L4 - The Scramble for Africa

Question 1

The Scramble for Africa

Answer 1

Conquest and Colonisation of Africa
- 1884-1914 ( 90% controlled by Europeans )
-Colonisation began in 16th C but was limited to small coastal trading posts / rarely travelled to Centre of Africa -> large African nations developed
- Stanley + Livingstone = mapped most of North Africa + Sudan / missionaries arrived = euro influence
- colonies produced goods / colonies were coaling stations for steamships and naval bases
-nationalism fueled imperialism
-lead to disputes over colonial

Question 2

The Berlin Conference (1884-1885)

Answer 2

Stanley = hired by King of Belgium to explore Congo -> created treaties with ruler -> gave up land rights to create Congo free state but 50% pop died by 1908 / land claims = disputed by France and Portugal -> war threatened
-Berlin conference convened by Bismarck to make colonisation orderly ( 14 nations , all major euro empires + USA + ottoman but no African reps ) / recognized existing colonial claims (inc Belgium’s Congo ) / concept of effective occupation ( treaties with locals, administration, police ) used to legitimize claims / nations had to notify all other attendees if wanted to make more claims
-1913 = only Liberia and Ethiopia remained / France + Britain benefitted bc of existing control but Germany and Italy struggled bc no initial land in Africa.
- euro powers signed treaties

Question 3

The Morocco Crisis ( 1905-1906 )

Answer 3

1888 = Wilhelm II crowned kaiser of German empire / stubborn, arrogant, tactless, moody / adopted imperialistic and militaristic policy called Weltpolitik ( world power ) / make germany more powerful through aggresive diplomacy, colonisation, increased military pwr
- France claimed Morocco / Spain, Britain, Italy recognized in exchange for recognition of their claims
- Fr + Brit = signed Entente Cordiale alliance / build up tension -> France called all troops ( inc ppl on leave ) and moved them to the border and germany called reserve units
- Conference in spain attended by 13 nations/ austria -hungary empire support germany’s position but every1 else supported france / Wilhelm saw it as a humiliating defeat and that germany and Britain were conspiring against him