the british empire - the development of imperialism - the scramble for Africa

Who was Muhammad Ahmad?

Muhammad Ahmad was a Sufi mystic, theologian and religious leader/teacher who lived in Aba Island during the 1880s.
He was educated at an Egyptian university and was known for his piety, charisma and hatred of colonial rule in Sudan/ want for Sudan to have religious & cultural autonomy

What did Muhammad Ahmad believe in?

He was a very strict Muslim Sufi who criticized others for not being as pious as he perceived himself to be. He blamed the influence of colonialism - specifically the Ottomans - as to why people weren't being as pious.
He was intent on Armageddon as to get rid of this influence.

How did Muhammad Ahmad central to the involvement of Britain in Sudan?

In 1881 he had a revelation after his seclusion, starvation & sleeplessness led to hysteria and was declared the Mahdi in June after confiding to his intimates about the revelation.
When he was asked to go to Khartoum to qualify the claim he refused leading to troops coming to Aba Island in order to forcibly bring him.
Once the troops arrived they were attacked by Mahdists Muhammad Ahmad had rallied and eventually the troops were defeated by the Mahdists.

Why did the Mahdist movement quickly gain traction among the Sudanese?

They were burdened by heavy taxation, forced labour and the abuses of the Egyptian government in Sudan who were controlled by the British and were united by this and in opposition to the foreign rule and corruption of local elites.
This is how he was able to rally so much support for him in the fight against the Egyptian/Turk troops

Why did Muhammad Ahmad become central to the involvement of Britain in Sudan?

His defeat of the Egyptian soldiers in 1881 led to even more victories which alerted the British as if this continued the Mahdists could defeat the Egyptian forces and then overthrow the government through a domino effect.
This would mean the British wouldn't have control over the Suez Canal.
They also felt obliged to support Egypt to maintain their relationship and Egypt claimed Sudan was theirs on the map so they had to become involved.

Who was General Gordon?

He was a general for the English who led troops in many British colonies - imperialist but he was also religious so at some points felt conflicted about his actions for imperialism.

Why was General Gordon chose to stop the Mahidist Rebellion in Sudan?

He had experience fighting in the Crimean War and in taking down rebellions - the Taiping Rebellion in China where he even gained the nickname of Chinese Gordon.

—> He has experience in British colonies & taking down rebellions.

He had also worked in Sudan before the Mahdist Uprising so knew the people & culture etc

Why was General Gordon ordered to go to Khartoum in 1883?

1883, the Mahdi’s forces annihilated a British-Egyptian force, but Egyptian & British garrisons continued to hold out in Khartoum and a number of other Sudanese towns.

Rather than becoming embroiled in a war to defeat the Mahdi, Gladstone decided to evacuate the Egyptian forces and picked Gordon to lead this.

What happened when General Gordon reached Khartoum?

He reached Khartoum in Feb 1884 and soon convinced himself that it was neither humane or necessary to to abandon the Sudan to the Mahdi.

Instead, he set about organising the defence of Khartoum.

Gladstone believed that Gordon was trying to force Britain to annex the Sudan.

Why did it take till January 1885 for Gladstone to send a relief force to Gordon?

Gladstone believed that Gordon was trying to force Britain to annex the Sudan so waited as Gordon wasn’t replying to him(?).

However when relief forces did arrive to rescue the garrisons it was found that General Gordon had been killed 2 days before when Khartoum was overrun by the Mahdi’s forces.

How did the British public view General Gordon’s death?

They viewed Gordon as an imperial hero and many people blamed his death on Gladstone’s indecision on whether or not to send relief troops.

When Gladstone stuck to his policy of staying out of Sudan it lead to the disgust of Queen Victoria and many ordinary Britons worsening his repuation.

Before his nickname was “Grand Old Man” after it was “Gordon’s Own Murderer”

What is the background of Egypt?

Egypt is part of the Ottoman Empire but is ruled autonomously by a Khedieve.

How did the Suez Canal come into being?

In 1854 & 1856 a French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps obtained a concession from the Khedive of Egypt & Sudan, Sa’id Pasha to create a company in order to construct a canal open to ships of all nations.

The Khedive wanted to modernise Egypt & was friends with de Lesseps which was why he agreed to support him- Egypt also saw an increase in investment during this time.

When was the Suez Canal Company formed?

