Although very concise, the book provides a very good overview and starting point for studying the partition, which is why it has been popular undergraduate reading since the first edition. An area where Chamberlain's Scramble for Africa differs from other texts on the subject is that it gives equal attention to African history as we now understand it, rather than just concentrating on the diplomacy and power politics of Europe. This is a good addition and sets the background well, as then understanding of African history has advanced a great deal in the last 40 years. As Chamberlain states, quoting views from 1959 and 1969: “A generation ago reputable scholars could write: 'for countless centuries, while all the pageant of history swept by Africa remained unmoved in primitive savagery' or 'perhaps in the future there will be some African history to teach. But at present time there is none: there is only the history of Europeans in Africa. The rest is darkness . . . And darkness is not a subject of history'. In this they were echoing their
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Victorian predecessors.” Nevertheless although the African background is well backed up with sources and explains the development of the African peoples including classical and Islamic influences on Africa, it sheds no new light on why the partition took place in the late nineteenth century. Also to be fair The “Scramble” for Africa: Causes and Dimensions of Africa ed by Raymond F. Betts published in 1966, does attempt to tackle the problem from the African historical perspective. Although in this period African history, had not been a separate area of study for very long.
Chamberlain’s analysis of the Victorian image of Africa further sets the background to the partition, emphasising the technological gap between the European and African civilisations. In the sixteenth century the gap was seen as bridgeable, however by the nineteenth century as Chamberlain states: “Africa had nothing remotely like the urban civilisation of Europe in the period after the Industrial revolution . . . psychologically the two cultures had moved very far apart, the more so because of the great stress nineteenth century Europeans were prone to put on technological advance. To them it became almost a badge of ’civilisation’.” Chamberlain’s decomposition of how the Victorians viewed Africa follows the existing historiography, nevertheless the use of secondary sources can be criticised. One source in particular, P.D Curtins, The image of Africa: British ideas and actions, 1780 1850 (1965) is borrowed heavily from, cited ten times in a thirteen page chapter. H.A.C Cains, Prelude to Imperialism: British Reactions to Central African Society, 1840 1890 is also cited heavily. However this criticism may
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be rather harsh as both these books are well established studies.
The author’s starting point for the partition (British occupation of Egypt 1882) also follows the existing historiography. Mainly Robinson and Gallagher, who state: “without the occupation of Egypt, there is no reason to suppose that any international scramble for Africa, either west or east, would have began when they did.” Chamberlain’s argument then examines the scramble on a regional basis of development from here west Africa, east Africa, southern Africa and finally ending with Fashoda. Although there is no new material (to be fair, it should be noted, that this is not the purpose of the text) the author utilises a vast range of secondary sources as well as primary sources from the documents section. One minor area of criticism is that the author assumes the reader is aware of the ’Khedive’, although this could be easily researched.
The overall assessment (conclusion) given by Chamberlain provides an excellent overview of the ’scramble’, logically expressed, convincing and well backed up with secondary sources as well as primary documents. It gives the reader a good insight into the existing historiography and debate on the subject as it explains theories ranging from Hobson to Cain and Hopkins British Imperialism: Innovation and Expansion. The documents referred to in the main text can be found towards the end of the book. These make an excellent addition as they include extracts from books long out of print, as well as unpublished material such as old Foreign Office documents. Others are
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from academic texts and help to back up the author’s argument.
M. E. Chamberlains, The Scramble for Africa is easy and enjoyable to read. Although aimed at undergraduate students, anyone with an interest in British imperialism will find it accessible. Despite being very concise, Chamberlain generally does a good job of summing up important issues and relevant arguments, whilst further reading on the subject can be found in the documents section and extensive bibliography. A minor criticism is that book sheds no new light on the subject, however it should be stressed that this is not the purpose of the book. It is felt the author achieves her objectives in introducing students to the subject and providing an understandable overview. The fact that the book has held teaching value for over thirty years now, is further evidence of this.
Fieldhouse, D. K. ‘Imperialism’ : an historigraphical revision’. Economic History Review. 2nd ser. iv. 1961. p.208.
Robinson, R. and Gallagher, J. ‘The Partition of Africa’, in New Cambridge Modern History. Vol. xi. (Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 1962). P.639.
Chamberlain, M.E. The Scramble for Africa. 2nd ed. (Longman. Harlow. 1999). P.1.
Chamberlain, M.E. The Scramble for Africa. 2nd ed. (Longman. Harlow. 1999). P.16.
Robinson, R. and Gallagher, J. Africa and the Victorians : The Climax of Imperialism in the Dark Continent. (st Martins. New York. 1961). P.163.
Chamberlain, M.E. The Scramble for Africa. 2nd ed. (Longman. Harlow. 1999). P.35.