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London, England 1914 The greater part of Britain's experience in Africa between 1865 and 1912 is best described as being a competition with continental Europe, primarily Germany and England's long time rival, France. The British had instituted protectorates and semi independent trade colonies in Africa for about 200 years before 1865, the approximate year of Britain's development of a heightened interest in the "Dark Continent". The gains made by other countries in colonizing the land mass encouraged the British into …

…the Dutch Boers, or the French and German governments, the British never were able to make a colony or a territory of a region without opposition from her competitors. This is why the British imperialism of Africa is best characterized as a simple competition with continental Europe. Had the powers that be in Europe not been so focused on the conquest of Africa, Britain would not have made such an effort in its acquisition either.