15 December 1858.

The company was to operate the canal for 99 years after its opening.

Why did the British government publicly dislike the Suez Canal?

Publicly they said they disliked the slave labour that was being used to make the canal - they’d banned slavery in the empire in 1833.

But it was mainly because the Suez Canal would disrupt their commercial & maritime supremacy as it cut off lots of time transporting goods to Asia from Europe undermining their control over trade to India from their control over the Cape.

What was the initial reception to the Suez Canal?

International opinion was mainly skeptical and shares of the Suez Canal Company didn’t sell well internationally.

But in France many shares were quickly sold.

Why did Egypt become steadily more important to Britain between 1858 - 1875?

• Shipping tariffs - by buying shares in the Suez Canal Company the shareholders were able to gain an income off of shipping tariffs

• Rivalry with European Powers - Britain didn’t want other European powers - France to have control over trading routes - they wanted to remain top of hierarchy

• Disraeli - interested as it would give Britain greater control over passages to India - strategic reasons

• Raw Cotton - after the Cotton Famine Britain realised they couldn’t rely solely on America so began to import Egyptian cotton & imported from India which would require a better trade route

• Egypt’s Debt - the government was in debt to British & French creditors forcing them to sell the Egyptian shares in the SCC

• Trade with India - the canal made it easier to trade with India - Britain already made up ¾ of the shipping using the canal

Who was the Khedieve of Egypt from 1857 - 1890?

1850s - Sa’id Pasha - when the Suez Canal is being planned

From 1863 - Ismail Pasha building of the Suez Canal and use of it

1879 - Twefiq becomes a puppet ruler

Who was Ismail Pasha and what were his aims for Egypt?

Pasha came to power in Egypt in 1863 as the Khedieve and was committed to a process of modernisation -

• embarked on a number of projects including irrigation, street lighting and the cutting of the Suez Canal

When was the Suez Canal completed and why was it so significant?

Completed in 1869.

It was so significant because the maritime distance between London & India was halved so British boats could made the journey in only 4 weeks.

It led to the Panic of 1873 when its opening rendered British trading posts in the Cape where they had stock for trading useless. This lack of trade contributed to an economic depression in Europe & the US.

Why did the Khedieve’s government fall into bankruptcy in 1876?

Ismail Pasha’s government was in debt to French & British creditors so Disraeli purchased the Egyptian govs shares in the Suez Canal Company.

Despite this Egypt still fell to bankruptcy.

How many shares did Disraeli get when he bought the Egyptian government’s shares in the Suez Canal Company?

44% of total shares worth 4 million.

How did Disraeli buying shares in the Suez Canal effect Britain?

• It meant that Britain had greater control over the passage to India,

• that they had weakened French influence in Egypt,

• there was more British interest in Egypt,

• gain in economy etc from shipping tariffs

What happened after Egypt went bankrupt?

In 1876 straight after - Egypt’s British & French creditors took over the running of the country

Ismail Pasha is deposed of by the Ottoman ruler after domestic & French/British pressure.

This eventually leads to a nationalist uprising in 1881.

What happened in 1879 - Egypt?

Tewfiq becomes the new Khedieve & under British influence unpopular measures were introduced : taxes introduced on food & goods and the army is reduced by 2/3rds

This causes unemployment to increase and a nationalist rebellion to occur from this.

How did the events in 1879 lead to the events in 1882 - Egypt?

1879 unpopular measures are brought under British influence causing unemployemnt & a nationalist movement.

This in turn leads to Nationalists gaining positions in gov worrying Europeans.

In 1882 these political tensions lead to revolt led by the Nationalists where 50 Europeans & 125 Egyptians died.

• The British don’t automatically get involved but once further revolts occur around Egypt it convinces Gladstone to act

Why does major British control in Egypt cause a Nationalist movement?

The unpopular measures brought in by the British - taxes introduced on food & goods and the army is reduced by 2/3rds - caused unemployment to increase.

This causes a revolt/movement led by Colonel Arabi Pasha.

What is the British response to the revolts in Egypt?

They become militarily involved when they bomb Alexandria in June 1882 with British troops led by Sir Wolseley - they destroy residential areas killing hundreds of people and reduce Egypt’s defensive forts.

What does the bombing of Alexandria lead to?

Arabi Pasha the leader of the Nationalists who were in control in the government declare war on the British.

