Before
the scramble and partition of Africa happened most European societies had
trading contacts with African societies mainly at coastal areas and few
hinterlands for example French in west Africa had managed in controlling trade
in Senegal while British controlled small coastal colony at Lagos and sierra Leone
for commerce most of Africans continent at
that time was still under local rulers by 1870’s after that the word,
Scramble
and partition of Africa it was started at the 2nd half of the
nineteenth century where Africans countries were divided into pieces by the European nations among
themselves with the aim of exploitation also due to the industrial revolution
European nations competing in demanding areas for getting raw materials, market, area for investments,
areas for surplus and soon so they see the alternative solution is to go to
Africa and find the strategic areas in order to feed their mother industries in
Europe they competing in finding some of the strategic areas like Congo basin,
area like Zambia, Zimbabwe, and south Africa which posses the minerals like
gold, diamond and copper.
The
process of scramble and partition of Africa had three major stages during
1830-1880’s the scramble between France and Britain, then in 1980’s Germany and
Italy and the last stage was Berlin conference which led the partition of
Africans countries into European countries under supervision of Otto von
Bismarck the councilor of German.
Scramble for Africa (Zimbabwe)
means struggle for something it refer to a sudden rush of
European nations towards Africa with the aim of economic exploitation in the
later half of 19th century it included Britain, France as the
pioneers later on joined by Portugal, Italy, Belgium and Germany in 1880’s. and also the word partition
means the follows
Partition means
to break something into pieces also refers to the process whereby African
continent was divided into pieces among European imperialist countries in the
last quarter of 19th century the process was done through berlin
conference.
After
looking the definition of scramble and partition in Africa especially in
Zimbabwe let us now looking about those factors which divided economically,
socially and politically. Let as start
with economic factors this is like follows,
The
needs of raw materials due to the industrial revolution in Europe their
industries needed the raw materials and due to the civil war going on into
their countries British and their fellows come to Africans searching for raw
materials like cotton, ivory, gold, copper, timber ground nuts for lubricating machines , palm
oil, vegetables and soon in order to feed their industries for the examples the
areas like Zambia, Zimbabwe, and south Africa which posses minerals were strongly
scrambled. The following are the quotation which shows the colonies needs in
Africa this is written as follows,
“There was an acute need of
tropical raw materials such as cotton, for text industries, vegetables for the
manufacturing of soap, lubricants oil for machines, cash crops, minerals and
timber with the above –mention acute demand of raw materials”( mwijage,p. 133)
The need to control areas for investments
of their capital, European nations wanted to have an
outlet for the investments of their surplus capital so they came to invest in
Africa with the aim of getting huge profit because it seemed that in Africa
there plenty land , having good fertility soil which is suitable for
agriculture like Matebele and Shona land in Zimbabwe and also there was cheap labor
which could lower the production of coasts
so those colonies regarded African countries as one of the most
lucrative methods of capital investment. According to July ferry the France
prime minister between 1880-1883 said that “colonies
are to the rich countries one of the most lucrative method of investing
capital” also his idea was supported
by Lenin, Russian leader and historian like J.A Hobson who said that I quote as
follows,
“Over production in excessive
manufacturing and surplus capital Which could not find sound investment within
the country forced Great Britain, France, Germany and Holland to place larger
and larger Portions of their economic resources outside the area of their present
Political domination this stimulated a new policy of expansion that took in new areas” (Mwijage 2006:p. 136).
Also
there was some of historians sayyid that European powers come to Africa not
only for trade prospects but also by future potential exploitation and vast
opportunities for investments they call this an “
Cheap labor
this also is one of the factors which led scramble and partition of Africans
countries this is due to the needed of cheap labor which were able to produce
cash crops which low prices needed for their manufacturing industries so they
come to Africans especially in Zimbabwe to get raw materials which were produce
with those cheap labors.
Area for the market
due to the over production of their finished goods like clothes and other
finished goods the European countries come to the Africa in order to sold their
finished goods so the alternative solution is to come to Africans where they
can sold their finished goods so through that factors led them to scramble and
partition of Africans especially in Zimbabwe.
Economic slump of 1873-1893 this
occur when the world passed through severe economic depression trade was
decline and profit decreased and at the end some get bankrupt and closing their business this situation led European traders
changed their way of prohibit colonization and encouraged the idea of decolonization to their home government by
introducing the legitimate trade and this situation led the scramble and
partition of Africa especially in Zimbabwe. For example according to some of
historians like J.B Webster and others state they said that,” between the year 1873 and 1893 the world passed through an untold
severe economic depression trade was low, prices low, and profit small”(
Mwijage 2012,p,135)
Also
in order to brush aside the depression conditions Europeans powers commenced to
re-establish their positions in areas in which they already had set up their
administration, especially along the African coasts and later in the interior here are the quotations supported the points
above,
“This was carried out with renewed vigor
in the 1870’s and 1880’s especially by R.N.C. on the river Niger and Cecil
Rhodes in central Africa” (Mwijage,2012 p,135.)
Soil fertility is
also among of the factors which led Europeans scramble and partition of to
Africa those fertility soil favored the productions of cash crops example the area like Zimbabwe
Botswana and soon were more scrambled and missionaries as agents of colonialism
are the one who invited their home government to take over the colonies. The
areas like matebele and shone region of Zimbabwe and mineral potentiality were more scrambled by British and Portuguese they form a joint company known as
British south Africa company.
