Berlin Conference
The Berlin Conference of 1884–85, also known as the Congo Conference or West Africa Conference, regulated European colonization and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period and coincided with Germany’s sudden emergence as an imperial power. The conference was organize…
of 1884–1885, also known as the Congo Conference (German: Kongokonferenz, pronounced [ˈkɔŋɡoˌkɔnfeˈʁɛnt͡s]) or West Africa Conference (Westafrika-Konferenz, pronounced [ˌvɛstˈʔaːfʁika ˌkɔnfeˈʁɛnt͡s]), regulated European colonization and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period and coincided with Germany ‘s sudden emergence as an imperial power.
What did the Berlin Conference do to Africa?
What impact did Berlin conference have on Africa? The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 set the ground rules for the colonization of Africa by European powers. The event helped to ease tensions that were growing as a result of the competition for resources in Africa. It had a dramatic and lasting negative impact on the nations of Africa.
What was the purpose of the Berlin Conference?
What was the purpose of the Berlin Conference?
- Part of the Congo Basin became a personal kingdom for King Leopold II.
- Under his rule, much of the population was eradicated.
- Another purpose was to expand the influence of the European powers over Africa and begin to divvy up the colonies.
- At the time of the conference, eighty percent of Africa maintained traditional and local control.
What was the outcome of the Berlin Conference?
What Were the Outcomes of the Berlin Conference in 1884 and 1885? The Berlin Conference brought together 14 European powers and the United States to establish ground rules for the colonization of Africa.
What happened at the Berlin Conference?
What happened at the Berlin conference in 1884? Rivalry between Great Britain and France led Bismarck to intervene, and in late 1884 he called a meeting of European powers in Berlin. During the conference the leaders also agreed to allow free trade among the colonies and established a framework for negotiating future European claims in Africa.
Why was the Berlin Conference important to African imperialism?
One thing is clear—the Berlin Conference established the legal claim by Europeans that all of Africa could be occupied by whomever could take it. It also established a process for Europeans to cooperate rather than fight with each other. This cooperation played a huge role in the division and conquest of Africa.
What impact did the Berlin Conference have on Africa and the African people?
It established the rules for the conquest and partition of Africa, in the process legitimising the ideas of Africa as a playground for outsiders, its mineral wealth as a resource for the outside world not for Africans and its fate as a matter not to be left to Africans.
How did Africa change after the Berlin Conference?
At the time of the conference, 80 percent of Africa remained under traditional and local control. What ultimately resulted was a hodgepodge of geometric boundaries that divided Africa into 50 irregular countries. This new map of the continent was superimposed over 1,000 indigenous cultures and regions of Africa.
What was the result of the Berlin Conference in 1884 on European colonization of Africa?
Neither the Berlin Conference itself nor the framework for future negotiations provided any say for the peoples of Africa over the partitioning of their homelands. The Berlin Conference did not initiate European colonization of Africa, but it did legitimate and formalize the process.
What were the effects of imperialism in Africa?
There were several negatives of colonialism for the Africans like resource depletion, labor exploitation, unfair taxation, lack of industrialization, dependence on cash crop economy, prohibition of trade, the breaking up of traditional African society and values, lack of political development, and ethnic rivals inside …
What impact did the Berlin Conference have on Africa quizlet?
Europeans set boundaries that combined peoples that were enemies. How did the Berlin Conference change Africa? It did so by dividing Africa without considering the wishes of native Africans or traditional tribal boundaries. The Berlin Conference is often cited as a root cause of Africa’s twentieth century violence.
How did the Berlin Conference decide Africa’s fate?
How did the Berlin Conference decide Africa’s fate? It set new rules for the settlement and development of colonies in Africa.
What were the results of the Berlin Conference?
The conference contributed to ushering in a period of heightened colonial activity by European powers, which eliminated or overrode most existing forms of African autonomy and self-governance.
How did the Berlin Conference contribute to the scramble for Africa?
Known as The Berlin Conference, they sought to discuss the partitioning of Africa, establishing rules to amicably divide resources among the Western countries at the expense of the African people. Of these fourteen nations at the Berlin Conference, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal were the major players.
What are two outcomes of the Berlin Conference in 1884 and 1885?
Note two outcomes of the Berlin Conference in 1884 and 1885. Agreement amongst 14 nations to divide Africa and the goal to change Africans (Assimilation).
What are 3 agreements that came out of the Berlin Conference?
The general act of the Conference of Berlin declared the Congo River basin to be neutral (a fact that in no way deterred the Allies from extending the war into that area in World War I); guaranteed freedom for trade and shipping for all states in the basin; forbade slave trading; and rejected Portugal’s claims to the …
How did Africans resist European imperialism?
Africans escaped colonial military and administrative abuses through avoidance tactics. Hearing of approaching colonial armies, tax collectors, or labor recruiters, Africans fled their homes or concealed themselves to avoid violent confrontations and dispossession.
What was the purpose of the Berlin Conference?
In 1884, at the request of Portugal, German chancellor Otto von Bismark called together the major western powers of the world to negotiate questions and end confusion over the control of Africa. Bismark appreciated the opportunity to expand Germany’s sphere of influence over Africa and hoped to force Germany’s …
How many countries were represented at the Berlin Conference?