They had been able to defeat the British at Kefr-el-Danwar to protect Cairo but the Nationalist forces were defeated at Tel-el-Kebir.

This gave Britain control over the Suez Canal meaning they could retake Cairo and reinstate Tewfiq as their puppet leader.

What happened after the Egyptian nationalists were defeated?

Egypt became a veiled protectorate.

This meant that Egypt was under British administrative control through Evelyn Baring but it was on paper it was controlled by the Ottoman empire with a local rule through the puppet Khedieve Tewfiq.

How did Evelyn Baring control Egypt?

Baring was the British Consul-General - while he was equal to all the other ambassadors it was still British troops that were in Egypt.

Baring was essentially the ruler of Egypt as he forced Tewfiq to create a government ammneable to Britain,employ British military advisors for his army & rely on British advisor like him.

Baring’s control over Egypt angered the French negatively effecting their relationship.

What confirmed that Egypt was a thinly veiled protectorate of Britain?

In 1885 Egypt was granted a loan in the Convention of London.

What was the aim for Britain colonies in Southern Africa?

The British wanted to replicate confederation (unification of different territories) in Southern Africa as it had succeeded in Canada.

They wanted to combine/take control over both the Boer- Transvaal & the Orange Free Sate - territory and British - Cape Colony & Natal - territory.

Why was Bechuanaland turned into a British colony?

The British annexed in 1885 due to the German presence in south-west Africa and their worry that they could join up with the Transvaal (annexation was strategic buffer state)

Why did West Griqualand become a British colony?

Diamonds were discovered here in 1867 near Kimberley

As a result the British annexed West Griqualand in 1871, and when 2000 Griqua trekked eastwards, the British simply annexed East Griqualand too

What wars were fought against the native black

What was the ultimatum that Bartle Frere gave to the Zulus and the response?

The ultimatum asked King Cetshwayo to disband his army.

He refused to agree with the ultimatum (he would never have survived as king if he agreed) so the British threatened to invade their territory. This caused a conflict but was what Bartle Frere had planned to happen as he only wanted to get the Zulu territory.

What was the British force like in Battle of Isandlwana?

The British had around 8,000 soldiers under the command of Lord Chlemsford and were equipped with the new and very good & accurate Martini Henry rifle.

The advantage they had in weapons and numbers made the British be extremely arrogant in their tactics because they thought they could easily win.

What were the Zulu tactics?

The Zulus had an extremely well organised formation in the shape of a beast with soldiers making up the horns, chest & loins. One tactic which was part of this was having one of the horns do a feint to distract the enemy and then attack.

The Zulus did have guns as well but they weren't as good and they mainly used spears & shields

What happened in the Battle of Isandlwana?

The British left for invasion on the 11th of January 1879 and lost to the Zulus due to their severe underestimation of Zulu tactics and aggression. They planned to attack in 5 columns but this formation became disrupted with one column going on a chase allowing the Zulus to defeat the British.

Why did the Battle at Rorke's Drift happen?

There was a further battle after the one at Isandlwana because Prince Ka Mpanda pursued fleeing British soldiers across the Buffalo River with 3,000 - 4,000 Zulu soldiers despite being explicitly told not to cross the river as it would only cause more conflict.

What was Rorkes drift?

Rorke's drift was a a mission station where 140 British soldiers were based

What happened at the Battle of Rorke's Drift?

At 4pm the Zulus began to attack but now using the Martini Henry rifles left behind by the British soldiers at Isandlwana.
Despite the advantage they began to retreat at 4am because they were losing to the British.
This was because they had lit the hospital on fire so the British could see them attacking better and could fight back more.

What were the consequence of the Battle at Rorke's Drift?

17 British died.
500 Zulus died

What were the consequences of the Anglo-Zulu war - internationally?

• For other British colonies they saw it as Britain taking advantage of their military powers - they looked overly aggressive like tyrants.

• Other colonial powers saw the dangers of underestimating African opponents

• But also that European powers could achieve what they wanted in Africa through conquest prefiguring the Scramble for Africa

What were the consequences of the Anglo-Zulu war - for the Zulus?

- They were broadly allowed to retain their culture
- But King Cetshwayo was captured which allowed the British to split Zulu territory into 13 chieftancies
- This caused internal divisions
- As a whole for Southern Africans the war consolidated British control in the region

What was the consequence of the Anglo-Zulu war - for the British?

