PC: An African Bismarck or Garibaldi?

The Maghreb was the target of Colonial desires from every Mediterranean nation, especially France. Uniting at all would be hard, as France and the Ottomans would try their hardest to stop it. Even if they united, I doubt that would do anything but delay France, and give them more land once they kick down the door.
Well, the OP says either 19th or 20th century... so what if there's some kind of French collapse after a CP victory?
 
Well, the OP says either 19th or 20th century... so what if there's some kind of French collapse after a CP victory?
Unlikely, if France collapses I would think that Britain and Italy would split their African colonies(the ones Germany didn't annex). Even if that didn't happen, they would split similiar to the way they are split now. Mostly because Algeria and Morocco are historically hostile to eachother, and both were comparatively poor compared to Tunisia
 
Unlikely, if France collapses I would think that Britain and Italy would split their African colonies(the ones Germany didn't annex). Even if that didn't happen, they would split similiar to the way they are split now. Mostly because Algeria and Morocco are historically hostile to eachother, and both were comparatively poor compared to Tunisia
Well, it was an idea... :D
 
The kingdom of Kongo if it were to dodge the Portuguese, it could ply the rubber and spice trade, perhaps modernize off of that
 
I don't think Bismarck or Garibaldi are good comparisons in any kind of African context. Ethiopia probably has the most potential, but the will have to rule Sudan at least and probably all of the Horn. Problem is the religion. A modernized Ethiopia could probably do it, but it's not going to be an ethno-nation state by far.
What about Kongo?
 
The kingdom of Kongo if it were to dodge the Portuguese, it could ply the rubber and spice trade, perhaps modernize off of that
What about Kongo?
I think the problem is that you need a very early PoD to dodge the Portuguese, but without them, it's very hard to modernize anyway. If we go back that far, Ethiopia still has a better chance to modernize through Portugal. With that early PoD even the Maghreb could be united by a modernized Berber state.
 
There are so many ethnic groups in Africa; the African Garibaldi would have to rally the people under a "proud to be black" approach.
 
I don't think the OP (he's been banned now so hard to confirm) was talking about someone to unify all of Africa. I think he meant someone who could create a cohesive nation-state that would be similar to the state building that was going on in Italy and Germany of the late 19th century.
 
I don't think the OP (he's been banned now so hard to confirm) was talking about someone to unify all of Africa. I think he meant someone who could create a cohesive nation-state that would be similar to the state building that was going on in Italy and Germany of the late 19th century.
The problem is that there are very few analogues for Italy or Germany in Africa.
 
Well, quite, but Ethiopia, or a Zulu empire, or Tswana policy could, with some tweaking, be analogues. The whole continent? No.
Of these only Ethiopia has any sort of urban development, state structure and cultural unity to do it, and they still have a lot of challenges. To be fair the Zemene Mesafint was kind of as close as it could get. That's why I thought about the Maghreb. Fairly developed, culturally homogeneous, religiously united. But as they said, too close to Europe.
 
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