Africans resisted colonization in three major ways. First, may African nations simply fought the colonizers in armed combat. Traditional weaponry was no match for modern European military might, and these engagements always ended in European victory. Ethiopia resisted colonization by modernizing first. Before colonial powers could take Ethiopia, its king, Menelik II, developed a modern military and education system. He also invested in roads, bridges, and modern weapons. Thus, when Italy invaded in 1896, Ethiopia defended itself successfully.
A third and final ways Africans resisted colonization was through the development of an educated elite. This elite was trained in Western schools and could adopt the language of liberty and equality that appealed so broadly to Western audiences. These elite Africans would found nationalist movements that opposed colonization in the realm of ideas.
<span>The economic and social crises chipped away at the foundations of Medieval society in the 1300s and 1400s. Wars raged constantly during this time. The conditions were ripe for great social changes.</span>
