Question 34

What was the result of the Anglo-French rescue plan?

Answer 34

Successful in reducing debts but misery for majority of Egyptians with increased unemployment and starvation =growing revolts -Feb 1882 Colonel Ahmed Arabi Pasha led major revolt which led to riots in June in Alexandria with 50 Europeans dead =Gladstone ordered formal occupation but rebellion crushed by October 1882 (Battle of Tel-el-Kebir)

Question 35

What is the economic argument for takeover of Egpyt?

Answer 35

-1870s significant British economic investment in Egypt as well as Egyptian cotton essential to British textile industry -By 1875, 80% of ships using the canal were British -British banks lending heavily to Isma'il .........So British investment needs protecting and trade with Egypt vital to British economy

Question 36

What was the strategic argument for takeover of Egypt?

Answer 36

Middle East strategically important to Britain's interests Concerns over Russian expansion as well as French Suez canal shortened route to India (cut 4000 miles off to India, saving 2 weeks) So strategically important

Question 37

What was the political argument for takeover?

Answer 37

-Nationalist threat = Britain wanting to secure rule As well as knock on effect to British domestic economy

Question 38

What happened in Sudan in regards to the "Mahdi"?

Answer 38

-Muhammad Ahmad announced he was the Mahdi in June 1881 and began to built an army, with his forces commonly being known as the "Dervishes"

Question 39

When does Gordon arrive in Khartoum?

Answer 39

Jan 1884 Evacuated 2,500 civilians but against orders went back, Mahdist forces built up around Khartoum and besiege the city

Question 40

Until the late 19th century how would you primarily describe the reason for expansion of European Empires?

Answer 40

-economic motivation

Question 41

Between 1880 and 1900 what had European imperial expansion do?

Answer 41

Swiftly accelerated and became a much more formal "colonisation" because of increasing international rivalry

Question 42

During the 1800's what percentage of foreign trade went to Latin America?

Answer 42

10%

Question 43

By 1900 how much of Africa was in African hands?

Answer 43

10%

Question 44

When was the Brussels Conference?

Answer 44

1876

Question 45

What was the Brussels conference?

Answer 45

-King Leopold hosted a conference of explorers and geographers -supposed to be a discussion of how to best support Africa to develop but actually about protecting his own interests in exploiting the region for economic gain -concluded that Africans were incapable of developing natural resources

Question 46

What was the impact of the Brussels conference?

Answer 46

Instead of cooperation the conference caused increased competition each country hired their own explorers to help assert claims

Question 47

When was the Berlin conference?

Answer 47

1884-1885

Question 48

What was the impact of the Berlin conference?

Answer 48

=" effective occupation" 14 European states and US attended Conference rapidly promoted acceleration of scramble for Africa as it allowed Empires to expand their empire without conflict