Mission To Africa:
Conversations By Seven European Nations or Brothers.
Five-And-Half-Centuries Ago.
Introduction:
Some
five-and-half centuries ago, seven European brothers: Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy,
Belgium, and Prussia now Germany were ruled by
related dynasties,
mostly, from the House of Habsburg or
House of Austria.
House of
Austria, the gene pool behind several European emperors and kings for centuries;
through “frequent intermarriage,” with royal houses across Europe, and perhaps, the Scandinavian, the House ruled different territories from North Atlantic up to Sea of
Norway in the Northern Hemisphere to Black Sea between Eastern Europe and Caucasus.
For this
reason, House of Habsburg became the most powerful, influential, and
outstanding royal house in Europe between 1438 and 1740, as it produced most
of the kings, queens, emperors in Central Europe and beyond.
Areas their
influence reached were Bohemia, England,
Germany, Hungary, Croatia, Second Mexican Empire, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and
many Dutch and Italian cities.
The Medieval Europe:
The medieval
era began in the fifth century until 15th century, however, it came with
different periods in Europe.
By 15th century, the feudal Europe was at the threshold of a new beginning spearheaded by Renaissance, Reformation, Discovery, and Industrial Revolution.
By 15th century, the feudal Europe was at the threshold of a new beginning spearheaded by Renaissance, Reformation, Discovery, and Industrial Revolution.
Great and
lifetime changes took place in Europe during the third part of Medieval
otherwise known as “late Middle Ages.”
This period
coincided with reformation, discovery, and
industrial revolution, which changed the fortune of Europe from mere
agrarian-feudal system to mechanized-and-industrial-society.
How It Began In
Catholic Europe:
Opportunities
for growth in Europe had declined, effects of thirty-year (1618-1648) civil war
still continued, population had declined due to diseases, more important, moral breakdown in
Catholic Europe required a new frontier for Europe to rebound.
European
lords knew from history how crusades helped their forefathers spread
Christianity, boosted trades, and made Europe acquired new lands elsewhere.
With a politically sick, morally bankrupt, and
economically declined Europe, the need to look beyond home for a new beginning
became a matter of urgency, rather than expediency.
The seven
European brothers: Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Prussia now Germany,
and Belgium somehow set the tone leading to African adventure.
Adventure that led to
Exploration, Discovery, Introduction of Christianity, Slavery, Abolition, Annexation
by invasion, and Colonization of Africa.
Adventure
that changed socio-cultural and political dynamics of African nations forever.
Adventure that turned Africans to slaves right away in their backyards,
adventured that turned Africans to products or goods, soon to be packaged in cargoes then shipped to the Americas.
Adventure that turned Africans to slaves right away in their backyards,
adventured that turned Africans to products or goods, soon to be packaged in cargoes then shipped to the Americas.
In time, territories
acquired in Africa and elsewhere provided stupendous wealth and money that
sustained European dynasties, more important, extended their sphere of influence beyond
homeland.
Revolution at Home
and the Need for Overseas Territories.
About the
same time, Europe was undergoing a transformation, a rebirth by means of renaissance-a
cultural revival or a powerful intellectual movement;
an-all-inclusive revolution that changed Europe’s socio-cultural and political outlook from feudalism to a representative democracy.
an-all-inclusive revolution that changed Europe’s socio-cultural and political outlook from feudalism to a representative democracy.
A revolution
that gave Europe a new lease of life, a development people saw as a
double-edged sword: an informed Europe, a prosperous continental Europe that would
soon control the world by means of colonization for centuries.
Europe before
Renaissance:
Before
reformation, three groups controlled feudal Europe:
However, these
groups looked very similar on two issues, enmeshed in corruption and very reactionary.- Roman Catholic Church,
- European Dynasties, and
- the Nobility.
As Europe
sank into a deep pit of corruption created by the trio without way out, same
corruption carved the way out of poverty for Europe as peasant become poorer; moreover,
diseases overtook Europe as death reduced it to mere rubble.
Through Redemption and Rescue -concepts became-save-our-soul appeals from
Europe.
Redemption came by means of reformation and Rescue focused on exploration into distance lands.
Reformers
set the pace at home, among them were Martin
Luther, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, before the trio, Europe had Jan Hus,
Peter Waldo, and John Wycliffe.
However,
Martin Luther took Europe far beyond expectation as his Ninety-Five Theses
created a new society.