Countries Represented at the Berlin Conference. Fourteen countries were represented by a plethora of ambassadors when the conference opened in Berlin on November 15, 1884. The countries represented at the time included Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, …
What happened to the African continent in 1950?
The colonial powers superimposed their domains on the African continent. By the time independence returned to Africa in 1950, the realm had acquired a legacy of political fragmentation that could neither be eliminated nor made to operate satisfactorily.”.
Which country controlled the western part of Africa?
France took much of western Africa, from Mauritania to Chad (French West Africa), as well as Gabon and the Republic of Congo (French Equatorial Africa). Belgium and King Leopold II controlled the Democratic Republic of Congo (Belgian Congo). Portugal took Mozambique in the east and Angola in the west.
Which countries did the British control?
Great Britain desired a Cape-to-Cairo collection of colonies and almost succeeded through their control of Egypt, Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian Sudan ), Uganda, Kenya (British East Africa), South Africa , and Zambia, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), and Botswana . The British also controlled Nigeria and Ghana (Gold Coast).
Who was the king of Belgium during the Berlin Conference?
Despite its neutrality, part of the Congo Basin became a personal kingdom for Belgium’s King Leopold II. Under his rule, over half of the region’s population died. At the time of the conference, only the coastal areas of Africa were colonized by the European powers. At the Berlin Conference, the European colonial powers scrambled …
Which country took Mozambique?
Portugal took Mozambique in the east and Angola in the west. Italy’s holdings were Somalia (Italian Somaliland) and a portion of Ethiopia. Germany took Namibia (German Southwest Africa) and Tanzania (German East Africa). Spain claimed the smallest territory, which was Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni).
What were the factors that triggered the European involvement in Africa?
By the early 1880s many factors including diplomatic successes, greater European local knowledge, and the demand of resources such as gold, timber, and rubber, triggered dramatically increased European involvement in the continent of Africa. Stanley’s charting of the Congo River Basin (1874–1877) removed the last terra incognita from European maps …
What was the Berlin conference?
The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, also known as the Congo Conference ( German: Kongokonferenz) or West Africa Conference ( Westafrika-Konferenz ), regulated European colonization and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period and coincided with Germany ‘s sudden emergence …
What was the first name of the International Association for the Exploration and Civilization of Central Africa?
The first name of this Society had been the “ International Association for the Exploration and Civilization of Central Africa “. The properties occupied by Belgian King Leopold’s International Congo Society, the name used in the General Act, were confirmed as the Society’s and hence Leopold’s private property.
What was the race for colonialism?
The European race for colonialism made Germany start launching expeditions of its own, which frightened both British and French statesmen. Hoping to quickly soothe the brewing conflict, Belgian King Leopold II convinced France and Germany that common trade in Africa was in the best interests of all three countries. Under support from the British and the initiative of Portugal, Otto von Bismarck, the chancellor of Germany, called on representatives of 13 nations in Europe as well as the United States to take part in the Berlin Conference in 1884 to work out a joint policy on the African continent.
How did European diplomats approach governments in Africa?
Prior to the conference, European diplomats approached governments in Africa in the same manner as they did in the Western Hemisphere by establishing a connection to local trade networks. In the early 1800s, the European demand for ivory, which was then often used in the production of luxury goods, led many European merchants into …
When was the International Congo Society formed?
In 1878 , the International Congo Society was also formed, with more economic goals but still closely related to the former society. Léopold secretly bought off the foreign investors in the Congo Society, which was turned to imperialistic goals, with the ‘African Society’ serving primarily as a philanthropic front.
Who discovered Leopold’s plans?
French agents discovered Leopold’s plans, and in response France sent its own explorers to Africa. In 1881, French naval officer Pierre de Brazza was dispatched to central Africa, travelled into the western Congo basin, and raised the French flag over the newly founded Brazzaville in what is now the Republic of Congo.
How long did the Berlin Conference take to colonize Africa?
Ignoring ancient cultural lines and people groups, the participants of the Berlin Conference spent about three months devising guidelines for colonization of not just Africa’s coast but the interior as well.
Why did the Berlin Conference convene in the mid-1880s?
In order to establish some sort of order amid this scramble, the Berlin Conference convened in the mid-1880s to create guidelines for the division of Africa. As over a dozen European powers met, it was decided that the Congo and Niger Rivers would remain free to all European trade.
What principle of effectivity was established?
Being especially devastating to the native populations, the Principle of Effectivity was also established. This made it acceptable for one European nation to claim-jump another European nation’s African claims if they were not fully exploiting the land.
What was the Berlin Conference?
Often called ‘Africa’s undoing’, the Berlin Conference saw the powers of Europe divide the African continent like young boys dividing up baseball cards. With little to no concern for the culture of the continent, maps were redrawn and lands were claimed. As Europe bickered over who got what, the native inhabitants of Africa watched as their culture …
What happened to Europe after Stanley’s exploration of the Congo?
After Henry Morton Stanley’s exploration of the Congo, Europe’s interest in the African continent soared to new heights.
