The Berlin Conference of 1884 created and divided Africa into different European sections of control. The Conference was designed to set rules and guidelines that would allow the European powers to extract and capitalize on what they believed to be Africa’s full market potential. Africa being one of the last remaining untapped continents of colonization, the Europeans saw Africa as an opportunity to expand their growing industrial economies. However each European power dealt with their own collection of African territories with different intent, direction, and levels of control, creating a dynamic collection of colonialism that varied as different as the regions of Africa itself. By analyzing France and Germanys strategies and agendas in Africa,
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This is seen with France especially. France was continuing to suffer after the fall of Napoleon, leaving its economy, and political influence in shambles (Houck). While France and Germany were benefiting from the European economic boom from the Industrial Revolution, they still were shadowed behind England, who was “exporting more capital then France and Germany combined” (Wesseling 27). When the Berlin Conference was creating its boundary lines, France took claim to some of the largest sections of Africa such as Senegal, French Congo, Algeria and large parts of Morocco. When analyzing the reasoning behind France wanting such large parts of Africa, even when its territory was in large part the Seherria Desert, you have to look at the internal issues France was having. For France, Africa became a type of nationalist reviver, new King Charles X was very unpopular, they felt the only way to save the monarchy in Paris was to launch campaigns that would redeem the French monarch name, bring economic wealth, and assert its military dominance. By campaigning it would bring back military prestige and prestige of France itself. (Wessseling 89). France used military rule, jurisdiction and government force to control the areas it was occupied in. One of their …show more content…
The Germans policies and involvement however varied across the different controlled regions and as time progressed. Otto Von Bismarck, the leader of newly unified Germany did not want to “spend a dime” on Germany East African colonies (Houck). Bismarck had finally agreed to the founding of the East African colonies only on the condition that it would not cost the Reich any money. The load of the cost were instead put on the German trading company in the area the DOAG, but this was however impossible and the colony began collapsing (Wesseling 172). This finally sparked intervention with the German military, which created a blended mix of military and civil rule. In places like Cameroon there was also inadequate funding to establish any control of the region forcing the eventual Reich intervention (Wessling 164). Even when military administrator were set, it didn’t clear things in the German colonies, such as in East Africa, where large revolts like the Maji Maji Revolution took place causing much more intervention then wanted in the Reich (Wesseling 174). Wars also plagued the German Southwest African colonies, where the region was thought to be a golden land of opportunity, causing a large emigration into the region. This
This is seen with France especially. France was continuing to suffer after the fall of Napoleon, leaving its economy, and political influence in shambles (Houck). While France and Germany were benefiting from the European economic boom from the Industrial Revolution, they still were shadowed behind England, who was “exporting more capital then France and Germany combined” (Wesseling 27). When the Berlin Conference was creating its boundary lines, France took claim to some of the largest sections of Africa such as Senegal, French Congo, Algeria and large parts of Morocco. When analyzing the reasoning behind France wanting such large parts of Africa, even when its territory was in large part the Seherria Desert, you have to look at the internal issues France was having. For France, Africa became a type of nationalist reviver, new King Charles X was very unpopular, they felt the only way to save the monarchy in Paris was to launch campaigns that would redeem the French monarch name, bring economic wealth, and assert its military dominance. By campaigning it would bring back military prestige and prestige of France itself. (Wessseling 89). France used military rule, jurisdiction and government force to control the areas it was occupied in. One of their …show more content…
The Germans policies and involvement however varied across the different controlled regions and as time progressed. Otto Von Bismarck, the leader of newly unified Germany did not want to “spend a dime” on Germany East African colonies (Houck). Bismarck had finally agreed to the founding of the East African colonies only on the condition that it would not cost the Reich any money. The load of the cost were instead put on the German trading company in the area the DOAG, but this was however impossible and the colony began collapsing (Wesseling 172). This finally sparked intervention with the German military, which created a blended mix of military and civil rule. In places like Cameroon there was also inadequate funding to establish any control of the region forcing the eventual Reich intervention (Wessling 164). Even when military administrator were set, it didn’t clear things in the German colonies, such as in East Africa, where large revolts like the Maji Maji Revolution took place causing much more intervention then wanted in the Reich (Wesseling 174). Wars also plagued the German Southwest African colonies, where the region was thought to be a golden land of opportunity, causing a large emigration into the region. This