Have you ever questioned where white European interest imposing colonization on Africa originated? This imperial initiative was conceived and accelerated at the Berlin conference of European countries. Put in more precise terms the action is called unprovoked, violent expansionism.
Europe and America left the confines of their territories and descended on a continent to rape and pillage resources of which they had no legal claim other than projecting outward for self-aggrandizement..
In 1881 the Scramble for Africa began which consisted of European powers invading and occupying African territories. A few years later the Berlin Conference took place which civilized the diving of Africa between these powers. Africa was not invited to the conference thus having no say in decisions made.
The Berlin conference included 13 European powers and the United States. They were, Austria- Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Ottoman Empire, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Spain, Sweden- Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States.
The imperialistic ways of these countries and powers caused harm to not just the African land but to the African people too. The land was stripped of its natural resources, and the people enslaved on their own native land to serve these imperial forces.
Conclusion
The Berlin conference was significant due to the major role it had in the colonization of Africa. It gave European nations the opportunity to take control of Africa and disregard the Natives that were there before them and just do what they wanted to do. This caused many problems fro the Native Africans that were there long before the Berlin Conference decided their fate. This was not fair for Africa and the people that basically got their culture and way of living forced away from them by new education and religion being forced upon them.
The Berlin Conference involved 13 European powers and the United States. Africa was split up which resulted in Britain and France gaining the majority of the land and the rest being controlled by the other nations involved. The conference abolished the slave trade but ironically still allowed and enslaved many people within their territories. The African land was used for the immense amounts of natural resources that were found in Africa including, gold diamond, and rubber.
The conference had positive and negative impacts on the African people but sadly most of them were negative. The Berlin Conference was one of the biggest events to happen in the world at this time. This is still a very important piece of world history to this day that shaped the continent of Africa forever.