Berlin Conference Opens

Setting the scene

By 1884, European powers were racing to claim Africa—Belgium's King Leopold II controlled Congo, France held West Africa, Britain held Egypt and South Africa. Otto von Bismarck called the Berlin Conference to prevent war among Europeans over African claims and to establish rules for colonization. Fourteen nations attended from November 15, 1884, to February 26, 1885, but no Africans were invited.

What happened

The conference established the Principle of Effective Occupation—powers had to actually control territory to claim it, not just plant flags. It divided Africa into spheres of influence with arbitrary borders drawn on maps, ignoring ethnic groups and geography. Leopold II secured personal ownership of Congo Free State, promising free trade and humanitarianism. The conference also banned the slave trade and guaranteed free navigation of the Congo and Niger rivers.

Why it still matters

The Berlin Conference accelerated the Scramble for Africa—by 1914, Europeans controlled 90% of Africa, up from 10% in 1880. The arbitrary borders created future conflicts, including the Rwandan genocide and countless civil wars. Leopold's Congo became a horror, with 10 million Congolese dying from forced rubber collection. The conference legitimized colonialism as international law and demonstrated European disregard for African sovereignty, the effects of which persist in Africa's political instability today.

Background

It formalized rules used during the 'Scramble for Africa.'.