European Countries and the Scramble for Africa - Essay Example

The intention for the scramble was to fulfill the desires of the European expansions of their nations in order to gain control, as well as power over territories. According to Kasongo (2012), they were factors that led to the African scramble of which were economic, social, political, and religious. One dominant factor that Kasongo believes and addresses is that colonization was the most significant factor. Colonization was the heart and soul of the African scramble; this is because Africa had many valuable resources that were vital to the European countries.

The resources proved essential as a solution for the European nation to recover from the great depression (p. 196). The political and social motives were intertwined. Regarding Political motives, European nations sought to expand their territories, which was viewed as a sign of power (Kasongo 197). Countries such as Britain used territories to decongest the United Kingdom, and it allowed the British immigrants to start a new life and sustain their families. These social motives allowed European countries to develop their territories according to their objectives (that related to their political motives).

Through resettlement into the territories, the European countries used religion to improve the lifestyles of native African (Kasongo 198). In addition, the Europeans as a way of giving back and enriching the African population used religion. In conclusion, these elements illustrate the impact of the European countries during the scramble in Africa.