- The Zulu threat was neutralised

• They had been successful in their attempt to expand British territory in Southern Africa

How did the Anglo-Zulu war end?

June 1879 - Britain defeated the Zulus at Ulundi, deposed Cetewayo, and annexed more Zulu territory.

How were the British able to start their plan of annexing/combining Boer territory?

In 1877 the Transvaal was facing increasing hostility from the Zulus and Pedis. The state was on the edge of bankruptcy as well and the British were able to use this to their advantage and annex the Transvaal by having the Transvaal accept British rule.

What happened in the First Boer War?

Boers of Transvaal revolted against British annexation of 1877

Humiliating British failure at Majuba Hill in 1881, where over 150 British were killed v 2 Boers

The Convention of Pretoria (1881) was therefore signed, which recognised Boer self-government in the Transvaal

Why did the situation change in South Africa?

In december 1885, Bechuanaland is made a protectorate to prevent Boer settlers uniting with German settlers. In 1886, gold was discovered in the Transvaal and ‘Uitlanders’ flooded in.
1895 With the support of Cecil Rhodes, Jameson the chief of British South Africa Company and 500 troops attacked the Transvaal to spark an uprising against the Boers. The attack failed, Rhodes resigned as Prime Minister

How did British influence in West Africa develop?

Started with a foothold on the Golden Coast, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Nigeria for its palm oil. The British Colony of Nigeria emerged in 1885, after the Berlin conference and Free Trade was agreed to along the River Niger.

What was European influence like in West Africa?

France wanted to create a French West African Empire from Sengal, which put pressure on British interests on the River Niger. In 1884, Germany seized Togoland and Cameroon. Belgium setup the Congo Free State in 1885 for the rubber trade. In 1885, the Berlin conference saw free trade and British interests on the River Niger were recognised.

How did British interests in East Africa develop?

Britain had vital economic interests in Zanzibar, where imported goods from Britain and India which contributed £2 million to Britain - mostly leather and textile goods from Manchester and Sheffield Steel. 1888, Sir William MacKinnon launched the Imperial British East Africa Company. Increased presence led to expansions into Uganda, Kenya and Somaliland.

Overview - why did Britain get involved in the Scramble for Africa?

• Trade

• Personal reasons - economy, exploration

• Strategic reasons

• Moral reasons

• Exploration

Why did Britain get involved in the Scramble for Africa - trade?

• British merchants had traded with West Africa since the 1500s mainly for gold & ivory but then later due to the slave trade

• The slave trade was outlawed in 1807 forcing a shift to trading resources

• In the 2nd half of the 1800s the key reason for expansion was the prospect of opening new routes inland & subsequent discovery of minerals etc

• After new routes etc had been found further considerations emerged e.g. investment opportunities & strategic interests

What pieces of evidence show that it was primarily economic reasons as to why Britain got involved in the Scramble for Africa?

• late 1860s vast stores of diamonds discovered in Griqualand lead to Britian annexing the area, within the next 10 years, trade in the area trebled

• British Suez Canal shares worth £4m drove British interest in Egypt entirely

Why did Britain get involved in the Scramble for Africa - trade to fuel British industries?

• In the 2nd half of the 1800s coal,timber & iron were sought in Africa to feed the demands of British industry

• This created a symbiotic/cyclic relationship as British industry grew so did the need for sales markets

• This cycle exploited African resources to manufacture products in Britian which could be sold back to Africa

This was what happened mainly during the Long Depression 1873 - 1896.

Why did Britain get involved in the Scramble for Africa - personal reasons of individuals?

• Increase in trade led to an increase in the persoanl influence of British merchants in Africa

• Merchant imperialists recognised & capitalised on new commodities finding fame & fortune in the process

• British public & political interest was also encouraged by explorers “discovering Africa”

Why did Britain get involved in the Scramble for Africa - strategy?

• Commercial & strategic were often combined in expanding British territory

• For example - British coastal interests in West Africa called for protection due to their economic importance

• But strategic reasons on their own were also important

• E.g. the colonisation of the Cape Colony (1806) during the Napoleonic Wars protecting the best route at this time to the East (mainly India) giving Britain lots of power

Why did Britain get involved in the Scramble for Africa - moral reasons?

