Final answer:
European nations exercised complete economic and political control over the African colonies.
Step-by-step explanation:
When European nations established colonies in Africa in the late 1800s, they exercised complete economic and political control over the colonies. This period is known as the Scramble for Africa, during which European powers like Britain, France, and Belgium claimed territories and exploited their resources. These colonial powers imposed their political systems, laws, and economic policies upon the African colonies, often to the detriment of the indigenous populations. Therefore, option C - 'exercised complete economic and political control over the colonies' - is the correct answer.
Learn more about European colonization in Africa