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British + German Treaty establishing spheres of influence in East Africa
Germany given control of Tanganyika + British took Kenya + Sudan
Zanzibar ceded to British influence + Germany given control of mainland Tanzania
Britain declared Zanzibar a protectorate of the British Empire and installed 'puppet ruler' Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini -
1st Ndebele (Matabele) War 1893-94
After gold discovered in South Zambesia (home to the Ndebele - formally the Matabele) - Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company (BSAC) put in place mining concessions + British granted permission to white settlers to establish a protectorate
Ndebele (Matabele) resisted in 1st war with 80,000 warriors -- no match for the maxim guns deployed by BSAC troops
Lobengula (Ndebele king) escaped + resistance continued -
British East Africa became formal protectorate
Imperial British East Africa Company rule replaced by the Crown when British East Africa (included Kenya, Uganda, Rhodesia, Zanzibar, Sudan and Somaliland)
Kenya -- useful link from Uganda to the Coast -
The Jamerson Raid on Transvaal
Raid launched on Transvaal from neighbouring British Rhodesia by Dr Jameson (Rhodes' agent) -- 500 mounted police
Forced to surrender in four days + Jamerson/12 companions sentenced to imprisonment by British court + Rhodes forced to resign from Cape premiership--raid brought discredit to British (despite no official support)+strengthened Boer resistance against British
Kruger became national hero+Boers in Cape Colony formed anti-British 'Afrikaner Bond' -- solidarity for Boers in Transvaal -
2nd Ndebele (Matabele) War 1895-96
Cecil Rhodes attempted to claim control over the area by naming it 'Southern Rhodesia'
Mlimo (Ndebele spiritual leader) led unsuccessful rising against colonial rule -- remembered in Zimbabwe as 'First Chimurenga' (revolutionary struggle) -
Daily Mail produced by Alfred Harmsworth
Pioneered the new form of cheap, populist newspaper in 1896 -- low retail price and marketed towards the lower-middle class
During 2nd Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) it sold over 1 mil copies a day + praised the heroism of British troops -- serialised number of patriotic books
J.A Hobson criticised its 'crude sensationalism' in 1902 -
4th Anglo-Asante War
Britain conquered Asante territories and forced King Prempeh from his throne -
Conflict in Zanzibar
Suspicious death of Sultan Hamad at his palace in 1896 -- accession of his cousin, Khalid (without British permission) - Britain order Khalid to stand down + when he refused Britain mounted naval bombardment of Sultan's palace (38 mins + 500 Zanzibari defenders killed) -- Khalid overthrown + pro-British Sultan Hamud placed on thrown of Zanzibar + ruled under British protection for 6 years -
Uganda Railway
Uganda became formal protectorate in 1884 after powers transferred from Imperial British East Africa Co. to the crown
Construction began in 1886+connected (Mombasa) coast to fertile lands bordering Lake Victoria -- consolidation of British formal takeover of the E.Africa Protectorate and Uganda+linked them with the Indian Ocean
Supported by Colonial Secretary Chamberlin + conservative gov -- 660 miles of track took 5 years and £5 mill to build + killed 2500 labourers (disease, accidents etc) -
Salisbury (PM) launches campaign in Sudan led by Kitchener
General Sir Herbert Kitchener (appointed Commander-in-Chief of Egyptian Army in 1896) given orders to penetrate Sudanese territory as far as Dongola
Campaign seen in Britain as a way to avenge General Gordon's death + to bring order to the area that lacked order to internal resistance and famine after the conflict in Khartoum and the resulting change in leadership -
Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee
Demonstrated some of the imperialist fervour that prevailed in 1890s -- example of pomp and grandeur - military display that involved 50,000 troops (looked back on as the high point of colonial self-confidence)
'Imperial March' composed by Edward Elgar (most popular 'imperial' composer -
Battle of Omdurman
Kitchener determined to push further into Sudan and take Khartoum
Army won a decisive victory with the use of modern weaponry (e.g Maxim guns -- invented by Hiram Maxim in 1884 - one of the earliest machine guns)
Kitchener given sealed orders by Salisbury (PM) to be opened after the defeat of the Sudanese that ordered him to go to Fashoda (where French expedition led by Major Marchand had landed and were laying claim to the area) -
