Berlin Conference

The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 was a meeting of colonial powers that concluded with the signing of the General Act of Berlin, an agreement regulating European colonisation and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period. The conference of fourteen countries was organised by Otto von Bismarck, the first chancellor of Germany, at the request of Leopold II of Belgium at a building (No. 77, now No. 92) on Berlin's central Wilhelmstrasse. It met on 15 November 1884 and, after an adjournment, concluded on 26 February 1885 with the signing of the General Act. During the conference, attendees also discussed other related issues and agreed on a common framework for the recognition of European ''effective occupation'' of African coastal territory elsewhere on the continent. After the conference, European claims on African territory increased with international legal recognition, having a newly established legal framework for establishing colonies. The General Act of Berlin can be seen as formalizing the ongoing Scramble for Africa. The conference contributed to ushering in a period of heightened colonial activity by European powers, and is sometimes cited as being responsible for the "carve-up of Africa." However, some scholars warn against overstating its role in the colonial partitioning of Africa, drawing attention to the many bilateral agreements concluded before and after the conference. A 2024 study found that the only borders set at the conference were those of the Congo region (which were subsequently revised), and that most of Africa's borders did not take their final form until over two decades later. U.S. historians Wm. Roger Louis and Prosser Gifford conceded, however, that "the Berlin Act did have a relevance to the course of the partition" of Africa. European powers were also driven by economic motivations, as competition for the vast natural resources on the continent were crucial...