The Machine Gun in Africa

The mid-nineteenth century renovated machine gun provided new points of access to global powers searching for dominance in Africa. The "Scramble for Africa" had pinned powers against each other in a struggle to claim the most rewarding and economically beneficial lands in all parts of Africa. It was no coincidence that the first wave of imperialist Europeans struck northern Africa first as the region was the easiest to access. Other colonies blossomed around the coastline of Africa, following the popular trading route. But while these colonies were certainly progressive and helpful in staking countries' claims on the African continent, no countries dared to set foot in Africa's interior. Ample resources resided in there no doubt, but without sufficient equipment to guide the Europeans into Africa's depths, no one would venture in unarmed. Populations of African tribes, diverse in itself, would have remained virtually unaffected by European invasions on the coast and in the north if it were not for technological innovations that granted Europeans the means for Africa's further exploitation. The maxim automatic machine gun, developed in 1884, gave Europeans the ultimatum in imperialist warfare. The gun drastically imbalanced wars with Africa's natives and acted as a sure sign of European superiority in Africa. The employment of a single utility allowed Europeans to advance their claims in Africa and to move swiftly, with little native retaliation, into Africa's interior. The significance the machine gun played in the 19th century imperialism suggests the power technological innovation now held in the modern world. Industrialization and the inventions it inspired changed the European scene. Countries bathing in the prosperity of industrialization were now equipped with new tools that cemented their superiority over unindustrialized countries.