DP History Questionbank

Description

This section deals with the reasons for the growth of European interest in Africa in the 19th century beginning with the activities of traders, explorers and missionaries. It examines both the European and the African background to partition, and analyses how the military and political weakness of African states facilitated the European annexation of Africa. It assesses the relative importance of economic and political factors in European imperialism in Africa and provides an opportunity to explore the historiographical debate over the relative importance of the activities of Leopold II in the Congo, the British in Egypt and the Berlin West African Conference in accelerating the “scramble for Africa”.

• Growth of European activity in Africa: traders and explorers

• European background to partition: national rivalry; strategic factors; economic and humanitarian factors

• African background to partition: military, technological and administrative weaknesses; political and cultural disunity

• Activities of King Leopold II of Belgium and de Brazza in the Congo region

• The Egyptian question: French and British rivalry and British occupation

• German annexation, the Berlin West Africa Conference and its impact

Directly related questions

• 16N.3op2a.HL.TZ0.5:

  “Traders rather than explorers played the dominant role in promoting European interest in Africa in the period from 1850 to 1900.” Discuss.

• 16N.3op2a.HL.TZ0.6:

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