What was the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885?
The Berlin Conference was a meeting of European powers over rules for colonial competition in Africa.
Historical context and developments
Participants discussed trade, rivers and the principle of effective occupation; African societies were not represented. The meeting did not draw every African border in one sitting, but helped accelerate colonial conquest.
Consequences and interpreting sources
African political systems predated the meeting, and conquest met resistance and negotiation. Colonial borders still matter, but one conference cannot explain every present issue.
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