COLONIALISM IN UGANDA

• Colonialism is a form of imperialism. It

represented a continuation of European
encounter with, and penetration of Africa,
after the era of slave trade. The basic driving
force behind colonialism is economic interests.
• It was this motivation which encouraged
Europeans to send missionaries and explorers
that provided the convenient fore runners in
imposing colonial rule.
 COLONIALISM IN UGANDA
• We can therefore define colonialism as the
policy by which the “mother country”, the
colonial power, binds her colonies to herself by
political ties with the primary objective of
promoting her own economic advantage to
secure trading routes and safe ports
• To understand colonialism in Uganda, one
needs to appreciate the scramble for Africa in
general and then zero down to Uganda.
 COLONIALISM IN UGANDA
• To give effect to the desire the scramble for
colonies in Africa began among the leading
European nations:
• Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain,
Portugal, Belgium and Italy. At a conference in
Berlin, chaired by German Chancellor, Otto Von
Bismarck, African territory was carved out, to
gratify European greed, and prevent wars
among them.
 Scramble for Africa
• The competition among European nations to
acquire territories in Africa is what we refer to
as the scramble for Africa. Then the sharing of
African territories among European nations is
what we call the partition of Africa.
• The scramble for Africa was a phenomenon of
the last 2 decades of the 19th c.
 Scramble for Africa
• It should be noted that for many decades
Europeans from different European nations
had lived and carried out their activities in
Africa and during all those years there was no
scramble for Africa.
• For example in Uganda, the first foreigners to
arrive in Uganda were the Arabs in 1845.
These were followed by explorers like John
Speke in 1862 and later on missionaries
 Scramble for Africa
• Therefore one wonders why the scramble for
Africa and Uganda in particular took place in
the last 2 decades of the 19th c. To answer this
puzzle, we need various theories of
imperialism by scholars to explain this
phenomenon.
 
 Theories of Imperialism
• Imperialism is defined as an extension of
sovereignty control (political economic and
social) whether direct or indirect by one
government, nation or society over another.
• Underlying all forms of imperialism is the
belief that an imperial agent or nation has an
inherent right based on moral superiority
 Theories of Imperialism
as well as material and military might to
impose its values and techniques on the
“inferior” indigenous nations / societies
• Imperialism also implies the unequal exchange
terms between nations.
 
