Britains Imperial Expansion the Scramble for Africa

Was the ‘Scramble for Africa’ typical of the way Britain pursued imperial expansion from 1800-1900? During the period 1800-1900, Britain rapidly expanded its formal Empire to occupy an area of 4 million square miles. However, there is no simple elucidation as to the exact factor that motivated the British to pursue imperial expansion – rather, there are several aspects to consider. The ‘Scramble for Africa’ was part of the ‘New Imperialism’ period, an era of colonial expansion involving the major powers of the World: European Powers, the Empire of Japan, and The United States of America – and involved new concepts and ideologies that made it different from the way Britain usually pursued imperial expansion. Britain was the first†¦show more content†¦In order to avoid bringing conflict into Europe, the Berlin conference of 1884-1885 sliced Africa into 50 different colonies in an attempt to create a power balance. Britain however, received the largest slice of Africa, with Cecil Rhodes’ famous illustration ‘The Rhodes Colossus Striding from Cape Town to Cairo’ in Punch Magazine, 1892 by Edward Linley Sambourne depicting Britain’s motive in Africa: To industrialise and modernise Africa, with things such as the telegraph, by force if necessary (as seen by the rifle that Rhodes holds in the image). Rhodes was in charge of the British South Africa Company, while Sir William Mackinnon was in charge of the British East Africa Company. The main objectives of these Chartered Companies were to secure administrative control over areas with valuable resources that would fund and boost economic growth and power industry in Britain. Although Chartered Companies can be traced back to the medieval period, it was during this period of Industrial Revolution that competition was highest, and the race for world domination grew, resulting in the new idea of slicing Africa into shares for investment. This again was another reason that made the Scramble for Africa unlike previous methods of colonization, as the motivation for defending financial interests abroad was not as strong before 1800 and the invention of new technology. Overall, asShow MoreRelatedThe Great Powers Of The World War ( 1914-18 ) Essay1854 Words   |  8 PagesConsequently, international relations amongst the Great Powers were characterised by fierce rivalries between competing imperial ambitions. As a result, this essay asserts that to a large extent, the First World War (1914-18) was an inevitable outcome of 19th Century imperial competition. To develop this assertion, this essay will analyse how the Great Powers’ competing imperial ambitions had worsened international relations within Continental Europe to the point where a major armed conflict was unavoidableRead MoreCompare and Contrast Old and New Imperialism Essay1217 Words   |  5 Pagesof trade. 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