SCRAMBLE AND PARTITION OF AFRICA
Scramble
Literally the word scramble means a fight, scuffle or struggle for something. It has been applied in the
context of Africa to refer to a sudden rush of European nations towards Africa with the aim of economic exploitation, in the later half of 19th century, which witnessed various imperialist nations trying to tear up the African continent which included Britain, France as the pioneers later joined by Germany in 1880s, Portugal, Italy, Belgium and other European Nations.
Partition.
This means to slice, to divide or to break some thing into pieces. In the contest of African continent it
definitely refers to the process where by African continent was divided into pieces among the European imperialist countries into colonial possession in the last quarter of 19th century.
Why Africa became the target in that particular period not before?
- The Monroe doctrine, it was advanced by Monroe the president of USA by then after the American civil war of 1861-1865 it was all about warning Europeans nations not to involve in American issues, thus turned to Africa as an alternative.
- Africa was the only part in the world that had not been occupied, Britain had occupied Canada Australia New Zealand India, and thus Africa became a target to many European Nations.
- Reports delivered by the agents of colonialism played also a big role for Africa to become a target they penetrated the interior and fed the imperialists the economic potentiality that is found in Africa
- The availability of vast land with fertile soils in Africa also made Africa to become a target of imperialist to make abnormal profit through the exploitation of African cheap labor
- Another factor that made Africa to become the target in that particular period was the new idea about colonies, had changed from mere settlement of European population to an idea of protecting industrial market by seizing colonies abroad.
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