• Many Victorian people during this time had “strong moral principles”

• This from the 1860s increasingly caused Christian missionaries to view it as their moral duty to spread their faith among heathens through the empire

• Empire became viewed as a force for civilisation

• missionaries established compounds, set up churches, and typically provided housing and farm work in return for native conversion to Christianity - establishing links and trust with the local community to consolidate control and extend Britain's commercial control

Why did Britain get involved in the Scramble for Africa - exploration?

• While exploration didn’t intrinsically cause colonisation Victorian exploration often did

• Explorers located vast reserves of gold,palm oil &diamonds already known to the local peoples

• European explorers sought to exploit & trade these new resources

Why did tension increase between the European powers between 1871 & 1884?

• There was a shift in power from just Britain being in the lead in expansion especially in Africa where they had very little competition to it becoming a safe arena for the European powers

• aka increased activity of other European powers in Africa

• The Long Depression also encouraged new expansive interests in Africa for new trading opportunities & resources

Which European powers increased in power and how leading to tension between 1871 - 1884?

• France - transformed army after Prussian war, became more determined to assert their “rightful place” & expanded into Indochina

• Germany - unification, industrialization along with naval improvement & attempts to expand in Indochina

• Russia - new railway networks & increase in land up to Afghanistan - could attack India

When was the Brussels Conference held and why?

Held in 1876.

Hosted by King Leopold of Belgium to protect Belgian interests in the Congo but invited explorers & geographers of all nations - Britain sent some of their own.

What agreed at the Brussels Conference?

• Concluded that Africans were incapable of developing the natural resources themselves and European intervention was therefore necessary

• Encouraged more European involvement in Africa

• Set up the International African Association to coordinate European efforts in colonization & encourage cooperation

What were the effects of the Brussels Conference?

• France extended its control from Senegal into Western Sahara soon after in 1879

• Heightened competition between European powers as King Leopold wanted to ensure Dutch control over the Congo not anything else

When was the Berlin Conference held & why?

Held in 1884 - 1885 by Otto von Bismarck.

Wanted to regulate European expansion as European powers were largely restricted to coastal areas.

What was agreed at the Berlin Conference?

• Agreement to have the Congo & Niger river basins remain neutral & open to trade

• Different nations negotiated their respective claims to territories in Africa and had these mapped out into recognised spheres of influence

• Established the principle of 'effective occupation' - if any power increased their coastal land all others would be notified so they could assert their claims on the land

• Signing of the General Act :

  • free trade in colonised territory

  • powers would support personal reasons for expansion

  • powers should protect the native people & stop the slave trade

What was the impact of the Berlin Conference?

• Established the principle of 'effective occupation’ - triggered a futher Scramble for Africa

• Enabled expansion to happen more orderly without the risk of conflict

• African becomes a safe arena for the powers to gain land without angering the other countries

• More violence to native African people in the name of colonisation

• No positive effect on natove people as no African nations were invited to the conference

• Serious postcolonial consequences due to lack of concern for natural borders, linguistic divisions etc

• No concentrated effort to end African or Arab slave trade or to African concerns

How much does African land occupation increase due to the Berlin Conference?

At the time of the Berlin Conference 20% of land was controlled by European powers, in comparison to 90% by 1900

How much did Empire grow during the Scramble for Africa?

5 million square miles - almost as much as France, Germany, Belgium and Italy combined

Why did Somaliland become a part of the British empire?

Britain established a protectorate here in 1884 at the Berlin Conference, but it had little economic value

Who was David Livingstone?

Scottish missionary and explorer who discovered the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls (1813-1873)

First traveled to South Africa as a missionary doctor and when he returned to Britain in 1856 he quickly gained notoriety from his lectures on Africa.

Continued to be a public figure/ inspired others through the 2000 letters he sent home on this travels to the Zambezi River.

Became the Consul for the East Coast of Africa in 1858.

What were David Livingstone’s motivations for exploration?

To open Africa up to commerce & Christianity and to stop the slave trade in Africa and instead put in legitimate trade.

Shows overlap of exploration & moral/missionary reasons for the Scramble for Africa.

Who was John Kirk?

Scottish physician who accompanied Livingstone on many of his journeys including the Zambezi expedition

Was also Vice-Consul in Zanzibar from 1866, which was of commercial interest to Britain because of its clove and ivory exports.

