Scramble+for+Africa

=Scramble for Africa: 1881-1914=

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===The **Scramble for Africa** (also known as the **Race for Africa** or **Partition of Africa**) was the invasion, occupation, colonization, and annexation of [|African] territory by [|European] powers during the [|New Imperialism] (1870–1914) period, between 1881 and 1914.===

[[image:Berliner_kongress.jpg width="880" height="445"]]
===The [|Berlin Conference] of 1884, which regulated European colonization and trade in Africa, is often cited as a convenient starting point. Consequent to the political and economic rivalries among the European empires, in the last quarter of the 19th century, the partitioning of Africa was how the Europeans avoided warring amongst themselves over Africa. The last 59 years of the 19th century saw the transition from "informal imperialism" (by military influence and economic dominance), to the direct rule of colonies.===

===Owing to the upsetting of Bismarck's carefully laid balance of power in European politics caused by Leopold's gamble and subsequent European race for colonies, Germany felt compelled to act and started launching expeditions of its own which frightened both British and French statesmen. Hoping to quickly soothe this brewing conflict, King Leopold II was able to convince 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], [|German Chancellor], called on representatives of [|Austria-Hungary], [|Belgium], [|Denmark], [|France], the [|United Kingdom], [|Italy], the [|Netherlands], [|Portugal], [|Russia], [|Spain], [|Sweden-Norway] (union until 1905), the [|Ottoman Empire], and the [|United States] to take part in the Berlin Conference to work out policy. However, the United States did not actually participate in the conference both because it had an inability to take part in territorial expeditions as well as a sense of not giving the conference further legitimacy.===