Good Morning!
1. NVC
2. Imperialism in South Africa: A Diamond is Forever…
Essential Question: Why and how did the British come to take over South Africa?Homework: Congo Textbook Re-Write due BLOCK DAY
The “Race” is on…• Economic forces driving
imperialism in Africa– Cash crops
• Rubber (the Congo)• Cocoa• Coffee
– Minerals/Resources• Ivory• Diamonds
Clash over South Africa• 1867 diamonds discovered
in South Africa– “The Mineral Revolution”:
leads to immigration and urbanization in the region
• Sets up conflict between three groups– The Boers– The Zulus– The British
The Three Sides• The Boers
– From the Netherlands– Dutch word for “farmer”– Early settlers c. 1652
• The Zulu Kingdom– Strongest kingdom in Africa led
by King Shaka– Civilization dates back to 900AD– Skilled warriors
• The British– Received rights to South Africa
at the Berlin Conference (1884)– 1886 now expanding
• “So little done, so much to do.”– Cecil Rhodes
Anglo-Zulu War
• Starts over land dispute– British give Zulus an
ultimatum to leave land given to Brits by Berlin Conference
• British invade Zululand– Battle of Isandlwana– "March slowly, attack at
dawn and eat up the red soldiers.”—King Shaka
– 1300 British soldiers killed
Defeat of the Zulu• Technological advantages of
British– Steam engine– Telephone communication– Maxim gun: 1st machine gun
• Battle of Ulundi– “Concentrate fire with the
artillery and Maxim Guns, and keep it concentrated. Undertake no serious operations with detached units of troops. I will be astonished if they [the Zulus] survive this.”– Field Marshall Wolseley
The Boer Wars (1899-1902)• Boers: Dutch settlers
establish large farms c. 1652• Initial allies of the British
during the Zulu Wars• After defeat of Zulus, British
begin to encroach on Boer land (best diamond mines)– British encouraged by Cecil
Rhodes– “I would annex the planets if I
could. I often think of that. It makes me sad to see them so clear and yet so far.”—Cecil Rhodes
The First Total War• Boers much weaker than
British– resort to sneak attacks and
commando raids
• Boer War characterized as first “Total War”– Total War: nearly every civilian
is considered a combatant– Concentration camps– Scorched earth
• British victorious– Establish Union of South Africa
in 1910
Legacy of Imperialism• Our friend Cecil Rhodes
– Rhodesia (modern Zimbabwe)
– Rhodes Scholarship– De Beers: A diamond is
forever• Conflict aka “blood”
diamonds continue to encourage violence and genocide to this day
• By 1914, only Liberia and Ethiopia are free of imperial rule
Exit Ticket
• Why did the British want South Africa? How did they take it over?