The expansion of the British Empire in Africa; the Suez Canal and Egypt

British Expansion in Africa:

• 
• Caption: British Expansion in Africa
• This was called the 'Swing to the East'.
• There were many reasons for British expansion into Africa, including:
• Trade & Economy
• Personal Influence
• Strategic Factors
• Moral Factors
• Adventure & Exploration

Reasons for Expansion in Africa

• All of the reasons given for expansion in Africa on the previous slide are explained in more detail on the attached mind map:
• Reasons for Expansion

Extent of African Expansion:

• From 1857 - 1890, GB was more reactive to other powers.
• They tried to match the claims of other countries.
• Companies were chartered so that Europeans couldn't be involved with lucrative British bases.
• Only in Egypt was there any direct intervention.

Britain & Egypt:

• 
• Caption: Suez Canal Opening
• Intervention here started during the American Civil War (1861 - 1865), as GB mills were starved of raw cotton.
• GB companies invested in the production of Egyptian cotton and Isma'il Pasha's modernisation programme.
• By the 1870's, 40% of Egypt's imports came from GB
• Isma'il Pasha started irrigation, railways, schools, street lighting and the Suez Canal projects.
• The Suez Canal connected the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.
• It helped with trade to India and China - the route to India was 6,000 miles shorter than that via. the Cape.

The Suez Canal:

• 1854 - 1856: Ferdinand de Lesseps got a concession from Egypt to set up the Suez Canal Company in 1858.
• They ran the canal for 99 years (from 1869)
• GB didn't buy shares at first, as they thought it would be unsuitable for large ships.
• The canal reduced the profits of GB traders in the Cape.
• 1875: Isma'il faced increasing debts and wanted a buyer for Egypt's shares in the canal for $4 million.
• Benjamin Disraeli (GB Prime Minister) bought them without parliamentary consent.
• This gave GB more control over the passage to India and income from shipping tariffs.

Establishing Control in Egypt:

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• Caption: Arabi Pasha's Revolt
• Isma'il was deposed in 1879 because of domestic and Anglo-French pressure.
• Tewfiq was installed as Khedive and GB money helped Egypt - taxes were imposed and the army was reduced by 2/3.
• This increased unemployment and led to a nationalist rebellion by Colonel Arabi Pasha.
• June 1882: Violence led to the deaths of 50 Europeans.
• William Gladstone (GB Prime minister at the time) intervened, and Sir Garnet Wolseley secured the Suez Canal.
• He defeated Arabi's forces at Tel-el-Kebir before Tewfiq was restored as puppet ruler.
• Evelyn Baring installed as consul-general.
• GB influence confirmed by the 1885 Convention of London - securing an international loan for Egyptian government.

The Sudan:

• 
• Caption: Muhammad Ahmad
• Colonel Charles Gordon was sent as Governor-General to Sudan From 1877 - 1880.
• Opposed by Muhammad Ahmad who proclaimed himself the 'Mahdi' in June 1881.
• He changed a political movement to a jihadist army to liberate Sudan from external rule.
• By 1882, they had control over the area around Khartoum.
• 1883: A counter-attack was launched, but Gladstone ordered the removal of forces from Khartoum in 1884.
• They were overrun in January 1885, but Gladstone didn't intervene further.