Introduction

The 1884 Berlin Conference, also known as the Congo Conference or the Scramble for Africa, was a watershed moment in African history. The Scramble for Africa is a term used to describe European powers' colonization and partition of Africa in the late nineteenth century. Representatives from fourteen European nations, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire attended the conference, which took place in Berlin, Germany, from November 15, 1884, to February 26, 1885. The conference aimed to regulate and coordinate European colonization and trade in Africa; in other words, they hoped to divide the continent of Africa among the European powers and this was instrumental in shaping Africa's future.

Countries and principal actors

Representatives from fourteen European countries attended the conference, including Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway, and the United Kingdom. The conference also included representatives from the United States and the Ottoman Empire.

The main goal of the conference was to establish a framework for dividing Africa among European powers and to prevent conflict over territory and resources. There were no African representatives at the conference, and their interests and rights were not taken into account in the decision-making process.

The Chancellor of Germany, Otto von Bismarck, was instrumental in organizing and hosting the conference. Bismarck had a vested interest in Africa and wanted Germany to participate in the "scramble" for Africa.

Bismarck, French diplomat Jules Ferry, British politician Edward Stanley, and Portuguese statesman Serpa Pinto were the leading players at the conference.

Speeches and Actions

The conference began with a speech by Bismarck, who emphasized the importance of cooperation among European powers in African colonization. He contended that a lack of a coordinated approach to Africa would result in conflict and bloodshed. Bismarck also proposed the principle of effective occupation, which stated that European countries could claim sovereignty over an African territory only if they effectively controlled it.

The conference then moved on to discuss various proposals for dividing Africa. Britain proposed establishing an African free trade zone, while France and Germany advocated for a more direct division of territory. Eventually, the conference agreed on the General Act of the Berlin Conference,........

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