IMPERIALISM BY GERMANY AND AFRICA
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IMPERIALISMBYGERMANYINAFRICA.docx1
Running head: IMPERIALISM BY GERMANY IN AFRICA
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IMPERIALISM BY GERMANY IN AFRICA
Imperialism by Germany in Africa
Madinatu Balogun
Camberlain College of Nursing
HIST418-10846 Contemporary History
05/2020
Imperialism by Germany in Africa
Imperialism is an ideology expanding the country's rule over a foreign nation through colonization, mainly by the use of military force or economically controlling economy of other areas. Imperialism was common across recorded history. Germany colonization and imperialism started during the later stage of the Scramble for Africa. During this time, enterprising Germany individuals competed with already established colonialist and colonies entrepreneurs. Numerous people from Germany viewed colonial acquisitions as a way of being true to the nationhood. In 1884 Germany empire motives were obscure, and they intended to take opportunities for capital investment, safeguard raw materials and protect trade through the leadership of Bismarck. Germany started its colonial efforts in 1884 with the scramble for Africa. Germany occupied South-West Africa from 1884 to 1918 when it surrendered during World War 1. It also occupied Cameroon in West Africa between 1896 and 1918 and also some areas of New Guinea.
Social Darwinism and Motives
Darwinism is a biological evolution theory created by Charles Darwin (Brantlinger, 2018). In his theory, Charles Darwin stated that various species of living things arise and grow via the natural inherited selection, little differences that boost people's skills to reproduce, struggle and survive. Darwin only believed in survival for the fittest through natural and evolution selection. Spencer applied his idea during the Industrial Revolution, where businesses could operate with little government regulations (Brantlinger, 2018). Social Darwinism energized Germany's assertiveness as a military power and world economy, which was targeted to compete with the British Empire and France for power. According to Brantlinger (2018), Germany believed that applying Darwinism theory will make Africans adapt the modern rule by using force and violence to make Africans assimilate their practices and beliefs. Many Germany intellectuals accepted social Darwinism, which gave them the right to acquire colonial territories because the practice entailed survival for the fittest.
Kipling's Poem and Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is the examination of cultures and individuals based on values, standards, and perspective of another group. Germany assumed that its ethnic group was more superior, valuable, and essential in comparison to African natives. British used indirect rule to administer their colonies in which the administration from British identified local elders and chiefs. They included the local authority in their colonial hierarchy. The European colonizers to Africa were economic exploiters, armies of occupation, exploiters of cultural believes as well as disruption of political growth in Africa. European colonial system did not allow Africans to enjoy economic or colonial will in their land. The Germany administration acted as if they understood the needs of Africans and said that colonization was good for them (Dillingham, 2020). Colonization happened to rectify chaos in African countries.
According to Africans, Europeans did not respect natives' traditions, and principles as Africans assimilated their beliefs more than what was originally set in place. According to Dillingham (2020), Europeans also believe that indigenous people had low standards, and that's why they are treated unfairly by Germany colonies starting from 1884 to the end of World War 1. During colonial period, colonizers started segregation and whited separated hospitals, and schools for black people and for whites. Rudy Kipling's poem brought to light on ethnocentrism in all parts of Africa and the United States (Dillingham, 2020). He intended to show that individuals who practiced imperialism classified themselves as people of high standards, and their ruling was harmful to the natives (Dillingham, 2020). He said that natives were involved in various duties for the good of the white man, and therefore, the practice of ethnocentrism via imperialism would help insight natives to bring change in their land.
Germany considered its achievement of colonial rule in Africa between 1884 and 1914 as a national importance that justified the power of politics in colonization. As a result, the racist views of the world were brought into focus. Germany colonization history was characterized by the application of excessive force and violence in the name of customs and civilization. Per Darwinism, that was a nice contrast of racism for Germany to win colonial territories in the name of survival for the fittest.
References
Brantlinger, P. (2018). Imperialism. Victorian Literature and Culture, 46(3-4), 735-739.
Dillingham, W. B. (2020). A Soldier's Kipling: Poetry and the Profession of Arms. English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920, 63(1), 118-123.
