Alright, this title is an oxymoron, but hear me out.
In OTL, the Scramble for Africa was the large-scale colonization by Europeans, where they met in the Berlin Conference, which finalized European colonization and trade in Africa, and is usually referred to as the starting point of the Scramble for Africa. In the end, many African Kingdoms and nations such as the Sokoto, Gaza, Zanzibar, Morrocco, Kongo, and even the Boers would fall to European powers. Previously, there was some European conquests of Africans, such as Britain and the Zulus, and the French in Algeria. Some countries ruled through indirect rule, and had some African nations that ended up as protectorates like Morocco and Zanzibar, while others were outright conquered such as the Sokoto, Oyo, and Boers.
However, what caused the European Scramble for Africa is a bit more complicated, and can be centered down to these points:
Economic - The Europeans needed cheap materials, limited competition, and abundant raw materials to fuel their economies. However, this came at the cost of markets that Europeans can sell their goods to (Besides China). Best example is Leopold II of Belgium, who personally claimed the Congo for himself, mostly for economic value.
Strategic rivalry - Some colonies were founded out of trying to connect their colonies together, to keep their rivals out. Best example is the British, trying to make the Cape to Cario Railway, but other attempts included the French and Portuguese.
New European Powers - With the emergence of Belgium, and the unifications of the Kingdom of Italy and the German Empire, they wanted colonies for either economic reasons, or to make themselves a great power on the world for prestige. This led to the previous stated cause, Strategic Rivalry, and lead to the Europeans colonizing certain key areas, like the French in Tunisia, or the Italians in Eritrea.
In the 20th to 21th Century, after the fall of European colonial empires, there arrived a new system of Imperialism, called Neocolonialism. Instead of direct military control or indirect political control, African nations are dominated by foreign powers through economic imperialism, cultural imperialism and conditional aid to dominate a country. More modern examples, are China, France and even the USA and Soviets during the Cold War.
With all that in mind, What If, with a POD between 1800 to 1900, the Europeans didn't conquer all of Africa and rule it directly? Instead, they just colonize the coasts or around rivers, while dominating African kingdoms through economic imperialism, cultural imperialism and conditional aid, to create European spheres of influence and string of African puppets that fight one another?
Instead of a Scramble for Africa, it is more of Great Game of Africa?
In OTL, the Scramble for Africa was the large-scale colonization by Europeans, where they met in the Berlin Conference, which finalized European colonization and trade in Africa, and is usually referred to as the starting point of the Scramble for Africa. In the end, many African Kingdoms and nations such as the Sokoto, Gaza, Zanzibar, Morrocco, Kongo, and even the Boers would fall to European powers. Previously, there was some European conquests of Africans, such as Britain and the Zulus, and the French in Algeria. Some countries ruled through indirect rule, and had some African nations that ended up as protectorates like Morocco and Zanzibar, while others were outright conquered such as the Sokoto, Oyo, and Boers.
However, what caused the European Scramble for Africa is a bit more complicated, and can be centered down to these points:
Economic - The Europeans needed cheap materials, limited competition, and abundant raw materials to fuel their economies. However, this came at the cost of markets that Europeans can sell their goods to (Besides China). Best example is Leopold II of Belgium, who personally claimed the Congo for himself, mostly for economic value.
Strategic rivalry - Some colonies were founded out of trying to connect their colonies together, to keep their rivals out. Best example is the British, trying to make the Cape to Cario Railway, but other attempts included the French and Portuguese.
New European Powers - With the emergence of Belgium, and the unifications of the Kingdom of Italy and the German Empire, they wanted colonies for either economic reasons, or to make themselves a great power on the world for prestige. This led to the previous stated cause, Strategic Rivalry, and lead to the Europeans colonizing certain key areas, like the French in Tunisia, or the Italians in Eritrea.
In the 20th to 21th Century, after the fall of European colonial empires, there arrived a new system of Imperialism, called Neocolonialism. Instead of direct military control or indirect political control, African nations are dominated by foreign powers through economic imperialism, cultural imperialism and conditional aid to dominate a country. More modern examples, are China, France and even the USA and Soviets during the Cold War.
With all that in mind, What If, with a POD between 1800 to 1900, the Europeans didn't conquer all of Africa and rule it directly? Instead, they just colonize the coasts or around rivers, while dominating African kingdoms through economic imperialism, cultural imperialism and conditional aid, to create European spheres of influence and string of African puppets that fight one another?
Instead of a Scramble for Africa, it is more of Great Game of Africa?
