ABSTRACT
The period 1880-98 encompasses the years of the European “Scramble” to divide up
Africa. At its conclusion, Liberia, Ethiopia, Northern Nigeria, Mauritania, Morocco
and Libya were the only parts of the continent still free of European domination, and
the last four areas would also fall into European hands in the course of the succeeding
decade. The gap between European military capabilities and those of indigenous armies,
in Africa and elsewhere, would never be greater than it was during this era.
