2.1.1
Consolidation & Expansion into Africa
Consolidating Control in East Africa
Consolidating Control in East Africa
Between 1890 and 1914, Britain converted many areas that were occupied by chartered companies to more formal methods of control.
Expansion into Zanzibar (East Africa)
Expansion into Zanzibar (East Africa)
- Zanzibar:
- A Protectorate is run, protected, and controlled by another state. Zanzibar was declared a Protectorate of Britain in 1890.
- Britain installed a series of puppet rulers, using force to sustain their rule when needed.
Expansion into Uganda (East Africa)
Expansion into Uganda (East Africa)
- The Imperial British East Africa Company took control of Uganda in 1890, with the British Crown gaining authority in 1894.
- In 1890, Salisbury, the British Prime Minister agreed to let Germany take Tanganyika, leaving Britain with Kenya and Uganda. No local people were consulted.
- To maximise Uganda's trade potential, Britain constructed the Ugandan Railway to connect Uganda with the Indian Ocean. A bill through Parliament authorised the construction of the railway line.
- The railway was built between 1896 and 1900 and connected Mombasa with Lake Victoria.
The Lunatic Express
The Lunatic Express
- The railway track ran for 1,060km and went straight through the land of the Nandi people who resisted its construction. In 1905, Richard Meinertzhagen, a British Army Captain killed the leader of the Nandi.
- 2,493 workers (mainly recruited from India) died during the construction of the railway, earning the railway the nickname ‘The Lunatic Express’.
- Resistance to the railway in Parliament was mainly because of its cost of £3-5.5 million, rather than the cost of human life in construction.
- Uganda was an important source of cotton for Britain.
Expansion into Kenya (East Africa)
Expansion into Kenya (East Africa)
- Kenya used to be known as the 'East African Protectorate'.
- Kenya's strategic value lay in the route it offered to Uganda - thus the creation of the Lunatic Express.
- Britain used force to suppress the German-supported Muslim majority and ensured it became part of Britain’s East Africa. The population had 10,000 white people, over 20,000 Indians, and roughly 1m black African people.
- White farmers in the 'White Highlands' seized all the most fertile farmland in Kenya.
- Kenya was made a protectorate in 1895 and a formal colony in 1920.
- In 1922, Harry Thuku led protests against identity cards for African males and tax increases. Thuku, was arrested, unlike the Nandi leader, Samoei, who was killed for his resistance in Uganda.
Expansion into Somaliland (East Africa)
Expansion into Somaliland (East Africa)
- A Protectorate was established in Somaliland in 1888.
- Somaliland offered little in the way of resources but had important strategic value because of its position on the horn of Africa next to the Gulf of Aden.
Consolidating Control in West Africa
Consolidating Control in West Africa
Between 1890 and 1914, Britain converted many areas that were occupied by chartered companies to more formal methods of control.
British consolidation of control in Nigeria
British consolidation of control in Nigeria
- The Royal Niger Company fought off competition from German trading companies in the 1890s.
- After the treatment of King Koko of Nembe and King Oba of Benin, the Royal Niger Company's reputation worsened. This pressured the government to take more direct control.
- In 1900, the British Government took direct control of the 2 protectorates included in Goldie's company (the Royal Niger Company) Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria in exchange for £895,000. The local population seems like an afterthought in the transaction.
- The Royal Niger Company transitioned into a formal British colony.
- In 1914, Southern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria were united. This was mainly done for economic reasons - the north was spending too much money & couldn't raise taxes, whilst the south had a budget surplus.
Expansion into Ashantiland and Nigeria (West Africa)
Expansion into Ashantiland and Nigeria (West Africa)
- Ashantiland (now Ghana):
- Between 1823-1896, Britain fought four wars against the Ashanti.
- The fourth war followed Ashanti King Prempeh’s refusal to hand over his empire to Britain.
- Britain removed Prempeh by force and in 1900, Britain formally annexed the kingdom, becoming part of the Gold Coast in 1902.
- Nigeria:
- The principle of ‘effective occupation’ that had been laid down at the Berlin Conference allowed Britain to convert the occupation of the Royal Niger Company to direct British control.
Peripheral theory of imperialism
Peripheral theory of imperialism
- Robinson and Gallagher (1961) claim that imperialism was centred around the desire for free trade.
- At this time, free trade favoured the more industrially and technologically advanced Western European countries. Ideally, they could grow an informal empire using the chartered trading companies, which could generate wealth domestically through free trade.
