To what extent did the reasons for the ‘Scramble for Africa’ shape the impact of colonialism in Africa?

The reasons behind the ‘Scramble for Africa’ greatly affected colonialism in the continent. Showing the different causes for the Scramble for Africa and explaining how they each affected colonialism in these areas can prove the extent of this impact. The reasons for the Scramble for Africa are varied and complex. The revisionist point of view combines different factors from these theories. It provides a multifactorial explanation of the causes for the Scramble for Africa. These reasons can be divided into three main categories: nationalistic, strategic and economic imperialistic. All of which played a major role in the partitioning of Africa. Following the 1880’s a sudden ‘Scramble’ began by European imperialist powers to invade, partition and claim countries and territories in Africa. By the year 1914 nearly all of Africa was under European control.

The nationalistic reasons are based on amour-propre and competitiveness between European nations. Nationalism, the strong se...