The Scramble for Africa
Explore the Scramble for Africa — the rapid European colonization of the continent in the 1880s–1900s that divided Africa into artificial colonial territories.
The Scramble for Africa (c. 1881–1914) was the rapid invasion, occupation, and colonization of the African continent by European powers. In 1870, only about 10% of Africa was under European control; by 1914, over 90% had been colonized. The speed and scale of this territorial grab was unprecedented in world history.
The Berlin Conference of 1884–85, organized by Bismarck, established the rules by which European powers divided Africa among themselves — without any African participation. The conference required 'effective occupation' to claim territory, triggering a competitive rush. Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, and Spain carved the continent into colonies with borders drawn along lines of latitude and longitude, cutting through ethnic groups, kingdoms, and trade networks that had existed for centuries.
The consequences were devastating. King Leopold II's personal colony in the Congo became a byword for colonial horror — forced labor, mutilation, and an estimated 10 million deaths. Across the continent, Africans were subjected to forced labor, land seizure, taxation designed to compel wage work, and cultural suppression. The artificial borders created by colonial powers grouped together rival ethnic groups and divided coherent communities, creating political problems that persist to the present day.