- The theory states that Britain only expanded into formally controlling territories or colonies when the political situation would not permit informal control of trade or when British interests were threatened.
Consolidating Control in Sudan
Consolidating Control in Sudan
Between 1885 and 1899, Britain expanded its control into Sudan.
1885
1885
- In 1885, Salisbury became Prime Minister and wanted to re-conquer Sudan, despite his Cabinet in Westminster disagreeing with the occupation.
- He was concerned about the growing influence of other European nations in Africa.
- The Governor-General of Sudan, Charles Gordon, was killed in 1885 in Khartoum by the rebelling Mahdist army.
1896
1896
- In 1896, Italian forces fought alongside Eritrean askaris in an attempt to conquer Abyssinia (now Ethiopia).
- France began to gain favour with Abyssinia by supporting them militarily and signing a collaborative treaty.
- Salisbury, the British Prime Minister feared losing influence in the Nile region. As a result, he decided to seize control of Sudan.
- The rationale provided to the public for this invasion was Gordon's death.
- In 1896, Kitchener was appointed Commander in Chief of the Egyptian army and given orders to take Sudan up to the town of Dongola (the border of Mahdist Sudan), but Kitchener wanted to take Khartoum back. Kitchener was given a sealed envelope of orders to open only when the Sudanese were defeated.
1898
1898
- Kitchener constructed the Sudan Military Railway in order to give the British a transport advantage over local Mahdist troops. This was a 230-mile strip of railway track and telegraph wires to shorten travel times from weeks to hours and communication times to minutes.
- In 1898, Kitchener won the Battle of Omdurman. Over 11,000 Madhist soldiers died in the battle relative to 50 Anglo-Egyptian-Sudanese soldiers.
- Some evidence suggests that Kitchener's forces looted Omdurman and executed wounded soldiers on the battlefield.
- Kitchener opened his orders, which told him to march to Fashoda (where French forces were stationed) and claim the territory.
1899
1899
- Kitchener marched to Fashoda. The French did not want a war and backed down, giving Britain the territory.
- However, this made France seem very weak domestically.
- Britain had created a Sudan controlled by Anglo-Egyptian forces.
- Egypt wanted to gain control of Sudan, merging the 2 nations. However, Gordon Memorial College was created for the Sudanese people to gain training and begin to take control of their own nation.
1High Water Mark of the British Empire, 1857-1914
1.1Development of Imperialism, 1857-1890
1.2Imperial & Colonial Policy, 1857-1890
1.3Trade & Commerce, 1857-1890
1.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1857-1890
1.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1857-1890
2Imperial Consolidation & Liberal Rule, 1890-1914
2.1Consolidation & Expansion in Africa, 1890-1914
2.2Imperial & Colonial Policy, 1890-1914
2.3Trade & Commerce, 1890-1914
2.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1890-1914
2.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1890-1914
3Imperialism Challenged, 1914-1967
3.1Expansion & Contraction of Empire, 1914-1947
3.2Colonial Policy & Administration, 1914-1947
3.3Trade, Commerce & Economic Impact of War
3.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1890-1914
3.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1914-1947
4The Wind of Change, 1947-1967
4.1Decolonisation in Africa & Asia, 1947-1967
4.2Colonial Policy & Administration, 1947-1967
4.3Trade & Commerce, 1947-1967
4.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1947-1967
4.5Post-Colonial Ties, 1947-1967
4.6Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1947-1967
Jump to other topics
1High Water Mark of the British Empire, 1857-1914
1.1Development of Imperialism, 1857-1890
1.2Imperial & Colonial Policy, 1857-1890
1.3Trade & Commerce, 1857-1890
1.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1857-1890
1.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1857-1890
2Imperial Consolidation & Liberal Rule, 1890-1914
2.1Consolidation & Expansion in Africa, 1890-1914
2.2Imperial & Colonial Policy, 1890-1914
2.3Trade & Commerce, 1890-1914
2.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1890-1914
2.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1890-1914
3Imperialism Challenged, 1914-1967
3.1Expansion & Contraction of Empire, 1914-1947
3.2Colonial Policy & Administration, 1914-1947
3.3Trade, Commerce & Economic Impact of War
3.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1890-1914
3.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1914-1947
4The Wind of Change, 1947-1967
4.1Decolonisation in Africa & Asia, 1947-1967
4.2Colonial Policy & Administration, 1947-1967
4.3Trade & Commerce, 1947-1967
4.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1947-1967
4.5Post-Colonial Ties, 1947-1967
4.6Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1947-1967
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