Rhodes’s grasp for Bechuanaland, 1889-1896

In 1889, Rhodes has shown little interest in Bechuanaland, but by 1892 he was looking for further fields for the British South Africa Company. The further development is described in the article. The history of this period indicates a close identification in British imperial policy between the Bechuanaland Protectorate and the British South Africa Company’s sphere of operations among the Shona and Ndebele. It shows also a significant degree of British reliance on the success and development of the Company that this might relieve the Imperial Treasury of African expenditure. Finally, it suggests also a neglect of Tswana considerations in the greater matters of Imperial strategy and financial retrenchment. In many ways outside Rhodesia Rhodes was an apparently ideal agent and the British Government was willing to employ his resources and his ambition to their utmost. Notes.