Berlin Conference of

1884-1885

The Berlin Conference was a meeting of 14 nations to

discuss territorial disputes in Africa. The meeting was held in

Berlin, Germany, from November 1884 to February 1885 and

included representatives from the United States and such

European nations as Britain, France, and Germany. No

Africans were invited to the conference.

The Berlin Conference took place at a time when European

powers were rushing to establish direct political control in

Africa. This race to expand European colonial influence is

often referred to as the "Scramble for Africa." Europeans called

the Berlin meeting because they felt rules were needed to

prevent war over claims to African lands.

.

Berlin Conference

• Going into the meeting, roughly 10% of Africa

was under European colonial rule.

• By the end of the meeting, European powers

“owned” most of Africa and drew boundary

lines that remained until 1914.

• Great Britain won the most land in Africa and

was “given” Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, and

South Africa after defeating the Dutch Settlers

and Zulu Nation.

• The agreements made in Berlin still affect the

boundaries of African countries today.

• By the 1880s, Great Britain, France, Germany,

Belgium, Spain, and Portugal all wanted part

of Africa.

• To prevent a European war over Africa,

leaders from fourteen European

governments and from the United States met

in Berlin, Germany, in 1884.

• No Africans attended the meeting.

• At the meeting, the European leaders

discussed Africa’s land and how it should be

divided.

Berlin Conference of

1884-1885 The Berlin Conference adopted a number of provisions:

1. European nations could not just claim African territory, but

had to actually occupy and administer the land.

2. A nation already holding colonies on the African coast would

have first claim on the neighboring interior.

3. Rivers in Africa were to be open to all ships, not just those of

the colonial power through whose land the river ran.

4. Slavery and the slave trade were to end in all European

colonies.

5. The conference also recognized the Congo Free State--now

Congo (Kinshasa)--as a country, with King Leopold II of

Belgium as its ruler. Leopold, acting as a private citizen, had

claimed the region in 1878.

Berlin Conference

• a series of meetings held in Berlin,

Germany in 1884

• European nations attended the conference.

• African rulers DID NOT.

• The European nations divided Africa amongst themselves.

• Europeans owned almost all of Africa by the end of the conference.

Summing It Up…

• Great Britain and France often fought for

control of parts of Africa.

• The British controlled the gold and ivory

trade in West Africa.

Great Britain- policy of indirect rule

• The French wanted to spread their culture.

• Established themselves in northern Algeria and

West Africa.

• Trade outposts were built in West Africa for the

slave trade.

• Most of the French-controlled land was desert.

• They traded palm oil and timber.

France-policy of assimilation (people became French citizens)

• Belgium also competed for African land.

• The amount of land purchased in Africa was bigger than

Belgium itself.

• King Leopold II purchased the Congo River basin.

• Personal possession of King Leopold III of Belgium

• Village massacres, forced labor by Leopold’s agents

• Belgian control in 1908

• Little preparation for independence

Belgium- paternalism (people serve and obey fatherland)

King Leopold II

Preparation for Independence

• Great Britain- some preparation for

independence

• French and Belgium- hang on until the

end!

Partitioning Of Africa

Colonized Africa Modern Africa

A Mathematical Way to look

The Scramble

“The sun

never sets

on the

British

Empire!”

• European powers organized Africa’s population

in ways to make the most efficient workforce, ignoring the natives’ cultural groups or existing

political leadership at the time of colonization.

• Sometimes they grouped together people

who had never been united under the same government before.

• Sometimes they divided existing groups of

people.

• The creation of these borders had a negative

impact on Africa’s political and social structures

by either dividing groups that wanted to be together or combining ethnic groups that were

enemies.

• Europeans placed colonies into

administrative districts and forced the

Africans to go along with their demands.

• In order to establish their indirect rule,

Europeans used local chiefs as their

enforcers in the colonies.

• Europeans also tried to assimilate Africans

(have African people give up their own

African customs and adopt European

customs).

• Protests and revolts were common and

starvation and disease became widespread.

Let the

Europeans

eat cake!

Effects of Colonialism • Post World War I and II

• European powers were in state of recovery

and inflation

• Many colonies were virtually abandoned

• Little or no preparation for independence

• No infrastructure, economic or political

readiness

• Culture forced together must build new

nations

• Europeans took the best land by force.

• African farmers were forced to grow cash crops like

cocoa and coffee, causing there to be a shortage

of food in many areas of Africa.

• Africans were forced to work under terrible conditions

on plantations, railways, and logging.

• In order to gain power, Europeans encouraged Africans

to fight against each other.

• New political boundaries caused ethnic groups to

clash.

• This has led to ethnic and political unrest in Africa today.

• There have been over 50 ethnic conflicts in Africa

since WWII as a result of the colonial lines drawn by Europeans.

• By the mid-twentieth century, Africans

began to openly oppose European

control of their countries.

• It was obvious that colonialism was not

fair, as it only benefitted the Europeans.

• Africans were tired of being treated like

second-class citizens on their own land.

• They soon begin to demand freedom

for themselves…

Pan-African Congress

• Educated Africans felt that they could govern themselves

• African men had fought for European allies; ex-soldiers wanted self rule

• Pan-Africanism- an idea that people of African descent around the world should work together for their freedom.

• 1919- first Pan-African Congress established

• 1945- 5th Congress had 90 delegates; one was the famous Jomo Kenyatta

Cold War

• Africa becomes a stage for battle for

world domination between the United

States and the United Soviet Socialist

Republic

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