European colonialism in Africa by

1789 French Revolution begins

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 16:55:42 UTC

Introduces enlightment ideas- truth, nature, reason- these ideas were later used to jusify colonialism. Europeans claimed they were civilizing others by spreading these ideas.

1807 Britain abolishes the slave trade

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 16:57:06 UTC

This shifted colonial focus from slave trading to resource extraction and missionary work, especially in west africa.

1799 Charles white

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 16:59:03 UTC

White produced the first extensively motivated and illustrated hierarchy of race, placing the European above all other races.

1830 France invades Algeria

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:01:41 UTC

France used Enlightenment ideas to claim it was bringing progress to Algeria. But in reality, it used violence and racism to take control

1869 opening the Suez canal

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:02:45 UTC

The canal made trade faster and cheaper. Egypt became a key location for Britain’s empire, showing how industrial needs shaped colonial strategy.

1884-1885 Berlin Conference

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:03:27 UTC

European countries met to divide Africa among themselves. No Africans were invited. This shows how Europe saw Africa as a resource to be used, not as a group of independent societies.

1850 scientific racism

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:15:28 UTC

Thinkers like Robert Knox and Arthur de Gobineau claimed that races were unequal by nature. These ideas were used to justify colonial rule

Social Darwinism: Charles Darwin published the origin of species (1859)

1961 Algerian war ends

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:24:01 UTC

One of the bloodiest decolonization wars. France used torture and mass violence. The war exposed the brutality behind the “civilizing mission”

1910 Union of South Africa

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:27:09 UTC

Britain combined its colonies into a white-led government. Black South Africans were excluded, showing how colonialism created systems of racial inequality.

1898

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:30:01 UTC

Lord Salisbury’s Speech: British Prime Minister Lord Salisbury stated that nations could be divided into “the living and the dying” and that the living nations would “fraudulently encroach on the territory of the dying”.

This view affirmed the conviction that imperialism is a biologically necessary process that leads to the inevitable destruction of the lower races.

1960 17 African countries gain independence

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:31:15 UTC

Marks a turning point. European powers lose control rapidly, especially France and Belgium. But many new governments still rely on old colonial structures.

1914-1918 WWI

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:33:04 UTC

Colonial trupes and reasources are being used in european conlicts which means they need more political forces. The imperial need of yheir colonies gets more clear.

1919 Treaty of versaille and League of Nations mandate

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:36:11 UTC

European powers took more African land after WWI, claiming they were helping “develop” these regions. This continued the civilizing mission in a new form.

1948 congress of Europe Promotes Eurafrica

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:38:05 UTC

European leaders saw Africa as key to rebuilding Europe after WWII. They wanted to use African resources to stay powerful

1950 Schuman Declaration

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:39:13 UTC

Africa was officially included in Europe’s plans for unity and economic growth. This shows how colonialism was built into European integration.

1957 European Econommic Community EEC

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:40:28 UTC

African colonies were tied to Europe’s economy. Eurafrica became a way to keep colonial benefits while presenting it as partnership.

1949-1952 Institutionalization of Eurafrica

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:41:56 UTC

NATO’s Article 6 specifically incorporated French Algeria at France’s ultimatum, viewing it as a vital “base for defensive action as well as for purposes of retreat”. The Schuman Declaration (1950) stated that developing Africa was one of Europe’s “essential tasks”.

The colonial question figured prominently on the agendas of practically all postwar European organizations. The Strasbourg Plan (1952) sought joint investments to solve Western Europe’s chronic dollar deficit, aiming to create a “third economic group” outside the Communist and dollar areas.

1905 Control over north Africa

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:43:12 UTC

Total European (french) control over North Africa.

1957 Ghana becomes independant from britain

ariammaricos — 2025-10-20 17:44:16 UTC

First sub-Saharan African country to gain independence. Led by Kwame Nkrumah, who criticized colonialism and called for African unity.

Enlightment Thinking and Early Imperial ideology (1789-1830)

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 13:54:16 UTC

1815 Congress if vienna reaffirms Colonial holdig

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 14:17:15 UTC

European powers consolidate control after Napoleonic Wars, reinforcing imperial legitimacy.

1882 Britain Occupies Egypt

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 14:19:13 UTC

Britain claimed it was helping Egypt modernize, but it really wanted control over trade and resources. This could also be seen as an exapmle of civilizing mission being used to justefy imperialism.

1840-1860 Rise of Britains cotton industry

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 14:24:48 UTC

Britains factories needed cheap cotton, which came from slave plantations (south US). This created a strong link between colonialism, slavery and industrial growth.

1890 British South Company Colonizes Zimbabwe and Zambia

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 14:43:26 UTC

Private companies helped expand empire, often using brutal methods. This shows how profit and racism worked together.

1904-1905 German Genocide of Herero and Nama peoples

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 14:46:46 UTC

Germany used racial theories to justify mass killings. This violence was part of a larger European pattern that influenced later genocides like the Holocaust.

1896 Battle of Adwa: Ethiopia defeats Italy

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 15:14:00 UTC

A rare African victory against European colonization, inspiring future anti-colonial movements.

1955 Strasbourg Plan

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 15:17:31 UTC

Proposes joint invetsments in africa and aimes to solve Europes dollar shrotage by exploting African resources.

1964 Zambia and Malawi gain independence from britain

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 15:32:12 UTC

Shows how British colonies in southern Africa began to break away, though white settler rule remained strong in nearby Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).

1975 Angola and Mozambique gain independence from portugal

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 15:33:41 UTC

Portugal was the last major European power to decolonize. These countries immediately fell into civil wars, worsened by Cold War rivalries.

1979 Rhodesia becomes Zimbabwe

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 15:35:28 UTC

After years of white minority rule, Zimbabwe gains independence under Black leadership. Shows how settler colonialism resisted change longer than other forms.

1980 Aparthied intensifies in South Africa

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 15:36:18 UTC

South Africa’s white government enforces racial segregation. This system was built on colonial ideas of racial superiority.

1990 Namibia gains independence from South Africa

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 15:38:10 UTC

One of the last African countries to decolonize. Shows how Cold War politics delayed freedom.

1994 End of Aparthied: Nelson Mandela becomes president of South Africa

ariammaricos — 2025-10-30 15:40:57 UTC

Final collapse of european style colonial rule in Africa. Mandelas election symbolizes the end of a long struggle against racism and imperialism.