 Theories of Imperialism
1) John A. Hobson’s Theory of Imperialism
•  This was an English social reformer and
theorist who lived during the years 1858-
1940. He is regarded as the father of the
Economic interpretation of new imperialism.
In 1902, Hobson wrote a book entitled
“Imperialism: A Study.”
 Theories of Imperialism
• Hobson stated that the scramble for Africa had
occurred as a result of the economic interests
of a small group of extremely rich and
influential financers throughout Europe.
• He argues that imperialism results from the
maladjustments in the capitalist system where
a wealthy minority over saves and the majority
poor lacks the purchasing power to consume
all the fruits of modern industry
 Theories of Imperialism
• So the capitalists seek to invest their surplus
capital in profit making territories abroad.
• The result of this was imperialism because
these wealthy people in industrial Europe had
to look for foreign markets to sell their goods
and invest their surplus capital.
 Theories of Imperialism
• Hobson argued that the colonization of Africa
produced little economic gain to the tax payers
in Europe whose countries had sent out armies
of conquest and occupation for the interest of
international capitalists.
• Profits from the colonies went only to the rich
who ventured beyond the boundaries of
economically stagnant Western Europe in such
of a higher return on their investments.
 Theories of Imperialism
• Hobson concluded that the late 19th century
imperialism was “a deprived choice of national
life”, appealing primarily to the lusts for self-
seeking acquisitiveness and forcefully
domination.
 Theories of Imperialism
2) The Marxist Theory of Imperialism
• The Marxist theory of imperialism is named
after a German Social thinker and theorist Karl
Marx who lived between 1818 to 1883. In
1848, Karl Marx together with an English
Socialist called Engels published a book called
the Communist Manifesto in which Marx gave
his ideas about class struggles.
 Theories of Imperialism
• Marx said that society was at any given time
no more than a reflection of a hierarchy of
classes dictated by those who owned the
means of production and controlled the
distribution its material goods
• Marx stressed that feudalism was defeated by
capitalism and then capitalism was in turn
defeated by communism. In 1867, Marx
published another book entitled CAPITAL.
 Theories of Imperialism
• In this book Marx said that capitalist
enterprises in the developed countries of
Europe expanded their interests abroad in
order to obtain markets for their
manufactured goods and also obtain cheap
raw materials for their industries hence the
need to acquire territories overseas which
could serve as markets.
 Theories of Imperialism
• Marx stressed that the main objective of the
capitalist enterprises was to obtain excessive
profits. Karl Marx just like the rest of his
followers regarded all political developments
including imperialism and war as projections
of economic forces.
 Theories of Imperialism
3) The Leninist Theory of Imperialism
• The Leninist theory of imperialism was named
after a Russian Communist and Revolutionary
leader called Vladmir Lenin. Lenin lived during
the period of 1870-1924. In developing his
theory of imperialism, Lenin used a Marxist
analysis. In 1916 Lenin published a book called
“Imperialism: The Last Stage of Capitalism”
 Theories of Imperialism
• In this book Lenin gave ideas about the
capitalist system and how it leads to
imperialism.
• Lenin agreed with Hobson that imperialism is
a product of economic forces. But unlike
Hobson, Lenin saw imperialism as part and
parcel of the capitalist system and as an
inevitable phase of the capitalist system.
 Theories of Imperialism
• Lenin argued that capitalist competition and the
monopolies it had produced led to the
lowering of domestic profits and forced the
owners of surplus capital to invest overseas.
• This led to imperialism because the capitalists in
Europe had to look for territories where surplus
capital had to be invested and bring in more
profits.
 Theories of Imperialism
• Lenin argued that the alternative of enlarged
markets in Europe by raising the wages of the
workers could not work because it would
decrease the profits of the capitalists.
• Lenin saw imperialism not as a relationship
between different countries but as a stage in
the development of capitalism.
 Theories of Imperialism
• These 3 theories of imperialism give an
economic interpretation of the scramble for
Africa that was taking place in Europe.
• However, the economic interpretation of the
scramble for Africa is not enough to explain the
entire process of this phenomenon.
• Certainly we need to look at other theories and
factors at work in the process of European
colonization of Africa.
 Theories of Imperialism
4) Darwin’s theory of Evolution
• Some scholars have argued that all European
powers were in a struggle for survival. That in
this struggle some races were regarded as
superior to others; that in the evolution
process the strongest race had the right to
assert themselves over the weak ones.
 Theories of Imperialism
• The supporters of this view even argue that
Europeans were born to rule, dominate
commerce, religion, government and had a
mission to bring civilization to Africans.
• Supporters of this theory referred to the
Africans as backward/ barbaric people or
primitive and that it was a privilege for them
to be ruled by Europeans
 Theories of Imperialism
• However, in spite of the above analysis,
Europeans’ interest in Africa could only be
explained by satisfying economic
considerations. In this period a country was
considered strong if it had the economic
strength behind it.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble and Partition of Africa

1. Outbreak of the Industrial Revolution

• The industrial revolution started in Britain
about 1750. When Britain was the only
industrial power, she easily obtained raw
materials such as palm oil which was used for
making soap, candles and as a lubricant to oil
the machines before the discovery of mineral
oil.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• Britain also used to get raw materials like

ground nuts. Britain also easily sold her
manufactured goods in Africa. So during the
early stages of the industrial revolution other
European powers did not compete with
Britain for the acquisition of raw materials
from Africa simply because they were not
industrialized.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• However, by the second half of the 19th

century, the industrial revolution had spread
from Britain to the European continent and
other European powers e.g. France and
Belgium had become industrialized. These
countries needed raw materials from Africa to
feed their manufacturing industries
• They also needed markets in Africa where to
sell their manufactured products.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• Britain’s industrial growth was cited as an

example of the importance of the African
markets.
• The need for raw materials and markets made
European nations to compete for territories in
Africa.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• The European countries which had

accumulated capital from the sale of industrial
products also needed territories overseas
where to invest the surplus capital and bring
more profits to the European capitalists and
hence the need to acquire colonies.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• We can argue that the economic argument for

the outbreak of the scramble for Africa agrees
with Hobson and Lenin theories of imperialism
to a certain extent because most European
nations acquired territories in Africa due to
the economic forces in Europe.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

2) The National Pride of European Powers.

• By 1871, both Germany and Italy did not exist
as united countries. They were broken into a
number of states. So they were mere
geographical expressions. However, by 1871
these 2 countries had emerged as sovereign
independent states.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• After their unification both Italy and Germany

joined the scramble for Africa in order to show
other European nations that they were powers
to be recognized and could therefore do what
other European powers were doing.
• In Germany, Otto Van Bismarck-the Chancellor
of Germany from 1871 to 1890 first opposed
the scramble but later saw the need to join
and maintain the balance of power in Europe
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• He feared that if one European power became

dominant in Africa, it could use riches
obtained from Africa and dominate European
affairs. He therefore wanted the balance of
power.
• France joined the scramble for Africa because
they wanted to restore the prestige that they
had lost in European wars
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• e.g. France had been defeated by Prussia

during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71
and France lost her rich mineral provinces of
Alsace and Lorraine in North Eastern France.
• The politicians favored the acquisition of
colonies to compensate for the loss of
territories and humiliation France had suffered
at the hands of the Germans.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