Administrative and military personal in Somaliland
Reinforcement of Somaliland protectorate (est. 1888) with military + administrative personal sent in 1898 in attempt to limit French and Italian ambitions in that area
Location important -- commanded Britain's crucial access to the Indian Ocean and colonies in the East -
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan established
1899 agreement between Britain and Egypt's 'veiled protectorate' -- condominium (Sudan to be run by the British with Egyptian support)
Lord Kitchener appointed 1st Governor-General/Khedive of Egypt -
'Fashoda incident'
British press reacted strongly to the 'Fashoda incident' suggesting Britain and France on the brink of war after both nations accused the other of trespassing in the Fashoda area (on the headwaters of the Nile)
Agreement reached in 1899 -- French promised to stay out of the Nile Valley in return for territory further west (French gov aware of internal problems and the presence of the British Army in Sudan chose to back down) -
Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902
Negotiations with Boers broke down in 1899 -- Boers invaded British territory + besieged Ladysmith in Natal
2nd A-B War -- Empire contributed 400,000 troops at cost of £250 mill
British 'scorched earth' policy deployed to remove civilian support for Boers
Afrikaner women, children and black African men corralled into concentration camps + thousands died of starvation + disease
Boers defeated in 1902 -
Russian military manoeuvres near Afghanistan
Movement of 300,000 Russian troops near Afghanistan in Feb 1900 -- at time when Britain concerned with war in S. Africa British concerns about Russia also aggravated by Russian naval presence in Toulon in the Mediterranean following Russian military agreement with France in 1892 -- appeared potential threat to Suez Canal -
'khaki election'
Conservatives won a decisive victory in 1900 election -- example for public support for empire -
Imperial Cadet Corps
Est. by Viceroy Curzon to appease Indian Princes + elite with military training and 'special' officer commissions
Example of 'carrot' in 'carrot + stick' -
Peace of Vereeniging
May 1902 -- Peace of Vereeniging ended the 2nd Anglo-Boer war (Boers acknowledged themselves as British subjects and Boer republics became British colonies with the promise of self-government (granted in 1905) -
London Colonial Conference
Convened by Joseph Chamberlain for the leaders of Britain + Dominions -- discussed creating closer economic ties - imperial customs union + 'imperial preference' -- mutual customs agreements + protective tariff agreements against imports for non-imperial powers
Chamberlain's ideas met resistance from shipping + banking industries that relied on free trade + international communities + proposals rejected in 1906 general election (voters favoured Liberal Party's commitment to free trade) -
1902 Education Act (Conservative)
sought to raise school standards + led to opening of 1000 secondary schools over the next decade
Ex. of attempt to improve national efficiency -
Incorporation of Ashantiland into the Gold Coast Colony
After a further uprising from the Ashanti people into 1900 the British formally annexed the kingdom and incorporated it into the Gold Coast Colony
(Ashanti had previously resisted direct colonisation for 80 years) -
Young India (Abhinav Bharat) Organisation founded
Young India founded by two brothers (Savarkar) in 1903 -- became home to several hundred revolutionaries + political activists - carried out assassinations of British officials -
Entente Cordiale (friendly alliance)
After Fashoda incident (1898) -- Britain + France grew closer
French agreed to respect Britain's special rights in Egypt + Britain recognised France's take over of Morocco + Caisse de la Dette stopped controlling Egyptian finance -
Moroccan crisis pt. 1
Kaiser threatened French interests in Morocco on a visit in 1905 -- matter resolved in 1906 at the Algeciras Conference when Britain demonstrated support for the French -
Partition of Bengal
July 1905 -- VR Curzon decided that Bengal should be divided into two separate provinces (Muslim-majority province of East Bengal + Hindu-majority province of West Bengal)
Partition carried out in Oct -- uproar from Hindu elite who leased their land in the East to Muslim peasants -
Clash at Denshawai between British officers + Egyptian villagers
