The Berlin Conference was described by Harm J. de Bli in "Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts:"
"The Berlin Conference was Africa's undoing in more ways than one. 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."
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 rivals to struggle with one another for territory.
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. The new countries lacked rhyme or reason and divided coherent groups of people and merged together disparate groups who really did not get along.
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, Sweden-Norway [unified from 1814 to 1905], Turkey, and the United States of America. Of these 14 nations, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal were the major players in the conference, controlling most of colonial Africa at the time.
Berlin Conference Tasks
The initial task of the conference was to agree that the Congo River and Niger River mouths and basins would be considered neutral and open to trade. 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 to gain control over the interior of the continent. The conference lasted until February 26, 1885 — a three-month period where colonial powers haggled over geometric boundaries in the interior of the continent, disregarding the cultural and linguistic boundaries already established by the indigenous African population.
Following the conference, the give and take continued. By 1914, the conference participants had fully divided Africa among themselves into 50 countries.
Major colonial holdings included:
- 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].
- 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.
- 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].
Source
De Bli, Harm J. "Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts." Peter O. Muller, Jan Nijman, 16th Edition, Wiley, November 25, 2013.
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Terms in this set [48]
what statement reflects an effect of imperialism in africa?
natural resources were exploited for the benefit of European powers
the 19th-century term ''white man's burden'' reflects the idea that
europeans had a responsibility to improve the lives of their colonial peoples
What was the major reason European nations competed for control of Africa during the second half of the 1800s?
Africa had a wealth of natural resources
many of the political divisions were directly related to the
Berlin conference
the white man's burden is closely associated with the belief that it was the duty of western colonial powers to
civilize the people they controlled
which situation was a result of the 1884 Berlin Conference?
Africa was divided without regard to ethnic groups
what statement would social darwinists most likely support?
stronger groups have the right to rule and control weaker groups.
what slogan would reflect the point of view of Cecil Rhodes?
''Imperialism is a glorious pursuit.''
the theory of social darwinism was sometimes used to justify
European imperialism in the late 19th century
Which reign was most affected by decisions made at the Berlin Conference of 1884?
Africa
which african group centralized its rule and adopted new military techniques that challenged the power of the british and the boers in south africa
Zulu
which area of the world was most directly affected by the decisions made at the Berlin Conference?
Africa
The Berlin Conference in 1884 was significant because it
established rules for the european division of Africa
the terms spheres of influence, extraterritoriality, and mandates are most closely associated with
imperialism
which cultures fought with the Zulus in the 19th century over the control of land in South Africa?
British and Boer
the words in the white man's burden is used to support the practice of
imperialism
Which description best fits the kingdoms of Ghana and Songhai?
trading states of West Africa
both the french and the british were interested in controlling egypt in the mid-19th century because egypt had
a strategic location
what countries were imperialized?
Africa, India, china, japan,
in china the opium war led to the
treaty of nanjing
india had the biritish
east india company
what revolution did india have?
sepoy revolution
who nonviolently fought for independence in india?
Ghandi
in japan the meiji restoration is adopting
western ideas[westernization]
did japanese imperialized others?
yes
japan was a ________ governed by the______
feudal society
Tokugawa Shogun[warrior rule]
japan is isolated from outsiders through
closed ports
in 1853 ____ arrive in japan's edo harbor
gunboats
what did commodore perry force the japanese to do?
to open their ports to foreign trade or be fired upon
the treaty of kanagawa was signed when
japan gave up at the sign of such overwhelming forces
during the meiji restoration who was japans young emperor?
Mutsuhito
mutsuhito appealed to japans
strong sense of pride and nationalism
when did mutsuhito rule?
after the shogunate ended
what were meiji goals
to create a rich nation and strong army.
universal compulsory education.
military conscription-draft.
industrial and economic reforms- technology.
development of new legal system and new constitution. sent men to learn ''best of the west'' to learn what Europe knew
japan modernized and
industrialized quickly- built railroad and factories
through negotiation the foreign nations
gave up their extraterritorial policies in japan in 1894
sino-japanese war
china vs japan and they fought over korea[an important trading are and ally]
japans win during the sino-japanese war
stunned european powers
during the japanese imperialism russia and japan were now
the powers of asia
during the japanese imperialism japan captured most of the russian
fleet and destroyed the baltic fleet too
in 1950 a peace treaty negotiated by
american president theordore roosevelt gave japan more territories and made russia withdraw from
the japanese were harsh rulers of korea they,
they closed newspapers, outlawed public protest, stopped teaching teaching korean history, took land fromkorean farmers and gave it to japanese nationals, japanese started factories in korea
imperialism at its worst and japan continued throughout
asia-china, manchuria and the pacific islands. this set the stage for war.
results of the boxer rebellion in china
china was forced to allow foreign troops on chinese soil and other religions as well
extraterritoriality
westerners accused of a crime in china would be sent back to their home country to be tried in their own courts
british sells opium which starts the
opium war
during the opium war the
british defeated the chinese
reults of the opium war is
the emperor agreed to pay for the opium that had been destroyed. britain was given control of hong kong
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