Nigeria and South Africa

A review of key concepts.

What it means: A country or region governed internally by a foreign power.

Example: When a stronger country comes into a weaker country and takes over their government. All the people know exactly what is going on, it is not a secret that the weaker country is being controlled by the stronger one.

Colony

What it means: A country or territory with its own internal government but under the control of an outside power.

Example: When the leader of the weaker country continues to be the leader, but they are controlled by the stronger country. (Think of a puppet).

Protectorate

What it means: An area in which an outside power claims exclusive investment or trading privileges.

Example: US had a sphere of influence in Liberia, what that meant is that Liberia was only allowed to trade with the US, but Liberia still had some control over the trade.

Sphere of Influence

What it means: Independent but less developed nations controlled by private business interests rather than by other governments.

Example: Instead of a stronger country controlling the trade of a weaker nation a business controlled the trade.

Economic Imperialism

Types of Control

Indirect Control Direct Control

Used political leaders that were already in charge.

The stronger country would train the local political leaders to use the form of government they wanted the weaker country to use.

Viewed Africans as unable to handle their own government, and the stronger country would step in and rule.

They tried to provide for people’s needs but didn’t give them any rights.

What it means: Belief that Africans were like children and needed to be governed in a “fatherly” way. This was part of Direct Control where Europeans brought in their own government and ruled African countries with a European method.

Paternalism

What it means: This was a policy/belief that all Africans should become like the French (or whatever European nation was controlling). All schools, courts, and businesses were set up in the same fashion as French schools, courts, and businesses. French believed that African culture was inferior to their own.

Assimilation

Zulu Expansion Shaka was a Zulu chief

who using very advanced military tactics was able to control a large portion of southern Africa.

After Shaka died the people who followed him to rule were unable to maintain his power and fell to British rule.

Zulu land in south Africa came under British control.

Boers and British Settle in the Cape

Dutch settlers known as Boers had settled in South Africa and took over African land a long time ago (1652).

In the 1830’s the British arrived and began to take over areas of the southern cape of Africa.

When the British arrived the Boers moved further into Africa and began fighting the Zulus for control.

Diamonds and gold were discovered in the southern part of Africa. Many outsiders came to south Africa, but the Boers tried to keep them out and maintain control. They blamed the British for this and it led to war in 1899.

The Boer War is considered the first modern “total” war. What this means is the Boers launched commando raids and used guerilla tactics against the British.

The British raided Boer farms and imprisoned women and children in concentration camps. The British won, and the Boers came until control of the British.

The Boer War