Ensured that it operated as a British client state and his efforts meant it became part of British East Africa in 1895

Part of the British initiated treaties which ensured the slave trade in Zanzibar was abolished.

Who was Sir Richard Burton?

Was the first Western Christian to visit Islamic cities such as Mecca

He produced 43 volumes on his explorations, 5 on West Africa which included descriptions of tribal rituals, cannibalism and bizarre sexual practices.

Tried to discover the source of the Nile but beaten by John Speke his companion.

Continued his exploration & produced 30 volumes of translations - Arabian Nights.

Who was John Hanning Speke?

Burtons companion on this expedition to Somaliland & quest to find the source of the Nile.

Found a Great Lake, which he named 'Victoria' in honour of the Queen in 1862. He believed this was the source of the Nile, but that claim was rejected by many

A debate between Burton and Speke was due in 1864, but was never held as he killed himself

Who was John Mackenzie?

A missionary who put pressure on the British government to establish a protectorate over Bechuanaland in 1883, and when they did so he was appointed Deputy Commissioner

Who was Mary Slessor?

Lived amongst the tribes of Calabar, Nigeria, and fought hard to end the local practice of killing twins

She is also called 'Queen of the cannibals'

Who was Cecil Rhodes?

Cape Colony politician and Prime Minister (1890-96)

Amassed a fortune from buying all of Cape Colony’s diamond mines (90% of worlds diamond production) in a partnership with the Diamond Syndicate.

He also setup the British South Africa Company (covered 1,143,000 km of land) which was granted a royal charter in 1889.

He played a large part in the spread of the British in South Africa.

What imperialist actions did Cecil Rhodes take?

• sent a Pioneer Column to Mashonaland - an invasion disguised as a mining expedition - using economic influence to further British imperial ambitions

• dominant in SA politics; became Cape PM in 1890

• wanted to form a Cape to Cairo empire

• 1877 Confession of Faith Speech 'the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race'

Why were Matabeleland and Mashonaland important?

Rhodes' British South Africa Company invaded both of these colonies for economic reasons (mining) in 1890, and hence a protectorate was formed over both as Rhodesia in 1895

Who was Sir William MacKinnon?

Scottish ship-owner and businessman, began in the Bay of Bengal and in 1856 founded the Calcutta and Burma Steam Navigation Company. This became a huge business organisation.

He then founded the Imperial British East Africa Company and was given a charter in 1888 as the British Government saw this as a way of getting influence in the region was bankrupted

He also founded the Free Church of Scotland East African Scottish mission in 1891 in Kibwezi, modern day Kenya.

His company took control of part of Zanzibar due to John Kirk's negotiations

Who was George Goldie?

Formed the Central African Trading Company in 1876. Merged his company with the other firms along the River Niger to form the United African Company.

Led to the British forming a protectorate over Northern and Southern Niger at the Berlin Conference 1884-1885. Chartered in 1886.

He developed Northern Nigeria into a prosperous British protectorate.

What were George Goldie’s actions in Nigeria and how did this effect the British presence in Nigeria?

1879 - persuaded all British trading firms on Niger river to join his firm, United African Comp

• controlling 30 trading posts

• secured concessions from tribal chiefs, signing treaties to establish exclusive trading thus winning trade war with rival French company

• over 450 local treaties transferring both territory and authority to UAC for protection and compensation for tribal chiefs

• directly responsible for Britain interest in forming protectorate on Northern and Southern Nigeria

• UAC became Royal Niger Comp and chartered in 1886

Who was Bartle Frere?

Became High Commissioner and Governor of Cape Colony in 1877

The Colonial Secretary, Lord Carnarvon, had chosen him to carry out a planned confederation in the area, merging the Transvaal and British SA

Deliberately provoked a war with the Zulus in 1878, who he considered an obstacle to the federation - although the British won, their shocking defeat at Isandhlwana led to Frere being withdrawn

How did Britain respond when Germany claimed New Guinea as its own?

In 1884, Germany claimed New Guinea and renamed it Kaiser Wilhelmsland

Instead of direct confrontation with Germany, Britain simply established a protectorate over the south-east coast of New Guinea but made it clear that the Germans were welcome to the rest of the island

Britain was able to 'stand still'/take no effective action and not feel threatened