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The Berlin Conference: A Continent Carved by Rulers

History worth knowing

The Berlin Conference: A Continent Carved by Rulers

11 min

An examination of the 1884 Berlin Conference where European leaders partitioned Africa without African representation, creating geopolitical fault lines that persist today.

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Show notes

Overview of the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference and its participants.

The role of King Leopold II and the creation of the Congo Free State.

Explanation of the 'Principle of Effective Occupation'.

Analysis of how geometric borders impacted African ethnic and cultural groups.

The lasting legacy of colonial boundaries in modern African diplomacy.

In this episode

  1. 1Intro1 min
  2. 2The Invitation to Wilhelmstrasse2 min
  3. 3Leopold’s Great Swindle2 min
  4. 4The Rules of the Game2 min
  5. 5Geometry Over Geography2 min
  6. 6The Long Shadow of Berlin2 min
  7. 7Outro1 min

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The Berlin Conference: A Continent Carved by Rulers — Fylom