Editing Botswana (section)

===Colonialism===
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{{Main|Bechuanaland Protectorate}}
During the [[Scramble for Africa]], both the [[German Empire]] and Britain coveted the territory of Botswana. During the [[Berlin Conference]], Britain decided to annex Botswana to safeguard the Road to the North and thus connect the Cape Colony to its territories further north. It unilaterally annexed Tswana territories in January 1885 and then sent the [[Warren Expedition]] north to consolidate control over the area and convince the chiefs to accept British overrule. Despite their misgivings, they eventually acquiesced to this ''[[fait accompli]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.academia.edu/15645705 |title=The Invention and Perpetuation of Botswana's National Mythology, 1885–1966 |last1=Morton |first1=Barry |last2=Ramsay |first2=Jeff |pages=4–7 |access-date=13 July 2018 |via=academia.edu}}</ref><ref>"Warren informed Chiefs Bathoen of Bangwaketse, Khama of Bangwato and Sebele of Bakwena about the protection in May 1885 (Mogalakwe, 2006)." (from T.E. Malebeswa (2020): ''Tribal Territories Act, indirect rule, chiefs and subjects'')</ref>

In 1890, areas north of 22 degrees were added to the new Bechuanaland Protectorate. During the 1890s, the new territory was divided into eight different reserves, with fairly small amounts of land being left as freehold for white [[settler]]s. During the early 1890s, the British government decided to hand over the Bechuanaland Protectorate to the [[British South Africa Company]]. This plan, which was well on its way to fruition despite the entreaties of Tswana leaders who toured England in protest, was eventually foiled by the failure of the [[Jameson Raid]] in January 1896.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.academia.edu/15645705 |title=The Invention and Perpetuation of Botswana's National Mythology, 1885–1966 |last1=Morton |first1=Barry |last2=Ramsay |first2=Jeff |access-date=13 July 2018 |via=academia.edu |pages=7–11 |archive-date=28 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028165308/https://www.academia.edu/15645705 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Parsons, N. (1998) ''King Khama, Emperor Joe, and the Great White Queen: Victorian Britain Through African Eyes''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.</ref>

When the [[Union of South Africa]] was formed from the main British colonies in the region in 1910, the High Commission Territories—the Bechuanaland Protectorate, [[Basutoland]] (now [[Lesotho]]) and [[Swaziland]] (now [[Eswatini]])—were not included, but provision was made for their later incorporation. However, the UK began to consult with their inhabitants as to their wishes. Although successive South African governments sought to have the territories transferred to their jurisdiction, the UK kept delaying; consequently, it never occurred. The election of the [[National Party (South Africa)|Nationalist]] government in 1948, which instituted [[apartheid]], and South Africa's withdrawal from the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] in 1961, ended any prospect of the UK or these territories agreeing to incorporation into South Africa.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hayes|first=Frank|date=1980|title=South Africa's Departure from the Commonwealth, 1960–1961|journal=The International History Review|volume=2|issue=3|pages=453–484|doi=10.1080/07075332.1980.9640222|jstor=40105085|issn=0707-5332}}</ref>

An expansion of British central authority and the evolution of native government resulted in the 1920 establishment of two advisory councils to represent both Africans and Europeans.<ref name=EISA>{{cite web|url=http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/botoverview4.htm |title=Botswana: Late British colonialism (1945–1966) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603024427/http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/botoverview4.htm |archive-date=3 June 2012 |access-date=26 August 2016 |website=eisa.org}}</ref> The African Council consisted of the eight heads of the Tswana tribes and some elected members.<ref name=EISA /> Proclamations in 1934 regulated tribal rule and powers. A European-African advisory council was formed in 1951, and the 1961 constitution established a consultative legislative council.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Botswana |url=https://clintonwhitehouse3.archives.gov/Africa/botswana.html |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=clintonwhitehouse3.archives.gov |archive-date=2 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240602105543/https://clintonwhitehouse3.archives.gov/Africa/botswana.html |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Botswana Independence Talks, 1965 - 2.png|thumb|[[Seretse Khama]] ''(right)'' and [[Quett Masire]] ''(left)'' at independence talks in London, 1965]]