Politically
there was some factors which led scramble and partition of Africa this is like Franco
Prussian war, national glory and prestige, influence of Berlin conference and finally
the European nationalism let as start with following
Franco Prussian war this
was war between German and France which
led the taken of the France provinces Alsace and Loraine by the German so
through that situation led France decided to compasate their looses provinces
which were rich in iron and coal and this situations enhance them to come to
the Africa to find good place of getting raw materials for their industries so
through that situation it led them scramble and partition of Africa the are
like Zimbabwe, and Malawi were more scrambled because it having the fertility
soil which help them for agriculture activities.
National glory and prestige
due to having more colonies to Europeans nations the many countries proud on
having many colonies so this situation led others nations to find more colonies
in Africa and condition led to the scramble and partition of Africa for example
France saying that “colonization is for France
a questioning of life and death either will become a great African power”(Kamili
p. 27). Germany also hoped to
advance, Italy later on joined the race mainly for the reason of national
prestige so through that situation it led them the scramble and partition of
Africa especially Zimbabwe.
Influence of Berlin conference
this was the second stage in the colonization of Africa this stage begun from
1880’s to 1890’s it was characterized with the interventions of late comers in
the process of scramble and partition of Africa for example Italy and Germany
after their unification they become powerful and industrialized such for raw
materials of Africa
European balance of power
German afraid attacked by France because taking Lorraine and Alsace France
provinces so they fear of France revenge so he allied with British in order to
create the conflict between the Britain and France and measure taken by German
led him to be in a good position and hold European balance of power when the
two nation will be in a conflict another event threatened the balance of power
is Turkish war of 1877-1888 after the war it become quite impossible for any
European nations to expand its territory in Europe thus scramble and partition
of African was in evitable. On another side socially they do the following,
that is as follows,
Social crimes due
to the over population in Europe a lot of people becomes unemployed due to the
uses of machines which replace mans labor’s many people become jobless they engaged
in the social crimes like riots, theft, prostitution, rural and urban
migration, banditry and raping this situation led European countries to look
for the solution elsewhere to settle the paupers and un employed population for
example Canada, Australia, newzealand were already exhausted and African were seen
as the only alternative to be used, so this situations led the sparked off the
scramble for and partition of Africa. Let us quote few words to support this
points this is,
“as time went on the pressure of
population and employment caused incurable social wounds and scars, such as
riots, theft, prostitution rural and urban migration, banditry and rapping this
undesirable situation could not continue untamed, hence European countries had
to look for the solution elsewhere in order to settle the paupers and
unemployed population.” ( mwijage 2012, p.134.)
Abolition of slave trade,
Europeans groups such as Granville sharp and William Wilberforce played an
important role in the abolition of slave trade during 19th century those groups of humanitarian they argue that
slavery and slave trade undermined the mans dignity this arguments influenced
by the France revolution of 1789 which emphasized on human rights and they had
principles believed in liberty, equality,
brother hood and sister hood among the people so they established the freed areas for
the slaves like sierra Leone and
Liberia. But their main interest is to occupy those place so they impart the
ideas of equality, liberty and fraternity to all men in Africa they come with
that gear in order to fulfill their demanding of their raw materials, marketing place and soon
To get areas for the surplus
population due to the overpopulation in Europe and increases
of bad crimes so through that reason they found an alternative solution outside
their countries with the aim of settling the surplus and unemployed population
for example British settling some of her population outside in united states of
America, newzealand , south Africa and Canada. Other Europeans nations such as
German encourage their citizens to find an alternative, which involve the migration to other areas for
example Dutch opted to settle their surplus in south Africa and involved in
various economic activities such as crops production, livestock rearing and
soon so this desire speeded up the scramble and partition of Africa. The
following words supported this points “European
countries had to look for the solution elsewhere in order to settle the paupers
and un employed population”( mwijage,
2012,p. 134).
Survival for the fittest
this
theory established by darwism and men roes which explain about the
strongest nations could rule the weaker nations so due to that reason the
Europeans countries use that theory to control the Africans countries so this
situations led to the scramble for and partition of Africa especially Zimbabwe.
Evangelical reasons
this also is the main factors which facilitated the scramble and partition of
Africa the agents of colonialism like missionaries they come to Africa for the
work of preaching Christians as they seen that Africans is the dark continent and
their people are not civilized so for that case they come and softern Africans
mind so for this reasons enable them to colonize Africans without any quarrels
and welcoming their fellows to come to Africa and colonize.
CONCLUSION
To
conclude the above points those mentioned above are some of the factors which
led the scrambled and partition of Africa continent especially Zimbabwe
countries because the areas blessed with plenty land which contain a lot of
minerals and also the fertile land which enables the productions of the cash
crops for their mother industries examples of those areas in Zimbabwe are matable
and shona they come under the umbrella of those agents of colonialism like
missionaries, traders, and explorers and their main aim is to get rawmaterials,
areas for investments, markets are for their population surplus and soon this
is due to industrial revolution in Europe
REFFERENCE
Assa
okoth, (2012). A History of Africa, vol
2 printed in kenya by prints Arts Ltd.
Isichei
Elizabeth,(1997) A history of African society to1870. Printed in Great
Britain at the university press cambridge
Kamara
Mwijage, (2012), Major Events in African History, Salvatorium, Morogoro.
Okoth
assa, (2006) VI,History of Africa, East Africa publisher , Nairobi,
Kampala, Dar es salaam.
Zisti
Kamili,( 2012) History Africa From Neolithic Revolution to present.Kot
publishers.
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