To what extent did the economic and political weaknesses of African states contribute to the European annexation of Africa?

Candidates will consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that the various political and economic weaknesses of African states contributed to the European partition of the continent. They may also address other factors including the military and organizational prowess of the colonial powers, as well as their superior resources. Candidates may stress that not all African states were weak and refer to examples of those that offered strong resistance to colonization.

Indicative content

Economic and political weaknesses

• Candidates should stress the ways in which the nature of states facilitated the partition of Africa. They should explain how the small size of states, and sometimes their acephalous organization, was a significant factor in their inability to resist colonial conquest. Some of the larger empires that could have offered meaningful resistance had disintegrated in the decades preceding the scramble.
• Rivalry or disunity within states meant that there was no unified aim in fighting against the colonial powers. These divisions were exacerbated by the fact that some states chose to collaborate with the colonizer.
• Many African states had weapons, but these were clearly inferior to the firepower produced by the industrial economies of Europe. Many states did not have the economic means to acquire modern weaponry, or were unable to do so due to geographical factors.
• Many African societies lacked strong political structures and this meant that they did not have properly trained soldiers or standing armies. However some states (such as the Mandinka and Ethiopian empires) had strong armies and stable political systems. These states were able to provide stern resistance to the colonizer.

Other factors

• The political, economic and military strengths of European powers can be stressed alongside the corresponding weaknesses of African states.
• Improved means of transport and communications, such as the steamship and telegraph, made the interior of the continent more accessible and facilitated the administration of newly-acquired territories.
• The discovery of new medicines, especially the use of quinine as a treatment for malaria, assisted the colonial powers in their efforts to penetrate the interior of the continent.
• In many of the areas, missionaries opened up the path for European partition and were able to gain the trust of the local people. This made it easy for them to pave the way for the partition. The role played by traders and explorers could also be considered.
• Candidates may briefly mention other factors, such as the economic and/or strategic ambitions of European states that motivated their annexation of the continent.

The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, the list is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.

Examiners and moderators are reminded of the need to apply the markbands that provide the “best fit” to the responses given by candidates and to award credit wherever it is possible to do so.

[20 marks]