3. The role of “men on the spot”

• The term “men on the spot” refers to those
European administrators, missionaries and
traders who were already operating in Africa
by the time the scramble for Africa started.
• These people called upon their home
countries to occupy or annex their spheres of
operations in Africa
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• They feared that if other European powers

colonized them, they would not be able to
carry on their activities conformably. e.g. in
Uganda, the missionaries of the Church
Missionary Society who were protestants and
who had arrived in 1877 called upon Britain to
take over Uganda
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• They feared that their rivals, the White Fathers

who had come to Uganda in 1879 and who
were Roman Catholics would call upon France
to annex Uganda and therefore become a
burden for the protestants missionaries.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

4) Strategic reasons
• Some European powers joined the scramble in
order to occupy some African territories that
were of great strategic value to them e.g. the
British occupied Egypt in 1882 partly because
they wanted to protect the Swiss canal which
had been opened in 1879
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• They wanted to prevent it against falling to a

hostile power fearing that if a hostile power
occupied the canal then its forces would be
sent through the channel and attack the
Indian colony of the British.
• After occupying Egypt, the British realized
that Uganda which is the source of R. Nile was
also of great strategic value
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• The Nile is the life blood of Egypt and the

British knew that they could not survive
without the presence of R. Nile. They feared
that if a hostile power occupied Uganda, it
would easily divert the waters of R. Nile.
• The British particularly feared the Germans
who were advancing inland East Africa from
Tanganyika
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• In November 1885, Carl Peters a leading

German imperialist had reached Tanganyika
and had signed 12 treaties with the African
chiefs by which he claimed that these African
chiefs had given Tanganyika to Germany which
scared the British.
• In 1890 Carl Peters moved to Uganda and
signed a treaty of friendship with Mwanga of
Buganda.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• Therefore at this point Britain was forced to

reach an agreement with Germany so as to
keep away Germany. In July 1890, the Anglo-
Germany agreement was signed which left
Uganda under the British sphere of influence.
Britain therefore occupied Uganda In 1890.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

5) The Doctrine of Effective Occupation of the

Berlin Conference of 1884-85.
• In this provision, the General Act of the Berlin
conference stated that for any colonizing
power in Africa to lay a legitimate claim over
the area/ region, it had to exercise firm
control over the claimed area. This really
meant the maintenance of law and order.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• This meant that any European power claiming

to colonize Africa had to bring its
administration and army. After doing that such
a European power then had to inform other
signatories of the General Act of Berlin so that
if any of them had the claim over the same
area/ territory, those claims had to be settled.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• The doctrine of effective occupation of Africa

accelerated the scramble for Africa. After the
doctrine of effective occupation was
introduced, each European power moved with
its forces to Africa to occupy a number of
territories and therefore claim those territories
to be part of its empire.
• After the Berlin conference, European powers
asserted themselves on the ground.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

6) The Humanitarian Motive

• Some scholars have argued that in Europe
there had been a period of revival in
evangelism, different Christian organizations
had the mission of spreading Christianity.
• There was a desire to promote education in
order to ‘civilize’ the Africans.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• So the western culture was considered the

best throughout the world because it would
help bring peace in many parts of Africa and
would also improve the moral standards of
Africans.
• It should, however, be emphasized that the
spread of Christianity was only a disguise for
promotion of European economic interests.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• Hence their claim that European powers

wanted to abolish slave trade by colonization is
totally incorrect.
• Slave trade had been taking place for centuries
and a country like Britain had expanded her
industrial revolution using wealth from its
trade. Therefore it was not convincing enough
on their part to regard slave trade as an evil
trade.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• The British wanted abolition of slave trade in

order to protect their commercial interests.
They wanted Africans to be enslaved in Africa
in order to provide cheap labor and in turn raw
materials and ready markets for her industrial
products.
• It should be emphasized that by 1880 it was
more profitable to export industrial products
than human beings.
 Actual Causes of the Scramble cont’d

• From this analysis, the supporters of

humanitarian view should have stopped slave
trade at its initial stage but not after millions
of Africans had been sold to boost their
economies.
 
 Guiding Questions

1) To what extent can colonialism in Uganda be

attributed to the Hobson-Marxist and Leninist
theory of imperialism?
2) To what extent can the scramble and partition
of Africa be explained by the Darwin’s theory
of evolution?
3) Account for the colonization of Uganda during
the last 2 decades of the 19th century?
 Guiding Questions

4) To what extent can the humanitarian motive

explain the colonization of Uganda by the
British?
5) “The strategic factor played a key role in the
British colonization of Uganda”. Discuss.