scramble for africa Flashcards
The Brussels Conference (1876)
hosted by King Leopold II of Belgium in 1876
was decided that Africans were incapable of developing their natural resources, as many believed africans to be an inferior race to europeans
stressed the importance of eliminating the slave trade and opening up the continent to the benefits of commerce and culture.
The national delegations agreed to a compromise of four such stations that could be linked by water, telegraph or road.
International African Association created to govern and implement the plan
The Berlin Conference 1884-5
Proposed by Portugal in pursuance of its special claim to the Congo estuary.
Seeking to regulate their colonisation and trade in Africa, German Bismarck invited representatives from European countries to a conference to work out the necessary policy
The delegates met in Berlin from 15th November 1884 through 26 February 1885.
The General act
Formalised several points:
power could only possess colonies if they maintained sufficient authority to administer and defend them; the Niger and Congo rivers were free and open to the traffic of trade
Declared the Congo River to be natural
guaranteed freedom of trade and shipping for all states in the basin
Forbade slave trading
Rejected Portugal’s claims to the Congo river estuary; making possible the founding of the independent Congo Free State
Effective occupation
1884 - 90% of Africa was controlled by local tribes or populations
This meant that European powers had to demonstrate their capacity to defend and administer the region they occupied to claim rightful rule
1902 - 90% of the continent was in European hands. Almost all of this territory was seized from local people