Who explored the Congo region?
When Henry Morton Stanley explored the Congo region, Europe’s interest in the continent swelled, and in the 1870s organizations like the International African Society and the International Congo Society were formed by Europeans to research and civilize the continent. Of course, it didn’t take long for researching and civilizing to turn …
Which countries controlled Africa in the early 20th century?
By the early 20th century, Europe had cut Africa up into dozens of new countries. Great Britain held places like Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, the Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe and more, while France controlled much of Western Africa. Belgium controlled the Congo, and Germany took places like Tanzania and Namibia.
What was the Berlin Conference?
The Berlin Conference of 1884, which regulated European colonization and trade in Africa, is usually referred to as the starting point of the Scramble for Africa. There were considerable political rivalries among the European empires in the last quarter of the 19th century.
What were the main inducements of imperialism?
Another inducement for imperialism arose from the demand for raw materials, especially ivory, rubber, palm oil, cocoa, diamonds, tea, and tin. Additionally, Britain wanted control of areas of southern and eastern coasts of Africa for stopover ports on the route to Asia and its empire in India.
What was the last region of the world untouched by imperialism?
Sub-Saharan Africa, one of the last regions of the world largely untouched by “informal imperialism”, was also attractive to business entrepreneurs . During a time when Britain’s balance of trade showed a growing deficit, with shrinking and increasingly protectionist continental markets due to the Long Depression (1873–96), Africa offered Britain, Germany, France, and other countries an open market that would garner them a trade surplus: a market that bought more from the colonial power than it sold overall.
Why did the population of Africa increase in the 20th century?
In the 20th century, Africa saw the biggest increase in its population due to lessening of the mortality rate in many countries due to peace, famine relief, medicine, and above all, the end or decline of the slave trade. Africa’s population has grown from 120 million in 1900 to over 1 billion today.
Why did colonial lobbies emerge?
Colonial lobbies emerged to legitimise the Scramble for Africa and other expensive overseas adventures. In Germany, France, and Britain, the middle class often sought strong overseas policies to ensure the market’s growth.
How much of Africa did Britain control?
Between 1885 and 1914, Britain took nearly 30% of Africa’s population under its control; 15% for France, 11% for Portugal, 9% for Germany, 7% for Belgium and 1% for Italy. Nigeria alone contributed 15 million subjects, more than in the whole of French West Africa or the entire German colonial empire.
What is the term for the invasion of Africa?
v. t. e. Areas of Africa controlled by European colonial powers ( Belgian, British, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish Empires) The Scramble for Africa, also called the Partition of Africa, Conquest of Africa, or the Rape of Africa, was the invasion, occupation, division, …
Overview
The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, also known as the Congo Conference or West Africa Conference (Westafrika-Konferenz, pronounced [ˌvɛstˈʔaːfʁika ˌkɔnfeˈʁɛnt͡s]), regulated European colonization and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period and coincided with Germany’s sudden emergence as an imperial power. The conference was organized by Otto von Bismarck, the first c…
Background
Prior to the conference, European diplomats approached governments in Africa in the same manner as they did in the Western Hemisphere by establishing a connection to local trade networks. In the early 1800s, the European demand for ivory, which was then often used in the production of luxury goods, led many European merchants into the interior markets of Africa. European spheres of p…
Conference
The European race for colonialism made Germany start launching expeditions of its own, which frightened both British and French statesmen. Hoping to quickly soothe the brewing conflict, Belgian King Leopold II convinced France and Germany that common trade in Africa was in the best interests of all three countries. Under support from the British and the initiative of Portugal, Otto von Bismarck, the chancellor of Germany, called on representatives of 13 nations in Europe a…
General Act
The General Act fixed the following points:
• Partly to gain public acceptance, the conference resolved to end slavery by African and Islamic powers. Thus, an international prohibition of the slave trade throughout their respected spheres was signed by the European members. In his novella Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad sarcastically referred to one of the participants at the conference, the International Association o…
Agenda
• Portugal–Britain: The Portuguese government presented a project, known as the “Pink Map”, or the “Rose-Coloured Map”, in which the colonies of Angola and Mozambique were united by co-option of the intervening territory (the land later became Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi). All of the countries attending the conference, except for Britain, endorsed Portugal’s ambitions, and just over five years later, in 1890, the British government issued an ultimatum that demanded for the …
Aftermath
The conference provided an opportunity to channel latent European hostilities towards one another outward; provide new areas for helping the European powers expand in the face of rising American, Russian and Japanese interests; and form constructive dialogue to limit future hostilities. In Africa, colonialism was introduced across nearly all the continent. When African independence w…
Analysis by historians
Historians have long marked the Berlin Conference as the formalisation of the Scramble for Africa but recently, scholars have questioned the legal and economic impact of the conference.
Some have argued the conference central to imperialism. African-American historian W. E. B. Du Bois wrote in 1948 that alongside the Atlantic slave trade in Africans a great world movement of modern times is “the partitioning of Africa after the Franco-Prussian War which, with the Berlin C…
See also
• Brussels Conference Act of 1890
• Impact of Western European colonialism and colonisation