Exploration
Began:
Atlantic
states of Spain and Portugal were the first to commence sea exploration, later England,
Netherland, and France joined, though at a point Italy participated.
The earlier
sea voyagers were Christopher Columbus, Bartolomeu
Dias, Vasco da Gama, Pedro Alvares Cabral, Ferdinand Magellan, Francis Xavier,
Francisco Pizarro, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Francis Drake, John Cabot,
Rene-Robert de La Salle, Father Jacques Marquette, Samuel de Champlain, and
Willem Barentsz.Prominent names on African and American exploration were Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus, while Ferdinand Magellan was popular in South America and Pacific Ocean, even though, he lost his life in the Philippines, when circumnavigating the globe, his assistant, Juan Sebastian del Cano completed the voyage.
The Conversation That Changed Africa:
Portugal:
Let us go to
Africa, Portugal declared.
Africa, yes,
the land, south of Europe and Atlantic, historical land of ancient times; the
land of kings, emperors, and empresses.
The land of
rising stars, source of human civilization, which started in Egypt.
Africa, part
of world empires once controlled by Assyrians,
Babylonians or Chaldeans, Greece, and Rome.
A major military outpost, the bridge between Europe
and Asia.
This
suggestion received a standing ovation from other brothers, which explained why
Portuguese explorer, Prince Henry became the
first European to explore Africa and Oceania route
to the Indies.
The success
from the mission, securing Island of Madeira and Azores between 1420 and 1431
encouraged other European nations venturing to seas and oceans in search for
territories.
By 1471, Portuguese
had reached modern day Ghana formerly known
as Gold Coast, Benin or Bini, and Eko later
re-named Lagos in Nigeria by 1472.
By 1498,
Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama had sailed down south to Cape of Good Hope
crossing entire Southern African region, and through Indian Ocean to India
sub-continent; a development that made King Manuel of Portugal informed Pope
that Portugal had reached India.
Reasons for Our Mission?
Reasons for Our Mission?
Spanish:
What would
be reasons for traveling through Mediterranean Sea to South Atlantic? Asked
Spain: “Plus Ultra” the land of “Further Beyond.”
Answer: The
gold dust Portuguese explorers brought from Africa in 1441 gave a convincing
reason for Africa mission and project; the project all European nations soon pursued
with fanatical zeal.
British:
For every
venture, there will be reason,
Britain was very interested in African mission.
Yes-the-land-south-of-Atlantic may be thousands of miles away;
Britain was very interested in African mission.
Yes-the-land-south-of-Atlantic may be thousands of miles away;
Europe may
not have any socio-cultural and political ties with Africa, but crossing ocean
to acquire the land worth doing so. From history, we had seen contributions of
Africa to the survival of erstwhile empires, Africa’s un-ending wealth,
materials, and human resources could be ours, if we took the risks to cross-ocean
to the land of rising star-the centrally located geographical confine with
un-equal beauty and wealth.
To British,
African wealth meant so much, British believed that if African wealth found,
Europe would control the world, moreover, the wealth would make generations of
European nations live comfortably at the expense of Africans.
French:
French
subscribed to British line of thought on African mission, however, French was skeptical
on how Europeans would convince Africans to take, apportion, and control their
wealth as soon as found.
French reasoned,
for certainty, Africans would resist any attempt to steal, loot, and share
their lands, wealth and material resources. The question is, how did Europeans
resolve the issue of acceptance?
Italian:
Italian
proffered solution-we would resolve the issue of acceptance by introducing our religions.
However, our
focus, when introducing our religions will be on tenets, beliefs, and dogmas
that would require obedience without question.
Italians
assured, our religious teachings would revolve around FEAR, which would make
Africans fear-even generations yet unborn to quiver.
The fear
teaching will center on purgatory and hell fire.
Emphasis
would be failure to worship Supreme Being would result in eternal damnation in hell fire.
New Africans
in European-frame-of-mind, we would create through religions, languages, new
culture, and western education.
Italian’s
suggestion worked magic, because African mind was reconfigured to suit Europeans’
wants and needs.
Italian
exported Roman Catholic supported by French, Belgian, German, Portuguese, and
Spanish who were Roman Catholic nations.
British brought Protestant or Huguenot-the ethno religious group “of French Protestants who followed the Reformed Tradition.”
British brought Protestant or Huguenot-the ethno religious group “of French Protestants who followed the Reformed Tradition.”