British action led to arrest of 52 villagers (4 convicted of murder and sentenced to death) + Egyptian policeman that had testified on behalf of villagers given two years imprisonment + 50 lashes -- provoked further backlash to British rule -
'Triple Entente' between Britain, France and Russia
declared the Persian Gulf a neutral zone + recognised Afghanistan as in the British sphere of influence -
Boy Scouts established
Imitation of the Boy's Brigade (1883) -- Boy Scout movement est. in 1908 + Girl Guides in 1912 by Robert Baden-Powell (hero of 2nd Anglo-Boer War)
Organised like a military cadet force + designed to train defenders of the empire through competitive challenges to earn badges Most successful attempt to mobilise young people behind imperial themes + pop. in Dominions as well -
'Union of South Africa'
PMs of Transvaal, OFS, Cape Colony + Natal drew up constitution -- Act of Union established a single parliament + Union of South Africa became single British dominion territory in 1910
Black Africans given no protection from settler-colonial racism under the new union -
Imperial Conference on Defence
formation of Dominion Fleet considered + dominions where Britain accepted it was no longer able to maintain the 'two power' standard + settled for a 60% margin over Germany -
Indian Council Act 1909
enables 27 Indians to be elected from provincial constituencies to the Viceroy's council (advised the Viceroy + assisted in making laws) -- provided greater Indian representation in government Further reforms in 1910 -- elections for enlarged provincial councils - 135 Indians able to secure seats across the continent (only at provincial level + some representation chosen by British) -
Festival of Empire + George V's coronation
George V's coronation was celebrated with a Festival of Empire at Crystal Palace in London in 1911
3/4 sized models of parliamentary buildings around the Empire were erected + used to display exhibitions of imperial products -- intra-Empire sports championship held as part of festival -
Moroccan crisis pt.2
Further tensions when French sent 20,000 soldiers to disperse Moroccan rebels that had attacked Fez -- Kaiser sent 'Panther' (warship) to port of Agadir to 'prevent French invasion' -- British feared Egyptian seizure of Agadir + prepared Royal Navy -- Kaiser gave way and sent the Panther home -
Imperial Conference
Attempted to form closer ties between Britain + dominions -- considered the vulnerability of the dominions if Britain lost its maritime supremacy
S.African gov agreed to commit 40,000 men to attack German SW Africa in the case of European conflict + Aus and NZ agreed to take action against German colonies in the Pacific -
Reunification of Bengal
Viceroy Hardinge (1910-16) used a visit of King George V to India to reunite Bengal + moved Indian capital from Calcutta to Delhi (in attempt to undermine Hindu revolutionary groups - Delhi = Muslim strong hold) -
George V's durbar
George V = 1st + only monarch to visit India during Raj (Emperor of Indian)
Durbar = covered area of 20 square miles
Enormous reception tents hosted formal dinners + entertainment for Indian nobles
Display of pageantry + power designed to strengthen the loyalty of the princely rulers -
Egypt: Legislative Assembly replaced Advisory Council of Laws and General Assembly in Egypt
consisted of 66 elected members + 17 appointed nominees -- represented rich landowners rather than ordinary people -
Egypt became formal protectorate
Nov 1914 = Egypt went from 'veiled protectorate' (with British running Egyptian affairs + overseeing government) -- formal protectorate + ruling Khedive (ally of Ottomans) deposed
Hindrances to British rule:
- Capitulations (regulations that applied to foreigners in Egypt that slowed down law making)
- Caisse de la Dette (controlled Egyptian finances + could prevent British expenditure
- Mixed Courts (tried + ran by both Egyptians and Europeans + not always supportive of the British) -
WWI began
Britain declared war in Aug 1914 in support of France and Russia against Germany + Austria-Hungary -
Unification of Nigeria
British government took over the responsibilities of the Royal Niger Company + established direct control of North Nigeria (1900) and South Nigeria (1906) --- Nigeria unified in 1914 -
Viceroy Hardinge signed India up for WWI
Hardinge declared war on behalf of India in Aug 1914 -- test of Indian loyalty to Britain (did so without informing India/without consent)
Majority - accepted + supported British war efforts (nearly 1.3 mill Indians served in WWI) but service raised hopes of 'new deal' once war was over