Imperialism In Nigeria

Ever heard the saying big bank take little bank ? That’s basically what imperialism is. Imperialism is a policy which a strong nation take complete control over other countries . This is exactly what the Europeans did in several different parts of Africa . Not only did the Europeans divided and colonized Africa but they took everything away ,from their culture to their independence. Why take all this away ? It’s simple , the Europeans nations was competing against each other and they thought they were superior. They noticed Africa had many raw materials and resources they could use and benefit from. The driving force for imperialism in Africa was economics , competition , and politics.

Imperialism, or the takeover of a weaker nation by a stronger one, of the 19th century left a scar across Africa as European imperialists destroyed the traditional African way of life. This imperialism transformed into its milder form, intervention - the involvement of foreign powers in another nation which results in stronger powers - when foreign powers established economic spheres of influence in 19th century China, and still exists today in the form of U.S. foreign policy on international trade. This lighter form of imperialism was actually beneficial to the countries as it brought economic expansion and improvements. This is why Imperialism in the 19th century was not justified because of its detrimental effects on a country’s culture

Imperialism is defined as one country’s domination of the political, economic, and social life of another country. In Africa in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, imperialism was present and growing. The main countries involved in the imperialism in Africa were the French, German, and Great Britain. The French’s empire was mainly in North and West Africa while Britain’s colonies were scattered throughout the continent. Germany ruled over such countries as Tanganyika, Togoland, and Cameroon, until their defeat in World War I.

“Imperialism is a policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries politically, economically, and socially” (Chapter 11 sec.1). Europeans looked to Africa as a source of raw materials, which could be used for Industrial products.The Europeans used technology to their advantage. They had better artillery, a long range of communication, a cure for the malaria disease, and transportation. The Europeans used all of their resources to help them imperialize Africa. However, there were other driving forces such as competition, economy, cultural diversity, and technology. The Europeans plan was to use their new technology to fight against Africa. The europeans philosophy was that technology was the most effective driving force towards imperializing Africa.

European imperialism in Africa Occurred between 1871-1914. Imperialism is the domination by a powerful nation over the political, economics and cultural affairs of another nation or region. The industrial revolution was the primary cause to imperialism while political causes were the the secondary causes. The military and technology are the third cause to African imperialism.

The Industrial Revolution consumed all Europe’s natural resources and raw materials, so European’s sought to find a substantial location to support their rising economies. European’s saw that Africa had an abundance of raw materials and resources so they used social, political, and economic forces to imperialize their land. Imperialism is a policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries politically, economically, or socially. The main driving force behind European Imperialism in Africa was economics and competition.

Imperialism has definitely played a key role in the formation of the modern world, and economic was the most important and essential part of it. The “New Imperialism” in Africa has proven both destructive and creative. And also has destroyed traditional institutions and ways of thinking, has replaced them with the habits and mentality of the western world. The Age of Imperialism was an unforgettable period of time in the history, people wanted

In the 1800’s Imperialism, an action by a strong nation to take control of another country, became prominent in Europe towards Africa. The driving forces of Imperialism in Africa were competition for land, economics, and the need for power. The “Partition of Africa, 1884-85” map demonstrates the competition related to the colonization of European colonies in Africa. There were a total of 7 European countries that imperialized Africa, but the main countries were France and Britain. The only non-colonized countries were Ethiopia and Liberia; this was because they had an established strong government.

Imperialism in Africa began in the late 19th century. It began when King Leopold II began the Scramble for Africa. All of the major colonial powers went after Africa. Their goal was to gain the most wealth and to have the most territory. Having more territory and claiming valuable parts of the continent was a symbol of power. Imperialism in Africa had negative and positive consequences on both the Europeans and Africans, these can be shown through human rights issues, new industry and advancements, and wealth and influence.

Imperialism is an action that involves a nation extending its power by the acquisition of inhabited territory. This means another country taking over another less powerful country. Life can change for the people living on each side (colonizing country and the colonized country). For the African countries being imperialized, there are some short-term advantages. They Brought the technique of Industrialization which improved accessibility across Africa, such as trains, and later, cars and motorcycles.

Imperialism in Africa During the age of imperialism, European powers were fighting to have the most territory. To have the most was to be the best. These countries did everything to gain new territory in Africa and many other places around the world. European imperialism of Africa from 1880 to 1914 was motivated by greed for power and the image of power given by these gained territories, a desire for financial gain and the gain of resources, and the idea of “the white man’s burden” that it was the Europeans’ fundamental right to educate and civilize the people in the conquered lands. Every country in Europe wanted to imperialize to be stronger than all of the others.

For cultural and ideological reasons, imperial nations believed that their values and beliefs were superior to anyone else’s. A huge concept of New Imperialism was the European “civilizing mission”. In general, Europeans think they’re doing a good deed by imposing their beliefs onto the inhabitants of Africa. As King Leopold II stated, “Our refined society attaches to human life (and with reason) a value unknown to barbarous communities” (King Leopold II, 222). Since the Africans were “inferior” to Europeans,

Suzy Kassem, a well-respected author, once stated, “When two brothers are busy fighting, an evil man can easily attack and rob their poor mother. Mankind should always stay united, standing shoulder to shoulder so evil can never cheat and divide them”. Chinua Achebe exemplifies this viewpoint of colonization in his book Things Fall Apart. In Things Fall Apart, while Ibo culture is busy fighting itself, the European colonists are able to come into Lower Niger, and “easily attack” the Ibo culture, starting at its religion, known as Odinani.

It is often said that Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe’s 1958 novel Things Fall Apart is one of the leading examples of postcolonial literature out of the African continent. The book’s setting takes place in a small fictional village, Umuofia who was rich in their culture and traditions, suddenly had to react to cultural changes, by the white missionaries that came in and threaten to change their government structure, institutions and every aspect of their lives. Chinua Achebe’s purpose of writing Things Fall Apart was to educate and inform people of the rich Igbo culture, and to show and blame the White missionaries that came in a destroyed their culture through colonialism, metanarrative and valorization of cultural identity.

This paper reflects the novel “Things Fall Apart” written by Chinua Achebe in 1958. Achebe gives an overview of pre-colonialism and post-colonialism on Igbo, detailing how local traditions and cultural practices can “fall apart” in some scenarios through some introduced, externally created hassles elevated because of colonization. The protagonist named Okonkwo mentioned in the story is a proof showing the lifestyle of the tribe. My main objective and focus is to lay emphasis on Africa specifically the Igbo society, before and after the arrival of the Europeans in Umuofia community; the results of their arrival concerning Igbo culture, thus leading to the clash of cultures between the two categories. I will also draw on post-colonialism with respect to globalization.