History of European colonization 10
Chapter 5: AFRICA
- precolonial African states/kingdoms/empires
- Primarily about 19th Century
- Portugese were first, explored and circumnavigated in 15th century (colonies - Congo, Zanzibar, Mombasa)
- some of these colonies lost to Omani Arabs during 16th, 17th Century
- Cape Colony - 17th, Dutch, taken over by Brits during Napoleonic era
- by early 19th, many Europeans present in West Africa due to slave trade for Americas (French, Brits, Portugese, Dutch…)
Why Africa was colonized much later:
- lack of navigable rivers (vs Caribbean islands, Mississippi)
- diseases (malaria, South American quinine used as medicine, began being used from 1850s onward)
!!! NORTH AFRICA: Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt
(Morrocco & Libiya for later)
Algeria: part of Ottoman Empire since 16th Century, but was largely autonomous
- 1827: Case for war by the French (Fan affair - the Algerian ruler hit the French council with his fan, taken as insult)
- 1830: they use this as excuse to invage Algiers (actual reason is Charlex X wanting prestiege)
- Louis-Philippe continues war after overthrow of Charles X (afraid that if they withdraw Brits would take over)
- ! 1830s - Algeria becomes French
- this is rare, most other colonies are invaded and occupied towards the 1870s
- there was severe resistance against the French.
- Abd al-Qadir: 1830s, 1840s he waged a war against the French. 1840 - 1/3rd of French army is in Algeria, eventually the colonizers suceed
- 1850s - military rule
- Algeria not so much a colony, as a much as it was a part of France
- Algiers, Constantine, Oran - provinces of France, not considered colonies, much immigration
- Algeria becomes a kind of white settler colony. Non-muslims arent granted citizenship, if you renounce faith you can become a citizen. Non-muslims are outnumbered by muslims (1-9mil)
Tunisia:
Semi-ottoman, some freedom & autonomy
- Russia/Ottoman wars
- 1878: San Stefano Treaty, Great Bulgaria, connects gulfs to Russia
- Berlin treaty - Bulgarian territory reduced to pre-union with East Rumelia territory (smaller territory than San Stefano), because West fears a strong Russian ally
- Variety of land and territory is awarded to the nations participating in the treaty
- Most importantly: France recieves Tunisia
- 1881: Tunisia becomes French protectorate
Egypt:
- becomes British under different circumstances
- after Failure of Napoleonic campaign (battle of pyramids, Nile, etc.) → power vacuum
- vacuum filled by Muhammad Ali (viceroy of Egypt, first half of 19th)
- growing political independence from Ottoman
- growing economic DEPENDENCE from Europeans
- politically independant, economically dependant
- Ali and his sucessers want to modernize Egypt, turn it into a modern country
- cotton is introduced in 1820, by end of 19th becomes crash-crop monoculture
- Suez Canal: very important! for India, etc.
- ! By 1869 the Suez Canal was finished by the French
- the Brits were against this (British India is now closer to Europe, more competitors)
- modernization of Cairo: Paris’ architect is invited (canals, electricity, tram system, etc.). Egypt still autonomous
- late 1860s: global market flooded with cotton (Egypt faces financial issues)
- Egypt starts taking loans, by 1870s it cannot pay these loans
- 1875: Egypt’s part in Suez Canal is sold to Britian
- 1876: Egypt goes bankrupt
- France & Britian take over public finances.
- ! French British condominium
- 1881: Islamic insurrection crushed by Brits (French busy domestically)
- 1882 onwards: Britian claims it will return Egypt to the egyptians, but never does so. This is called a ‘veiled’ protectorate. Only in 1914 Egypt is finally admitted to be British
- expansion of borders to Sudan
- Muhammad Ahmad mobilizes sudanese population (claims to be Mahdi)
- Mahdi conquest suceeds in conquering most of Sudan
- 1884-85: Gordon (british) tries to take over Khartoum, fails, is defeated, dies
- Sudan is Mahdi empire, isnt conquered for a while
The Congo:
David Livingstone (key explorer)
- 1841 as missionary in South Africa
- 1852 returns to england
- 1850s ‘discovers’ Victoria Falls
- 1865: searches for source of Nile
- 1871: found in Africa after search parties are sent, found by Stanley
Henry Stanley (another explorer): - 1871: Finds Livingstone
- 1874-77: tracing course of Congo river
- afterwards begins working with Leopold the 2nd
Leopold the 2nd:
- gambler, manipulator, obsessed with colonies
- lack of enthusiasm for colonialism in Belgium, nation of production, not trade, mostly neutral, small navy, etc. (past attempts in Phillipines, Borneo)
- 1870s, with growing interest in Africa, moves interest away from Asia to Africa
- ! Leopold acted entirely privately. Invested his own money, Congo Free State is entirely his own property
- he ofc relied on a network of high-up people, some of whom resisted against his actions, but it wasnt entirely his own act
- 1879: uses Stanley to explore convo (under banner of science/philantropy)
- Savorgnan de Brazza, under French banner, explores North of Congo river, reached upper Congo
- Leopold worried by Brazza signing treaties with local people (territory, economy, etc.) this makes some Congo territory French, horrifying for Leopold
- French colonies: Gabon, Brazzaville
- in reaction Leopold applies same tactics on a much larger scale in Congo river area - treaties with local chiefs via Stanley (works under ‘International Organization of Congo’, AIC)
- Leopold now needs other EU countries to recognize his treaties (the rest also have ambissions there)
- Britian recognizes Portugal, unfortunate for Leopold
- he promises Britian free trade on Congo river: Congo Free State
- this convinces Britian
- France convinced by right of preference (first right to take over if he fails)
- both bet on him failing
- Germany, alarmed by Brit-Portugal alliance, starts Conference of Berlin
- Conference of Berlin:
- free trade on congo river (Leopold does not grant this)
- general rules of african colonization (informing others)
[notable: its not borders, but approach to border-making thats established] - Congo Free State, Leopold’s control over the Congo
African colonization is a slow process that starts as far back as the 1830s, ramps up by the 1870s and 1880s, and is basically finished by 1914 (eve of WW1)