The Effects of the Berlin Confernece on Africa Essay

Africa is a large country and Europe noticed this, they wanted to capitalize on everything it had to offer. Africa has a large quantity of natural resources including oil, diamonds, gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, copper, bauxite, silver, petroleum and cocoa beans, but also woods and tropical fruits. Much of its natural resources are undiscovered or barely harnessed. The Berlin Conference was Africas undoing in more ways than one. The colonial powers superimposed their domains on the African continent. By the time independence returned to Africa in 1950, the realm had acquired a legacy of political fragmentation that could neither be eliminated nor made to operate satisfactorily (Muller, 301). In 1876 the king of Belgium, Leopold II†¦show more content†¦French claims Pierre de Brazza was ok with French taking control of todays Republic of the Congo. This convinced Italy to become part of a Triple Alliance, disturbing Bismarcks carefully laid plans with Italy. The extent of Portuguese control on the coasts, penetration by France across Central Africa toward Ethiopia, the Nile, and the Suez Canal, Britain saw its vital trade route through Egypt and its Indian Empire threatened. The collapsed Egyptian Economics and a large riot which had hundreds of Europeans and British subjects murdered, the United Kingdom intervened in nominally Egypt, which would later become British territory. Due to the disappointment of Bismarcks power in European politics caused by Leopolds gamble and later European race for colonies, Germany felt obligated to act and started beginning trips of its own which scared both British and French explorers. Hoping to soothe this growing 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 Portugal, , German Chancellor, called on representatives of Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Norway the Ottoman Empire, and the United States to take part in the Berlin Conference to work out a plan. However, the United States did not actually join in the conference because it was not able to