No single explanation can account for the partition of Africa. Discuss.

Résumé du document

In the early 1870s, the European countries had only 10% of the African territories, they were especially situated on the coasts, the majority were just trading posts. In eastern and central Africa, there was an English presence in Sierra Leone (since 1807), Lagos (1861) and Gold Coast (1830), the French had a part of Senegal, Gabon and Ivory Coast and the Portuguese held the coast of Angola.
In southern, the descendants of Dutch settlers occupied territories inside the country and had created the area around the Cap. All these colonies had for main goal the trade and business. Until the 1860s the European did not know very well the majority of the territories inside the continent, the climatic conditions, the diseases did not favour the explorers. But with the progress of medicine (quinine) and geography, the explorers discovered new areas; the springs of Nile (1860), the flow of the Niger...
In the 1870s, Europe was far to think about the politic domination of the Africa. Except few scientists, missionaries and adventurers, nobody in Europe was interested about these remote areas. After all, in 1910, except Liberia and Ethiopia, the whole continent belonged to European countries. Five countries (Great-Britain, France, Germany, Belgium and Portugal) controlled 90% of the 28 millions km2 of the Africa. In 30-40 years, these countries imposed a complete domination, and they had divided the continent in accordance with their interests, and without any African advice. How can we explain this phenomenon ? Why did the European change their mind during from 1880s to 1910s ?

Extraits

[...] Moreover these events took place in the timely moment for Europeans and in the worse for Africans. In spite of the depression, European nations were powerful, industrialised, and ready to extend their territories, in their mind and in their abilities. On the contrary, African areas were not very developed and the states were not as powerful as the European. This partition was an event unique of its kind; very quick, totally successful and relatively easy to make. The result to 90 years of colonization was a human disaster and caused many problems for people and states of Africa. [...]

[...] The partition will made easier for the Europeans by the African conflicts. Moreover most of the European believed firmly in the power of the science and in the progress of the humanity. They thaught they were invincible, so when the idea of colonization has became strong enough, nothing could step them back . From 1860, the idea of expansionism had adepts, and little by little imperialism was growing up in the main European states. The 28th of November 1885, Jules Ferry, a French politician, made a speech to justify and encourage colonization; in his mind, it was justified by three goals : economic, politic and humanitarian (in order to export occidental civilization). [...]

[...] There were two kinds of treaties, those between European countries, and those between an African and an European country. Often, two European nation ruled the occupation on an area closely fought by a treaty, each recognized the rights of his rival, and so, without the agreement of the African country, one area was divided. In the 1880-90s the majority of Africa was divided; eastern and southern Africa was shared in 1886 and 1890 by Germany and Great Britain, western was shared in 1890 by Germany and Great Britain, in 1890/98 by France and Great Britain and in 1897 by France and Germany. [...]

[...] They wanted to conquer Africa, so they did it. Even in the big states with a central power, European countries could impose their domination then colonisation (by means of a protectorate); in 1881-83, a French military expedition instituted a protectorate in Tunisia, and in 1882, Great Britain did the same with Egypt. The sovereigns of these two state had got into debt because they had wanted to modernize ther countries, that was made the ‘conquest' easier. Europeans turned the situation to one's advantage, because they showed, in a way, solidarity between themselves, whereas Africans were divided and consumed by their internal wars. [...]

[...] No single explanation can account for the partition of Africa. Discuss Introduction In the early 1870s, the European countries had only 10% of the African territories, they were especially situated on the coasts, the majority were just trading posts. In eastern and central Africa, there was an English presence in Sierra Leone (since 1807), Lagos (1861) and Gold Coast (1830), the French had a part of Senegal, Gabon and Ivory Coast and the Portuguese held the coast of Angola. In southern, the descendants of Dutch settlers occupied territories inside the country and had created the area around the Cap. [...]