The influence of "pressure groups" on British foreign policy during the "Scramble for Africa" c.1880-95

• Main Author: Rees, C. J.
• Published: Swansea University 1995
• Subjects: 327.42
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.638635

The aim of this research is to determine the extent to which commercial and religious "pressure groups" could influence the conduct of British foreign policy with specific regard to the phenomenon most commonly referred to as the "Scramble for Africa". A concomitant of this approach is the attempt to understand the general factors driving the partition of the African continent, as well as establishing the relevance of British commercial and religious interests to the 'decision-making' process of government. With these aims in mind, an examination of the constituent elements of the commercial and religious lobbies is undertaken, specifically to determine the degree of contact that was available with the 'decision-making' process and also the possible degree of influence that could be exerted through the many lobbying methods available. To establish the effectiveness of the lobbying process, three regions are examined, all of which reveal the diverse nature of the imperial phenomenon. The first example is the Congo, with an examination of the campaign against the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1884. Secondly, the role of the National African Company as an instrument of British expansion in the Niger region is examined, with the final example being provided by the British role in East Africa, with specific reference to the campaign to retain Uganda. The study reveals how a great diversity of factors influenced British expansion in tropical Africa, and shows how the influence exerted by the various "pressure groups" was specifically related to the prevailing circumstances, with the British Government primarily operating upon its own perception of the British interest. From the cases examined, it clearly emerges that British expansion into tropical Africa was fragmented in nature, in direct contrast to the all-embracing interpretations that abound.