EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF EMPIRE
1857-1890:
Why did Britain expand into Africa?
Swing to the East ‘Vincent Harlow’ – lost American colonies, caused new interest in India and Africa
Industrial Revolution – production of steam ships and weapons allowed expansion.
Scramble for Africa/’Old Diplomacy’ – growing competitiveness for land in Africa between European powers,
companies protected interests (Royal Niger, Imperial East Africa Company, British South Africa Company)
Trade – Empire seen as renewed interest, new trading partners for Great Depression 1873-1896, Britain
brought raw materials from colonies, turned them into manufactured goods which were then sold back,
investment opportunities for minerals and resources, British Foreign Office Memorandum cites reasons
‘mineral wealth,’ ‘natives more industrious’.
Strategic – Cape Colony warm waters and deep ports, access to East, coastal defences in Seirra Leone and
Gambia to protect interests
Moral Superiority and Religion – Christian duty to educate heathens, Livingstone, spread civilisation.
Adventurers and explores – stories of excitement, Goldie, Rhodes
Expansion into Egypt:
Initial interest - Need for cotton during American civil war, British mills were starved of raw cotton, Egypt had
good quality cotton, by 1870’s 40% Egypt’s imports from Britain
Suez Canal – project by Frenchman Lesseps with Suez Canal Company building a canal for international
shipping, completed 1869, France and Egypt had shares, Britain grew interest due to depression (1873) and
5000-mile shorter route to India, 1875 PM Disraeli brought Egypt’s shares for £4 million, gave control of Suez
and tariffs
Influence in Egypt – Suez grew interest, 1879 Ismail Pasha deposed due to economic mismanagement, son
Tewfiq became Khedive, British money and resources sustained Egypt in exchange for influence (Lord
Dufferin), financial plan – taxes on food and goods, army reduced by two thirds, increased unemployment.
Nationalism – Arabi Pasha led riots in June 1882 in Alexandria killing 50 Europeans, concern for 100,000
Europeans living there, Gladstone invaded with naval troops defeating Arabi forces, took control of Cairo and
established control.
Veild protectorate – Tewfiq puppet ruler, Evelyn Baring Consul-General, annexed in 1885
Expansion in The Sudan:
Gordon sent as Governor-General to Egyptian administered Sudan, faced opposition, did not establish
control until 1896
Opposition from Sudanese Islamic cleric Muhammad Admad, who declared himself saviour of Mankind in
June 1881, 1882 – Mahdists took over Khartoum, 1883 – military operation led by Hicks failed to defat
Mahdists, Hicks killed, Gladstone ordered Gordon to oversee evacuation from Khartoum in 1884, Gordon
refused killed in 1885.
The Scramble for Africa:
Growing European rivalries challenging British dominance as a global superpower – France, Germany, Russia
etc
Brussels Conference 1876
- King Leopold of Belgium held conference for explorers, wanted to protect Belgium interest in the Congo
- International African Association established to cooperate, hired Henry Morton Stanely to advise on
Congo, became apparent Leopold wanted a Congo Empire
- Grew competition, countries hired other advisors and expanded territories
Berlin Conference 1884-1886
- German Chancellor, Otto Van Bismarck, hosted 14 European nations and USA, no African representatives
- Agreed open basins and mouths of rivers Congo and Niger
, - General Act agreed ‘spheres of influence’, free trade in Congo region, spreading Christianity and
commerce, supress slave trade, notify other European nations of expansions
- Effective occupation – countries could colonise as long as there were no rival claims
- By 1900 – 90% of Africa occupied by European nations
Informal Empire:
Places influenced by Britain (from trade, settlement, ships, investment), without being Crown colonies or
protectorates
Latin America - £80 million public capital invested by 1865, Argentina, Chile, Buenos Aires – British
settlement of elites, pressure on Mexico 1861 to keep open access and free trade, Royal Navy pressured
Peru (1857) and Chile (1863)
Influence in Siam (Thailand) and Iran
Chinese empire made to make concessions of ports in Hong Kong and Shanghai and not disrupt Opium trade
between China and India
1879 – Britain gained control over Afghanistan’s foreign policy,
1890-1914:
Territorial Expansion in Africa:
1) Ashantiland
1890s – demanded Ashanti King ‘Prempeh’ turn over remaining Empire to Britain, Anglo-Ashanti
war, Britain won territory and forced Prempeh from throne in 1896, uprising in 1900 led to formal
annexation, incorporated into Gold Coast colony 1902
2) Nigeria
Claimed Nigeria due to occupation of Royal Niger Company, established in 1876, and by agreement
with the French in 1890 in return for Madagascar
Government took over from company establishing direct control in the North (1900), South (1906),
unified in 1914
3) Uganda
19th century – Anglican and French Catholic missionaries as well as Zanzibari Muslims lived in
Buganda, 1886 King Mwanga asserted authority executing 30 Catholics, civil war
1890 – signed treaty with Lugard for Imperial British East African Company ceding powers for trade,
revenue and administration of justice
Transferred to Crown in 1894 and Buganda became protectorate as part of Uganda
Ugandan railway from Mombasa in 1896 connected coast with Lake Victoria, 600 miles, 5 years, cost
£5 million, ‘Lunatic Line’
4) Kenya
Interests from Berlin Conference, offered route to Uganda
Forced control from succession dispute between native Mazrul and Muslim majority, Sheikh Rashid
took up arms with weapons from Germans, took Britain 9 months to defeat
5) Zanzibar
Ceded to British influence as part of 1890 treaty between Germany and Britain, declared
protectorate in 1890 with puppet ruler Sultan Thuwani
When he died and his brother Khalid rose quickly to succeed him, Britain bombed palace and forced
him to stand down
6) Nyasaland
On shore of the Lake Nyasa, faced Portuguese-backed Arab attacks until became Rhodes’ British
South Africa Company 1891, guerrilla war on and off until 1897, became South Africa protectorate in
1907
7) Sudan
Weakened state since Mahdists killed Gordon in Khartoum 1885, Abdullah who succeeded Mahdi
could not unify state due to famine and internal resistance
