What are the factors that led to Scramble and partition of Africa?

Economic factors
1. The industrial revolution in Europe.
a) The revolution led to search for markets for European manufactured goods in Africa resulting in
scramble for and partition.
b) The need for raw materials. The machines invented processed goods faster than use of hand. The
Europeans came to Africa in search of raw materials like cotton, palm oil, copper and iron ore.
c) Cheap labour was also readily available in Africa after the abolition of slave trade.
d) There was desire by the entrepreneurs to invest excess capital gained from accumulation of
profits from industrial investment. Africa provided an avenue for investment.
e) Industrial revolution led to improved transport system, which was necessary for effective
colonization.
f) The military hardware manufactured during the revolution enabled Europeans to conquer African
territories.
g) The discovery of medicine enabled the Europeans to survive the African conditions and protect
themselves from diseases such as malaria, yellow fever etc.
h) Those who were rendered unemployed in Europe due to invention of machines had to move to
Africa to assist in harnessing raw materials.
i) Industrial revolution led to intense rivalry in trade, which was projected, into Africa.

Political reasons.
1. Unification of Germany after under Otto Von Bismarck after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71.
The rise of Germany upset the balance of power in Europe and there was need to rebalance out through
acquisition of colonies in Africa. France for example had to redeem her lost glory (especially after the
loss of mineral rich Alsace and Lorraine provinces) by acquiring eight colonies in Africa.
2. The rise of Public opinion in Europe. There was growth of public support towards the acquisition of
colonies. With the rise of democracy in European states in the 19th c, it was fatal for any government
to ignore public opinion.
a) For example in 1882, due to public demand, the French assembly was compelled to ratify De
Brazza’s treaty with Chief Makoko thus creating a French colony in Congo.
b) German took over South-West Africa (Namibia), Togo and Cameroon due to what Bismarck termed
as public demand.
c) In Britain, the public demanded that Britain must maintain her position as the leading colonizing
power by taking her share in Africa.
3. Militarism. Army officers in Europe favoured colonial expansionist wars to give them greater
opportunities for glory or promotion.
a) For example, in Sudan, it was the military offers, in search of glory, and not the French government
who directed the extent of French colonization.
b) British soldiers like Wolseley Kitchener supported the expansion of the British Empire in Africa.
4. The rise of Nationalism. In Europe, there was the rise of a general feeling of civilians that their
nations should acquire overseas colonies for national prestige. The Germans began feeling they
belonged to a superior race that must be shown by acquiring colonies in Africa.

Social reasons
1. The work of Christian missionaries
~ They created an atmosphere of friendship with Africans by giving those gifts like cloths and beer,
introducing economic activities like farming, carpentry, clerical work, among Africans, that were
important virtues in the process of colonization.
~ Where they were in danger, they pressurized their home governments to protect them.
~ The missionaries had direct contact with the people of the interior of Africa and they were frontrunners
who paved way for the colonialists through their works.
~ They preached peace, love and hard work and hence calmed down the emotions of Africans towards
the Europeans.
~ Some of them wrote exaggerated reports about Africa to convince Europeans to take interest in
Africa.
2. The growth of European population. The growth of European population –steadily to about 420
million in the 19th century led to the quest for new outlets to resettle the population. E.g– Britain
settled some of her people in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and South Africa. German,
Portugal and Dutch also had to find places in Africa to settle some of their people.
3. Anti-slave trade campaigns- Humanitarian factor.
The humanitarians in Europe like William Wilberforce and Granville Sharp, and the missionaries who
led the crusade against slave trade advocated for colonization of Africa in order to stop it and introduce
Legitimate Trade.
When slave trade was abolished, many European nations used it as an excuse to remain in some parts
of Africa, control the region, enforce the anti-slavery treaties, and promote legitimate trade.
The pull factors
a) Existence of Vast natural resources in Africa. There were pockets of minerals in various parts of
Africa and ivory awaiting exploitation. This attracted the Europeans.
b) Well developed trade/trade routes in the interior. Imperialists used these routes as transport routes
to penetrate the interior.
c) Existence of Navigable Rivers. For example, rivers like Congo and Niger made transportation easy
d) Existence of weak Decentralized local communities. Most African communities were decentralized
with no military structures therefore offering little resistance to European invasion.
e) Frequent wars / inter community wars. These wars weakened African communities and were left ill
prepared for any resistance. Some readily collaborated with the Europeans.

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ericmunguti answered the question on September 19, 2018 at 06:05