Other
European’s religious bodies Salvation Army, Baptist, Adventist, Methodist,
Lutheran, and Calvinist soon joined.
Will religious
approach make occupation and liquidation of Africa possible?
That was the question, begging for answer.
That was the question, begging for answer.
However,
Germans had answer.
Germany:
If religious outreach failed, we would use force.
Yes, maximum force to take their possessions, maximum force, they would never challenge; maximum force-even-if it required mass murder.
Yes, maximum force to take their possessions, maximum force, they would never challenge; maximum force-even-if it required mass murder.
Yes, in
several African lands, people protested, people reacted, people revolted.
From South
Africa through Rhodesia to Central, East, West, Horn, and North Africa, people
challenged looting of their resources and taking by force their possessions.
A good
example was Herero and Namaqua Tribes revolt in Southwest Africa colony, now
known as Namibia under German administration.
About
105,000 died in German’s hand in 1904 when these two tribes revolted against
the Germans.
Historians,
sociologists, and psychologists have argued that the slaughter or rather,
unfortunate butchery set the pace for Nazi Holocaust in which over six million
Jews killed during the Second-World War.
More so, the
criminal act created “scientific
theories of racial superiority formation of concentration camps, the meticulous
recording of detailed of Mass killing; the need for “lebensraum” (living space)
for the German people.”
Will force
and religion make Africans surrendered their lands and possessions?
Another
European lord had the answer.
Belgian:
We would
continue with force, but not every time; we would combine force with peace; create
pacts and treaties Africans would sign in languages, they did not understand
very well.
Pacts and Agreements would be made complex and difficulty;
clauses, terms, jargons, double meaning phrases will be part of concordant, more important, our concordant with Africans will feature overt and covert meanings.
clauses, terms, jargons, double meaning phrases will be part of concordant, more important, our concordant with Africans will feature overt and covert meanings.
In face
value, we will make Africans believed in Overt Terms, but in the real sense, we will
insist on Covert
Terms-the hidden terms-upon which power and subjugation of Africans will
depend.
We will
introduce and encourage divide-and-rule among racial groups within and outside
geographical enclaves.
We shall
declare them unfit to rule or govern themselves; colonial masters will be
appointed, who in turn shall establish system of administration similar to what
is applicable at home, to be run by expatriates from home countries.
European
legal systems derived from Greco-Roman Common Laws will be introduced, judicial
systems that emphasized more on punishment than restitution, reform,
correction, and appeasement will be created to checkmate “troublesome Africans.”
Prison of
different types will be built to keep and to harbor African trouble markers.
Colonial
masters will declare occupied lands private property, just as King Leopold 11
did with Congo Free State.
In fact,
King Leopold was notoriously famous for how he ran Congo using mercenary or
“Force Publique.”
He was a
despot, known by force labor, human rights abuses, which resulted in the death
of millions Congolese.
Fortune from
Congo, King Leopold used in building a new Belgium through private and public
constructions, he undertook.
Further Criminal Acts:
Scramble and Partition of Africa:
Geographical Delineation
Annexation
Colonization and Cloning of Africans-
Mercantilism: economic policy,
monetary reserve, balance-of-trade, and finished goods.
Policy of Assimilation,
Acculturation,
Social-cultural, political cloning of
African by foreign Power that colonized
Fight-Back Time: Negritude
The plans of these brothers worked
wonders. Africans were dispossessed of their inheritance, property looted,
materials stolen, humans turned slaves.
Worse still, strange and unrelated geographical
boundaries seven brothers created at Berlin in 1885; people of different
backgrounds, origins, culture, political, social orientations were herded into
same geo-political confines for administrative, economic, and political
conveniences.
Europeans drew African map without
Africans’ input.
Europeans created a “new” Africa from “old” Africa without consulting Africans-assumed beneficiaries.
Europeans created a “new” Africa from “old” Africa without consulting Africans-assumed beneficiaries.
Europeans unilaterally created names
for lands demarcated or delineated by fiat without asking would-be-bearers: Nigeria,
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo, North and South Rhodesia, Malawi, Ivory Coast,
Cameroun, and Niger if
the names were fitting or proper.
In other places, Europeans bastardized
several African names without considering social-cultural implication on the bearers
“Ruanda-Urundi”
change to Rwanda and Burundi; Kongo to Congo; “Buganda”
changed to Uganda.
Colonization and Implication in
Africans:
With colonization, African lands
remodeled and Africans were cloned.
