Paper Example on European Imperialism in Africa

Introduction

Africa is a country rich in oil, natural beauty, and natural resources. In 2017, it was home to 1.2 million people. The effects of European imperialism can still be seen today. What were the driving forces behind Europe's imperialism in Africa? The driving force of European Imperialism in Africa Attributes to the resources, power, and national Darwinism/nationality. The article "Effects of Colonialism in Africa's Past & Present" includes a quote by Edem Kodjo (author of Africa's Tomorrow). According to the article, "The book depicts Africa's condition. He is ripped away from his past and propelled into an outside world that suppresses his beliefs, and left dumbfounded by a cultural invasion which marginalizes him. Today, the African ,... has become the image of others. '"

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Europeans realized that Africa was rich in natural resources and decided to invade Africa. The chart to the right shows this. The article "What drove European imperialism in Africa?" stated that European traders and slaves didn't travel far from Africa's coast between 1500 and 1800. This was due to the Malaria, an incurable disease. Even then, Europe's main motivation was to colonize or even have colonies. After the ban on taking Africans as slaves, it was only then that Europe's interest in Africa became Exploration. This led to Europeans realizing that Africa has a lot of natural resources that can be used to make money. These events led to the "Scramble for Africa" The European countries didn't want to war against each other so they held the "Berlin Conference" from 1884-1885. The table below shows some examples of what European nations got. The European countries took Africa and splintered it into smaller pieces. They invited everyone who wanted Africa. This was the beginning of the imperialization and colonization of Africa. Europe was now taking Africa. New technologies were created to make it easier for Africa to access more resources and end its once self-sufficient status.

Many European countries saw that they could be more powerful than their neighbors as a result the Scramble for Africa. The European Imperialization of Africa is driven by the desire for power. Many nations saw this as a way of gaining power over their neighbors, since they took Africa's natural resources and sold them. They would not only have power in Africa, but also their own countries and the power to overtake their neighbours. They would be able to sell more Africa than they take out, and that will make them more attractive to European countries, who will begin to rely on them as a source of special resources. Two poems or literature from both the British and German perspectives are provided in document B. Both of them use the word "power" in their respective perspectives. We later learn that the Germans view the same thing. They want to "prove and sustain its newly gained position of power for a longer time." The countries will also show that they are stronger and more advanced than other nations. They must get as much from Africa as possible to do this. They have stooped to Africa in their quest for power.

The European imperialism, driven by the need for power and resources, quickly led to the rise of Nationality or Darwinism. Dictonary.com describes Darwinism as "the Darwinian theory of species origin by descent, with variations from parent forms through the natural selection for those individuals best adapted to the reproductive success of the kind of their kind." This is a belief that people are better because they have better traits than others. Everyone wanted their country the best, so everyone took more from Africao no matter what the price. Document D shows us which country has what and how it could impact their economies, as well as Africa. Africa is being brought down by the countries that try to outdo one another.

Many people may argue that European Imperialism was not driven by the desire for power, resources, or the idea and concept of nationalism. It was the technology brought by the industrial revolution. They got the idea mixed up, I'm afraid. Although they had technology and weapons before they colonized Africa, it was only after they began to 'explore' the continent that they discovered more advanced technology. Technology was not a driving force in European Imperialism, but it did help the driving forces.

Conclusion

The three driving forces behind European imperialism were power and resources. Darwinism was the third. This causes many nations to seize control of Africa's resources and then gain power over one another to prove themselves superior. Africa still feels the effects of imperialism to this day. All of this starts with human desires for power, enormous amounts of resources and nationalism.