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African Response to European Conquest - Coggle Diagram
African Response to European Conquest
African states shocked by European ambition for colonisation
Struggled to retain their sovereignty and protect their land, institutions, cultures
Rejected invasion but wanted to maintain friendship
Many refused to compromise
African rulers struggled to maintain their sovereignty, and resorted to various strategies
Military forms
Might use army to fight European forces
Armed resistance could be prolonged
Spirituality
Many people and leaders called on gods, ancestors, and spirits for help
Sacrifices made
Use of charms to ward off the 'evil forces' represented by European encroachment
Diplomacy
Pursued by forming an alliance or promising to cooperate with the Europeans
Religion
Leaders and soldiers used charms to win wars and build morale
Religious leaders emerged to lead opposition to Europeans
Religious power could come form Christianity, Islam or indigenous religions
Used to build unity among people and to mobilise them for war or disobedience
One of the sources of nationalism
Some groups took to migration
Places where people believed that they could benefit from the European presence they accepted foreign rule
Introduction of Western education
Spread of Christianity
Expanded opportunities for trade
But, Africans misunderstood the objectives of colonial enterprise
Why Europeans were successful
Invaded one country at a time - sometimes some Africa leaders allied with an invading European power against other Africans
Power of technology and availability of resources
European powers had more resources compared to African nations
Had money to buy arms and pay troops
Lost a battle, they could regroup
Armies professional, while African armies mainly composed of volunteers that had to leave their farms and other occupations without the resources to engage in prolonged warfare
Missionaries possessed valuable information about Africa
Use of quinine made it possible to minimise danger of malaria - removed fear of diseases that Europeans had in the previous years
Difference in Weapon technology
Europeans relied on improved firearms
Africans relied on bows, arrows, and muzzle-loading guns
In areas where Africans had experienced recent wars or catastrophes such as epidemics. and famine, they were too weak to organise any serious resistance.
Guns were used to subdue many groups
1902 - conquest of Africa was almost completed and a new map was created with forty political units instead of hundreds of precolonial nations