Scramble for Africa

The scramble for Africa was also known as the partition for Africa which was he occupation,
division as well as the colonization of the African territory by the European powers between
1881 and 1914 during the period of the new imperialism. All the countries in Africa were
colonized with the exception of Liberia and Ethiopia. There were several motivations that made
the Europeans scramble for Africa including the religious missionary zeal, the quest for national
prestige, tensions between the European powers as well as the politics of Native Africa. In my
view, the scramble for Africa was started by the Belgians in early 1976. King Leopold II of
Belgium read a report in early 1876 that detailed the presence of the rich minerals in the Congo
Basin (The modern day Republic of Congo). The king then ordered the formation of the
International African Association that could take over the Congo basin region. He then acquired
his personal property within the basin that allowed him to enjoy the richness of Africa that made
him like the continent. The Europeans then gathered at the Berlin conference where they created
a policy in the imperial claims. The territory of Congo basin was then given to Leopold as a free
state. The conference came up with several rules that that could be used to govern the scramble
for Africa. They also came up with the definition of effective occupation. Any land that was
effectively occupied could not be colonized by any other country. The notice is given by King
Leopold mad the other European countries to swing into action and get several colonies for
themselves. The breadth of the African continent was dominated by Great Britain extending from
Egypt to South Africa. They also occupied the God Coast of Nigeria. The Germans took over the
modern day Namibia and Tanzania. The Portuguese, on the other hand, took over the Angola and
Mozambique. Ethiopia and Liberia were colonized because the former successfully resisted the
powers whereas the latter was home to the slaves. The conquest of the African territories was

easier because of the agreement that had been reached by the Europeans not to sell the advanced
weapons to the African states because they were potential colonies. They held the technological
and armament advantage that enabled them to take over the African territories easily.
One of the biggest questions being asked is why the Europeans particularly chose to scramble for
Africa. One of the major reasons why the Europeans decided to take over Africa was the fact that
the economic potential of the countries such as Spain and Britain proved unquestionable over the
years. The countries could then insulate the economy of the countries by increasing their
production potential and increase the size of the market where they could sell the finished
products. Africa was rich in the raw materials and made the countries to be accessed to cheap
labor. The African population was also high meaning that it was a potentially large market that
the European countries could invest in and get great returns on investment. The other main
reason for the scramble was the geopolitics of the region. Some of the areas in Africa were
important as far as the maintenance of trade routes is concerned meaning that they were
economic hotspots that a given economy could exploit and get many returns that would boost the
economy of the country. The Horn of Africa, as well as the southern tip of the continent that is
found in South Africa, were locations that the colonies could use to control world trade. Britain
particularly took over the breadth of the continent due to its strategic value and the potential that
it had as far as the trading activities are concerned. They are controlling the market via the desire
of any country that produces various products and services.
The Europeans were also motivated by nationalism meaning that any country that reported in
Europe that they had successfully acquired thousands of miles could be very prestigious. The
European colonies were then motivated to take over large territories and hold millions of people

captive for their good. A victor in the imperial game was meant to have great national pride
giving the ruling party more power at home.
The Europeans referred to Africa as a dark continent that needed to be civilized so that they see
the light. The desire to liberate the Africans was also one of the main reasons why the Europeans
decided to colonize Africa. They believed in the improvement of the human population. It,
therefore, means that not all the reasons for colonization were selfish rather some were good for
the benefit of the human population in the society.
In some areas in the continent of Africa, the religious missionaries had settled, and they were
having a hard time surviving in such countries. They suffered from several diseases that could
kill them if not treated on time. Some of the Imperials went into the African territories with the
aim of taking care of their nationalities, the missionaries.
Conclusion

Several motivations made the Europeans scramble for Africa including the religious missionary
zeal, the quest for national prestige, tensions between the European powers as well as the politics
of Native Africa. Some of the reasons for colonizing Africa were genuine whereas others were
very selfish. Some of the countries on the continent are enjoying liberty as an outcome of
colonialism whereas others are nursing scars that were inflicted on them by the colonialists.

Reference

Collins, R. O., Burns, J. M., & Ching, E. K. (Eds.). (1994). Historical problems of imperial
Africa (Vol. 2). Markus Wiener Pub.