HIS103Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Public Relations Exercise, Civilizing Mission, Halfway House
Why want to claim entire continent?
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European powers rely on informal empire - formal empire (settling, claiming as
sovereign) is expensive, and not necessary
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Explosion of formal empire again in late 1800s
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Colonization of Africa was unplanned
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Were they strategic? What makes for good / bad strategy?
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Ability of Europeans to do what they do does not explain what they did
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Did not think glory / interests of country required more territory in Africa
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Paradox that great leaders of Europe were not rabid imperialists
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Avid imperialist
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Saw Congo as own personal state
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Inflict suffering on people of Congo - drive to harvest rubber
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King Leopold of Belgium
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Can't look simply to great leaders to understand why
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Not purely economics - although there were some seeing hope of economic benefit
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Nor was it civilizing mission - this would become important to justify upholding an
imperial control in Africa, but did not drive partition
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Break down events in Africa and in global international relations to understand partition
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(1) to defeat pirates on coast
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(2) as an effort to prop up and advertise glory of Bourbon monarchy -->
public relations exercise
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Begins series of wars there in a bid
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Held influence in East (Tunisia) and in Cairo
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French had increased economic activity in region
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Economies of Algeria and increasing Tunisia, and Egypt relied on economic
links with Europe
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Financial crash strikes in 1870s : major financial problems / brink of
financial ruin
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By 1870s, things have changed in Tunisia
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Immediately, French in Algeria call for invasion of Tunisia - few in France
want this
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French Premiere says : 'an expedition to Tunisia in election year? Cannot
think it' --> unpopular in France
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Other ministers have promised to support French Premiere --> invade
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Goal of invasion is to demonstrate French Power
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Goal at outset is not to add another colony to France
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Treaty with Tunisia : Tunisia is a protectorate, they are responsible for most
of their affairs, not an occupation, but must comply with Paris is some ways
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Willingness of new leader to make a treaty with France throws his
legitimacy in question --> humbling / humiliating nature of the fact that the
ruler of Tunisia had to strike a deal with a stronger power
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New relationship with France irritates many in Tunisia --> Fighting breaks
out
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Militarily can defeat Tunisians
French are now in a difficult situation
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1881 : Pro-French ruler of Tunisia is replaced by Tunisians who are determined to
oppose French influence
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1830 : France invaded Algeria
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Partition of Africa
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Empire and Informal Empire
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Militarily can defeat Tunisians
Informal empire has not worked (signing protectorate) --> Either
no empire or formal empire
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French choose to stay --> conquer and rule Tunisia
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Politicians : what happens if you use the French army to conquer
Tunisia?
Economic situation affected Egypt as well
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Putting pressure on Egyptians to pay back debts incurred during
economic crisis
Under influence of British and the French
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Turn Egyptian army into anti-European army
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Much of the army takes an anti-European stance under sway of
Colonial Ahmad Urabi
Prime Minister Gladstone : Egypt for the Egyptians
Uprising directed against Europeans, and against Egyptian ruler (who had
been cooperating with Europeans)
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Other problems in Africa
1882 : British, second Anglo-African war
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French have interest in Egypt have to decide over Tunisia, don't want to
fight over any colonies any more
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Put pressure on Colonial to reconcile with ruler
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Don't care what happens in Europe as long as Egyptians pay back debts
and remain part of financial control system that British / French have set up
over Egypt
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Opposed by Egyptians
Trying to govern a region that doesn't want to be governed by Europe
No new Indias --> don't want responsibility for Egypt
Fall back on tools of informal empire - coerce Egyptians into
agreement
Invading Egypt would be a bad idea
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Backfires when some kill Europeans in city of Alexandria
Don't meekly give in
French navy sails away, but British remain
To prove they are serious - bombard Egypt, intended to show British
determination
This is even worse --> widespread revolt across Egypt, Urabi swears
to fight Britain
Egypt coming together against British
Britain is not an island, but an empire
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There is no British strategy, but British imperial strategy
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Need to defend routes to India at all costs
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Critical, not because of Egypt, but because of India
Suez : Shave off distance from which troops can reach India
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Had already raised stakes with show of force and
bombardment - shouldn't backdown
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Defeats Egyptian army, captures Colonials
Promises to bring them back once Egypt can 'manage
their own affairs' - when and how?
British will now govern Egypt
Many governors will come from experience in India
Deep distrust of local nationalist movements
Becomes extremely difficult for Brits in Egypt to see what
1882 British army will land in Egypt
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What to do??
Send naval squadron off coast of Egypt - big demonstration
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Stirrings in Egypt
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Becomes extremely difficult for Brits in Egypt to see what
point Egyptians can manage own affairs
Weaken Egyptian army - Sudan armies rises up against
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British have to take responsibility for Egypt against Sudanese
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'we have now been forced into position of being protectors of
Egypt'
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Empires replacing Empires - initially trying to prop up allies, but
as they take actions to weaken rulers, it undoes the influence /
stability provided by system of affairs in Africa pre intervention
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Now British have to defend Egypt
Ultimately chose formal empire rather than back away from problem
'appetite had grown with the eating'
British would need to continue to push territorial gains away from
areas they were trying to protect
Both cases : trying to use informal empire and failed
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French action in Tunisia, and British action in Egypt, and Bismarck's political problems
that he wanted to solve with colonial adventure
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British / French tension - French want to regain influence in Egypt, almost
drive them to war to regain
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Competitive
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12 states would gather to discuss Africa as a European continent
Bismarck called conference partially to try and drive deeper wedge
between British / French
Local forces, traders, everyone seeking to expand their position
in Africa
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Other states recognized growing tensions in Africa - not necessarily
between states
How to move forward in Africa
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Banned slave trade in Africa
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Conference designed to set rules for annexation of African territory
Partial cause that Leopold gains Congo free state
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Did not come aiming to take over more land - in fact, the great powers
were trying to find other powers that would take responsibilities in
Africa
'As long as we keep other people out, we need not be in a
hurry to go in'
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British 'has it best' - trying to keep powers governed by rules, keep
conflict down
Govern expansion of territory
Avoiding power vacuum that might cause conflict
Role of Africans totally missing from strategic calculations of
great powers as they move to annex more of Africa
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French expansion into West Africa - 1902 massive territory
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Who is missing from story?? --> Africans
Bismarck would call Berlin Conference of 1884 / 85
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Achieved by war, open conflict against Africans
New empire replacing an old empire
Continent was not dormant, struggles for power in Africa for centuries
Struggles for power in Africa started in 8th century with expansion of
Islam in Africa and creation of enormous ancient empires (Mali,
Ghana)
By the time the French were fighting, they were against a series of
Largely the result of efforts to enhance security of Algeria (and Tunisia to an
extent)
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Cooperative
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1880s : strangle for Africa was on
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