|
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 ![The Archive Database [imagemap with 4 links]](../images/a_intrnl_archive.gif) |
Program Title
Credits Executive Producer: Michael Wearing, Anthony Thomas Producer: Charles Salmon, Scott Meek Director: David Drury Intro RHODES/Episode 3/Intro by Russell Baker Last time we saw Rhodes defraud the great African King Lobengula of his country's mineral rights. But Lobengula is still a powerful figure as tonight's story resumes. His power covered a vast piece of Africa that is now Zimbabwe, and he governed through a fairly sophisticated political system. We are at a time in the 1890s when Africa was being ruthlessly carved up by Europeans. All Africa is destined to be consumed by Belgians, Germans, Portugese or Englishmen. Lobengula is shrewd enough to know his country must eventually feed one of these crocodiles. Now, the Boers. They were descendants of the Dutch and the Huguenots who came to South Africa in the 1600s. When the British arrived, the Boers moved north en masse to get away from them. There they created their own state in the Transval – which, unfortunately, lay across the path Rhodes needed to take to expand his empire northward. The Boers were farmers, sharpshooters, and tough fighters -- all in all dangerous people to have for enemies. Paul Kruger, whom you'll see tonight, was their President. Jameson also plays a large role in tonight's events. His full name was Leander Starr Jameson, and he was a doctor. You saw him in Episode One tending to Rhodes's dying secretary, Pickering. Jameson hitched onto Rhodes very early, became very close to him, and gradually became the man who represented Rhodes's power and political will out in the field. When Rhodes wanted ruthlessness, Jameson -- as we'll see tonight -- was the man to provide it. Rhodes, Final Episode, "The Reckoning." Extro RHODES/Episode 3/Extro by Russell Baker In 1884, an American inventor named Hiram Maxim produced the first machine gun -- known in England as the Maxim gun. Ten years later it was used for the first time in combat. Its targets were Lobengula's African warriors and the slaughter was prodigious. Three thousand Africans were killed that day. Only one white man. Americans don't want to be too quick to feel morally superior to the British here. Just two years before Jameson mowed down Lobengula's men, the United States Army had slaughtered some two hundred helpless Indian men, women and children at Wounded Knee. The march of imperialism was hurried along by the invention of terrifying new weapons that the whites didn't hesitate to use against primitive people. The weapons became deadlier and deadlier and soon the imperial powers were itching to use them against each other. In 1914, twenty years after Jameson first used the Maxim gun in Africa, the Europeans were killing each other on a massive scale in the first World War. It took four years to persuade Europe's generals that it was folly to send human waves charging into modern artillery and machine-gun fire. It ended with the once great imperialist powers psychologically shattered and bankrupt -- done in by their own devastating technology. Only fifty years had passed since Cecil Rhodes first set foot in Africa. The great age of imperialism was finished. For Masterpiece Theatre, I'm Russell Baker. Goodnight.  Episode number: 1 2 3
 The Archive Database | Program History | Poster Gallery | Awards  Home | About The Series | The American Collection | The Archive Schedule & Season | Feature Library | eNewsletter | Book Club Learning Resources | Forum | Search | Shop | Feedback
© |
|
 |
|
Masterpiece is sponsored by:
