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Wars of Imperial Conquest in Africa, 1830 - 1914

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Bruce Vandervort's aim in writing this book is to examine the origins and conduct of colonial warfare in Africa in the late nineteenth century. The author investigates the history of the colonial conquests from the perspectives of the European invaders and the African resisters. Over the course of the book, he demonstrates the impact, both immediate and long-term, of these wars upon the societies, political structures and military theory and practice of both the victors and vanquished.

Vandervort describes how relations between black Africans and Europeans were carried on largely at arm's length until the 1850's. He informs us that the interior of Africa was still mainly in the hands of the African peoples, whose hostility, combined with rigors of tropical diseases, kept European penetration to a minimum. He explains that Europeans came to Africa largely for economic reasons, thus, their presence on the continent was limited to a small number of trading enclaves along the west and east African coasts.

According to Vandervort, in 1876 more than 90% of the African continent was ruled by Africans. However, by 1914, all but Liberia and Ethiopia were controlled by European powers. The author explains that the ability of the Europeans to recruit large armies of African troops and the technology advantage that European countries had over African countries were the major reasons for European success in the African colonial wars. The motives for participation in the imperial venture were multiple and complex and they varied considerably among European nations.

Vandervort describes the pre-colonial years of the nineteenth century as a time of movement toward a greater centralization of power. In larger polities such as the Zulu empire in Southern Africa, the jihad states of al-Hajj Umar, Ahmadu Seku and Samori in West Africa, the Mahdist theocratic state in the Sudan, the rejuvenated Solomonic empire of Ethiopia, the Sokoto empire of northern Nigeria, and the Ashanti empire of present-day Ghana, an internally-generated change might have opened up a distinctly African path to modernity. Given the opportunity, African nations might have eventually liberalized their political, legal and fiscal institutions to make room for their more productive classes. These classes could then have commercially collaborated with the European mercantilists. If this had occurred, African nations might have retained their political and economic independence through an open door policy of trading with the world.

This process was brought to a halt as a result of two factors: first, through conquest and subsequent imperial rule, the Europeans were able to impose their own economic and political priorities onto African institutions and society conquest. Secondly, African societies were almost entirely unable to bury long-standing ethnic and political animosities long enough to forge alliances against the Europeans. Vandervort reveals in great detail the African nations' unwillingness to rethink military strategies and tactics that had proven ineffective against European methods of warfare. He shows how their refusal to abandon hierarchical and inequitable social structures inhibited the African peoples from presenting a united front against the European invasion. Europeans were able to turn ethnic groups and religious factions against each other. Ethnic divisions, tribal rivalries, religious differences and conflicts between regions all played into the hands of the Europeans.

In conclusion, the author has written a thorough and well-documented book and is able to discuss both the European and African perspectives without bias. Additionally, the military aspects of the wars are clearly explained. The social, economic and political background is illustrated to provide the reader with a greater understanding of European imperialism in Africa and the effects it still has on the Continent. Therefore, this book is a must for those readers who want to better understand the confluence of factors that led to the success of the European conquest of Africa.

A good addition to any period readers collection, but not something you'd tell your friends; "You've gotta read this!". The authors goal was to examine origins and conduct of colonial warfare in Africa in the late nineteenth century. In so much as possible from the perspectives both of the European invaders and the African resisters. As well as both immediate and long-term affects of these wars upon the societies, political sturctures and military theory and practice of both victors and vanquished.

The author clearly stuggles with the sheer grandiose nature of the task. Often glossing over key events and toiling over insignificants. The language of the text is laborious, making the reading all the more dulling.

Despite the seemingly harsh words, I still did read the book from beginning to end, not missing a word. The clever angles the author uses on occasion and the "I'm not sure if I really like this, but it seems interesting", new school of Military History interpretation. A good brick in the wall, but not a cornerstone.

This is a nice scholarly review of the conquest of Africa. This book is more for the college student studying this event than the lay reader. Professor Vandervort breaks down the European conquest of Africa into three phases: 1.) Shifting Balance 1830-80 2.) Flood Tide 1880-98 and 3.) Ominous Portents 1898-1914. In this book, Vandervort makes the case that Africans did resist and European conquest was not a cake walk. In fact, the Italians were turned back at Adowa. Other Europeans were defeated in battles. There was resistance to the European Scramble for Africa.

As I already mentioned, this is a scholarly work. However, for those interested in Africa, this is interesting history. One will understand why Africa was colonized by the Europeans. This is an interesting history book.