Scramble For Africa Seminar Studies In

In 1870 barely one tenth of Africa was under European control. By 1914 only about one tenth – Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and Liberia – was not. This book offers a clear and concise account of the ‘scramble’ or ‘race’ for Africa, the period of around 20 years during which European powers carved up the continent with little or no consultation of its inhabitants.

In her classic overview, M.E. Chamberlain:

• Contrasts the Victorian image of Africa with what we now know of African civilisation and history
• Examines in detail case histories from Egypt to Zimbabwe
• Argues that the history and background of Africa are as important as European politics and diplomacy in understanding the 'scramble'
• Considers the historiography of the topic, taking into account Marxist and anti-Marxist, financial, economic, political and strategic theories of European imperialism

This indispensible introduction, now in a fully updated third edition, provides the most accessible survey of the ‘scramble for Africa’ currently available.  The new edition includes primary source material unpublished elsewhere, new illustrations and additional pedagogical features. It is the perfect starting point for any study of this period in African history.

M.E. CHAMBERLAIN is Professor Emeritus at Swansea University.

 

 

A timely update of Chamberlain's Scramble for Africa, the first book ever to be published on the subject. Fully updated and revised, and now in the new Seminar Studies in History format.

• The only accessible one-volume book on the subject
• Contains Glossary, Chronology, and other reader friendly features
• Valuable primary source material included in the Documents section

Includes bibliographical references (p. [126]-135) and index.

Acknowledgements

Publisher’s acknowledgements

Chronology

Who’s who

Glossary

Maps

 

Part One: The problem

1.         Introduction

2.         The African background

3.         The Victorian image of Africa

 

Part Two: Analysis

4.         The British occupation of Egypt, 1882  

5.         West Africa

6.         East Africa

7.         South Africa

8.         Fashoda and the Anglo-French agreements of 1904

 

Part Three: Assessment

9.        Conclusion

 

Documents 

1       David Livingstone: humanitarian

2       Commerce

3       Africa as El Dorado

4       Darkest Africa: fully developed racism

5       Stanley’s antipathy

6       Suez Canal

7       The Egyptian finances: Stephen Cave’s Report

8       Divided opinions

9       Egypt in international diplomacy

10     Death of Gordon At Khartoum

11     The desire to abandon responsibilities

12     The fears of British traders

13     The British government’s reaction

14     The Berlin West Africa conference lays down the ‘rules’ for the scramble

15     The Royal Niger Company

16     The Great Depression

17     The mixture of economic and strategic arguments

18     The ‘little Englanders’’ stand on Uganda

19     Cecil Rhodes

20     The Rudd concession

21     The Colonial Office’s doubts about the legality of the British South Africa Company’s position

22     The Fashoda incident

23     The Anglo-French agreements of April 1904

24     J. A. Hobson

25     V. I. Lenin

26     Lord Cromer

27.    A modern rejection of traditional explanations of the partition

28.    Was the whole phenomenon economic after all?

 

Appendix: European colonial background  

Guide to further reading                                                                        

References

Index