Bechuanaland
Bechuanaland ( English Bechuanaland ) was a British protectorate on the territory of the independent state of Botswana since September 30, 1966 . Bechuanaland had an approximate size of 582,000 km². The extra-territorial capital of the Protectorate was Mafeking in South Africa .
The spread of British imperialism in southern Africa and the newly established Boer republics in South Africa became a constant threat to Tswana societies . However, the latter also meant that the leaders of the Tswana states moved closer together and eventually formed an alliance.
On September 30, 1885, the area of today's Botswana was in consultation with the Batswana chief Khama III. Declared a British Protectorate by the British Government. This gave British protection against raids by Boer settlers. The background for the British decision, however, was the changing geostrategic situation in the region (e.g. due to German colonial efforts ) and the exploration of mineral resources such as gold deposits .
See also
Web links
- Henryk Zins: The international context of the creation of the Bechuanaland Protectorate in 1885. Pula Journal of African Studies, Volume 11, No. 1, University of Botswana, Gaborone, 1997, archived from the original on April 21, 2015 ; accessed on September 22, 2016 (English, PDF file; 656 kB).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Jens Prüller: Botswana - The leap into modernity. In: Palaver - Kleine Schriften zum Südlichen Afrika, Issue 1. University of Gießen, August 16, 1996, archived from the original on March 17, 2007 ; accessed on September 22, 2016 .