Northern & Southern Africa: 19th to 20th Century

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Northern & Southern Africa: 19th to 20th Century
By and large, numerous historical events took place in North and Southern Africa between the 19th and the 20th century. Geographically, North Africa comprises the northernmost expanse of the continent of Africa. The region encompasses such territories as Tunisia, Sudan, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Algeria and some sections of the Western Sahara (Johnson 28). Southern Africa, on the other hand, occupies the southernmost area in the continent and it is made up of such countries as Swaziland, South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, and Botswana (Armstrong, Bainbridge and Firestone 38). Given the profound implications past occurrences that took place in these expanses had on regional cultures, societies and civilizations, the historical significance of both the northern and southern Africa cannot be ignored. This paper seeks to explore events that took place in southern and northern Africa from 19th century to 20th century.
Admittedly, several key events rocked southern Africa in the 19th and the 20th centuries. Key among these historical events was the Mfecane variously referred to as ‘the crushing’ which took place in the early 19th century (McKenna 91). Mfecane primarily marked a period during which great disorder threatened the stability of such southern African kingdoms as the Nguni empires of Swaziland, Ndwandwe, and Mthethwa. In-fighting among the kingdoms as they competed with each other over the dwindling food resources in a bid to overcome the looming famine led to a series of internal strives characterized by assassinations and executions. The Mfecane was also fuelled by the rise of Shaka Zulu to power in the early 1820s. Shaka Zulu established and aggressively expanded the Zulu empire by conquering and scattering the neighboring kingdoms; further spreading the Mfecane. Nevertheless, Shaka was executed by his incompetent step-brother Dingane in 1828, paving way for the eventual defeat and occupation of the Zululand by Voortrekkers in 1838 (McKenna 144). Thus, the Mfecane significantly influenced the geopolitical organization of southern Africa by shifting the power structures of various empires in the region.
The arrival of German missionaries in Namibia in the mid-19th century also had profound implications on southern Africa. Exploiting the division that existed between the Herero people and the Nama tribe, the Germans went forth to declare the Namibian costal region a German territory in 1888. Consequently, the Germans aggressively implemented a belligerent land expansion policy which ensured allocation of all fertile land within the protectorate to white settlers (McKenna 47). Additionally, the Germans established a fort in Herero, occupied Herero land, and imposed labor and tax demands on the Herero people besides exporting them as laborers to South Africa. In response, the Herero revolted in 1904 compelling the Germans to adopt the infamous extermination policy characterized by forceful detention, hangings, executions and others savagery tactics (McKenna 123). Thus, the arrival of Germans in southern Africa led to enduring displacement, diminution and subordination of the Herero and the Nama people, thereby permanently altering the history the history of the region.
Assuredly, European conquest, exploration and trade also profoundly impacted on southern Africa. In early 1879, British colonial forces invaded Boer-controlled Zululand with a view to establish its imperial authority over the territory. The invasion renewed the British-Boer rivalry of 1877 leading to a full-blown war between the British and the Boer troops over the kingdom and other Bantu states in 1901. Nevertheless, the superiority of the British imperial forces led to defeat of the Boer and eventual establishment of white rule across South Africa (McKenna 150). Consequently, most of the southern Africa territories were effectively conquered by Britain and other European powers, thereby placing most of the region under colonial rule.
Undoubtedly, the first half of the 20th century was characterized by consolidation of colonial power and Christianity by the Europeans and rise of African nationalism. Most notably, Roman Catholic missionaries established their presence across the region enabling the colonialists to consolidate their authority (McKenna 68). Between 1945 and 1958, the colonialists had effectively consolidated white power through use of Christian missions to provid...