The Scramble For Africa

Question 1

why was the Suez Canal so significant?

Answer 1

• It was the quick route to India
• It offered other trade opportunities in the canal

Question 2

in what year and how many shares did British prime minister, Benjamin Disreili purchase/

Answer 2

• 1875
• 4million pounds worth

Question 3

How did the British view expanding into Africa pre-1880?

Answer 3

There was initially little interest
- non interventionist policy from PM Gladstone

Question 4

in 1882 gladstone ordered for what

Answer 4

• the occupation of Egypt
• seen by many to be the start of the scramble for Africa

Question 5

why was there a change in policy towards N. Africa in the 1880s

Answer 5

• political - broken free from Ottoman rule, Britain had to act before alliances were made in Egypt with foreign powers
• economic - Britain wanted to capitalise on the trade opportunities within Egypt (Suez) and gain revenue from trade routes to India
• imperial - vital in protecting trade routes to India

Question 6

Why was Britains occupation of Egypt significant

Answer 6

the change in policy was made out of political and economic necessity
- this marked the scramble for Africa among European powers

Question 7

Why was the Scramble of rAfrica so significant/

Answer 7

• Britain had few territories in Africa and could look to expand for economic reasons
• the interior of Africa remained untouched (rich with resources)
• there was an economic gain realised by European powers for involvement in Africa

Question 8

How invested are European powers Africa

Answer 8

by 1890 around 90% of Africa was seized by either Britain, France, Germany or Belgium

Question 9

Why did Britain enter the ‘scramble for Africa’

Answer 9

• a race with other rival European powers
• a chance to spread Christianity (missionaries)
• • a greed for power and a racial superiority complex (to educate and civilise)

Question 10

What happened at the Brussels conference

Answer 10

• 1876
• hosted by King Leopold
• concluded that Europeans should take control of Africa’s resources

Question 11

what happened at the Berlin Conference?

Answer 11

• 1884-85
• legitimised colonisation of Africa
• partition of Africa into European colonies

Question 12

Why did the Brussels and Berlin conference take place/

Answer 12

• boost to European powers’ industry as a result of resources
• avoided conflicts that may have occurred in the scramble for Africa

Question 13

what was the relations with the British and the Boers

Answer 13

• relatively peaceful until the 19th century
• the British came into conflict with the boers and the Bantu in the second half of the 19th C. over resources and occupation of s. Africa

Question 14

what happened in the Boer/British Xho za war of 1877-78

Answer 14

the British and the Boers fought over occupation of territories in S.africa
conflicting with the native tribes
the British annexed territories of native tribes to the Cape
the Boers were less successful with their efforts