The last decades of the 19th Century saw the United Kingdom move into the area with the explorer David Livingstone establishing the trading Livingstonia Central African Mission Company in 1878 and by 1891 Britain had proclaimed modern day Malawi as the Nyasaland and District Protectorate; a name that only survived for two years before changing again to the British Central African Protectorate (above), and lastly Nyasaland in 1907. British rule was marred by revolts, one of the most aggressive occurring in 1915. However, as across Africa, the Second World War proved an impetus for nationalist sentiment to coalesce into meaningful action with the Nyasaland African Congress being established in 1944. Despite this, the British ignored local sentiment and in 1953 combined Nyasaland with what is now Zambia and Zimbabwe into a single federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland; a move strongly denounced by academic Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda who headed home from studying abroad to take up the mantle of leading the Nyasaland African Congress.

Subsequent violent clashes led to a state of emergency being declared, Banda arrested and the Congress outlawed. Despite this, the movement for reform was sweeping across Africa. As such Banda (below) was invited the following year for talks in London to explore constitutional reform which led to elections for a new legislative assembly the following year, an election which saw the Malawi Congress Party, the successor to the Nyasaland African Congress, triumph with 94% of the vote. This result paved the way for Nyasaland being granted self-government with Banda as prime minister in 1963. What happened next, was oh so typical for a nation that had struggled to free itself from what was seen as oppressive foreign rule. Whilst independence was achieved on 6th July 1964 with Nyasaland becoming the Republic of Malawi with Banda as its president, Banda established a one-party state with all opposition movements denounced and their leaders detained. In 1971 Banda had himself elected president for life and secured his position in power by regularly moving his ministers so that none could emerge as a political rival.