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15, 1884 that the Berlin West Africa
Conference began. Formally dressed,
diplomats from 14 European nations
and the United States of America
came to the table, the purpose of the
meeting ostensibly being
humanitarian concerns for Africa.
Hitherto, the Europeans had
confined themselves to coastal
Africa, and had avoided venturing
inland for fear of yellow fever,
malaria, and the nameless hazards
associated with the “Dark
Continent.” Now, the “Scramble for
Africa,” that had begun slowly in
the 1870s, would be accelerated, and
the race to obtain “spheres of
influence” within the continent’s
interior would be continued in
earnest. This would reach its peak
towards the end of the 19th century,
and only begin to diminish during
the first decade of the next.
Many believe the European
nations divided African land
between themselves as they sat at
the table in Berlin, but in fact this
had already been happening for
some years. The Berlin Conference
only served to recognize the status
quo and was largely meaningless,
yet it emphasized Europe’s
unquestioned attitude of superiority,
indicating they were poised to take
over the continent, which they
would accomplish over the next 25
years; lines would be cut across
traditional borders, ignoring ethnic,
linguistic, and cultural groups to
create nations of disparate people
who would not necessarily have
much in common.
Beginning in the 1950s, the
colonies regained their
independence over the next 40 years,
but the rapidity of the process was
to bring unrest and instability that
continues to this day.
A Concise History of Africa
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