THE “DARK” CONTINENT• “Dark Continent” – racist

terminology referred to both the peoples of Africa and their alleged ignorance

• In reality, Africa has always had diverse groups of people with their own unique cultures and histories– Civilisations– Languages– Religions

African Trade [15c-17c]

Pre-19c European Trade with Africa

IndustrialRevolutionIndustrialRevolution

Source forRaw

Materials

Source forRaw

Materials

Markets forFinishedGoods

Markets forFinishedGoods

EuropeanNationalismEuropean

Nationalism

MissionaryActivity

MissionaryActivity

Military& NavalBases

Military& NavalBases

EuropeanMotives

For Colonisation

EuropeanMotives

For Colonisation

Places toDump

Unwanted/Excess Popul.

Places toDump

Unwanted/Excess Popul.

Soc. & Eco.Opportunities

Soc. & Eco.Opportunities

HumanitarianReasons

HumanitarianReasons

EuropeanRacism

EuropeanRacism

“WhiteMan’s

Burden”

“WhiteMan’s

Burden”

SocialDarwinism

SocialDarwinism

Berlin Conference of 1884-1885

Another point of view?

Berlin

Conference

of

1884-1885

European Colonisation/Decolonisation

Patterns

Berlin Conference of 1884-85

The “OPENING UP” OF AFRICA

•Mid-1800s

•Missionaries and explorers sparked foreign interest in Africa

FRENCH IN NORTH AFRICA• Algeria

– 1830 – invasion – 1831 – annexation

• Tunis– 1881 – controlled by France

• Led Italy to join the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Germany

• Morocco – 1881 – large part under French control– 1905 and 1911 – nearly sparked a European war

between France and Germany• 1906 – Algeciras Conference –Germany recognised

French rights in Morocco1 – Agadir Crisis – Germany recognised French protectorate

over Morocco in exchange for part of France’s territory in the Congo

FRENCH IN AFRICA

• Madagascar– 1896 – controlled by France

• Somaliland– 1880s – partly under French control

• West Africa– Late 1800s – largely under French

control• Sudan

– 1898 – met Britain’s area of control and nearly went to war

– Entente Cordiale settled British-French disputes in Africa

FRENCH IN AFRICA

• By World War I – 1914 – France controlled 3,250,000

square miles in Africa• 14 times the area of France

– France ruled 30,000,000 Africans• 75% of the population of France

French colonialism

• Driven by state, the Church, & military rather than business interests

• North America: Canada, Louisiana, Caribbean & west Africa

• 1870- WWII most of north Africa & Indochina

• Mission civilatrice: to spread French culture, lang., religion

French colonialism continued

• 2 forms of colonialism:• Indirect rule: governing through native polit.

structures & leaders

• Direct rule: imposing new governments on the

native populations

Impact of colonialism

• Ethnic & political distinctions in colonial states were severely disrupted by colonialism, that is :

Political boundaries of former colonies ( now independent nations) do not necessarily reflect their cultural/religious/political affiliations

North Africa