Berlin Conference

Not to be confused with Congress of Berlin or Treaty of Berlin.

The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 was a meeting of colonial powers that concluded with the signing of the General Act of Berlin,[1] an agreement regulating European colonisation and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period. The conference of fourteen countries was organised by Otto von Bismarck, the first chancellor of Germany, at the request of Leopold II of Belgium at a building (No. 77, now No. 92) on Berlin’s central Wilhelmstrasse.[2] It met on 15 November 1884 and, after an adjournment, concluded on 26 February 1885 with the signing of the General Act. During the conference, attendees also discussed other related issues and agreed on a common framework for the recognition of European ''effective occupation'' of African coastal territory elsewhere on the continent. After the conference, the pace of European claims being made on African territory increased, part of the Scramble for Africa that had already begun.[3]

The General Act of Berlin can be seen as the formalisation of the Scramble for Africa that was already in full swing.[4] The conference contributed to ushering in a period of heightened colonial activity by European powers, and is sometimes cited as being responsible for the "carve-up of Africa".[5] However, some scholars warn against overstating its role in the colonial partitioning of Africa, drawing attention to the many bilateral agreements concluded before and after the conference.[6][7][8] A 2024 study found that the only borders set at the conference were those of the Congo region (and these were subsequently revised), and that most of Africa’s borders did not take their final form until over two decades later.[9] Wm. Roger Louis conceded, however, that "the Berlin Act did have a relevance to the course of the partition" of Africa.

European powers were also driven by economic motivations, as competition for the vast natural resources on the continent were crucial for industrialization and expansion. As European industries grew, the raw materials such as rubber, minerals, ivory, and cotton made Africa highly valuable.Control over Africa’s vast markets enabled European powers to sell manufactured goods, reinforcing their economic dominance in both resources and trade. The Berlin Conference (1884–1885) formalized these ambitions by recognizing territorial claims in resource-rich areas and establishing regulations to reduce conflict among competing colonial powers. Economic rivalries, particularly between Britain and France, heightened the urgency to secure colonies before monopolies could be established in strategic regions such as the Congo Basin. The industrial surplus in Europe further encouraged expansion, as African colonies provided both raw materials for European industries and ready markets for European manufactured products.[10][11]

Seven of the fourteen countries represented – Austria-Hungary, Russia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden-Norway, the Ottoman Empire, and the United States – came home without any formal possessions in Africa.

  1. ^ The Belgian Congo and the Berlin act, by Keith, Arthur Berriedale, 1919, p. 52.
  2. ^ De Belgische Koloniën - Documentaire over het Belgisch Koloniaal Rijk (English: The Belgian Colonies - Documentary on the Belgian Colonial Empire) timestamp 10:40 to 10:52)
  3. ^ "Berlin Conference | 1884, Result, Summary, & Impact on Africa | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 20 June 2025. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  4. ^ Bruce Gilley: In Defense of German Colonialism, September 1, 2022
  5. ^ Heath, Elizabeth (2010), "Berlin Conference of 1884–1885", Encyclopedia of Africa, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780195337709.001.0001/acref-9780195337709-e-0467, ISBN 978-0-19-533770-9, retrieved 17 June 2025
  6. ^ Katzenellenbogen, S. (1996). "It didn't happen at Berlin: Politics, economics and ignorance in the setting of Africa's colonial boundaries.". In Nugent, P.; Asiwaju, A. I. (eds.). African Boundaries: Barriers, Conduits and Opportunities. London: Pinter. pp. 21–34.
  7. ^ Craven, M. (2015). "Between law and history: the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 and the logic of free trade". London Review of International Law. 3: 31–59. doi:10.1093/lril/lrv002.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Crowe was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Paine, Jack; Qiu, Xiaoyan; Ricart-Huguet, Joan (2024). "Endogenous Colonial Borders: Precolonial States and Geography in the Partition of Africa". American Political Science Review. 119: 1–20. doi:10.1017/S0003055424000054. ISSN 0003-0554.
  10. ^ Pakenham, Thomas (15 December 1991). The Scramble for Africa. HarperCollins.
  11. ^ Boahem, Adu A (1 September 1989). African Perspectives on Colonialism. JohnsHopkinsPress.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.