History form 3: The berlin conference (1884-1885)
The Berlin conference was the meeting of European powers which was held in Berlin the capital town of Germany from November 1884 to February 1885 at the invitation of Otto von Bismarck the chancellor of Germany. The conference was attended by the 14 powers, where USA and Denmark attended as an observers. The meeting was called at the time when Europe was at the stage of monopoly capitalism/imperialism. History form 3: The berlin conference (1884-1885)
The Objectives (Goals) of the Conference were:
1. To solve the Congo and Niger problems.
2. Need of Bismarck to diverge France’s interest from France to Africa.
3. To develop Africa for imperialism.
4. To discuss views from different European nations on how to abolish the slave trade in the African territories.
The Resolutions / agreements / principles of the Berlin Conference were:
1. Principle of notification. Each power which claimed any part of African territory was required to inform the other European power that had signed the treaty in order to avoid crushes among themselves.
2. Principle of effective occupation or control. European power which claims to any part of Africa would be recognized by the other powers if it was effectively occupied by such European power lie under this clause. The claimants were supposed to develop the areas through their missionaries trading companies’ explorers starting plantations and other economic activities.
3. King Leopold was allowed to rule Congo, but the Congo river was left to be a free zone for all nations. In this case the basin was an international highway.
4. Freedom of navigation. The conference declared that Congo, the Niger River and other big rivers as free zones for international navigation i.e. Niger River under the authority of Great Britain and Congo River under the authority of Belgium.
5. Abolition of slave trade. Each European power which attended the meeting had to abolish the slave trade in African territory and should further extend its sphere of influence from the coastal regions to the internal land and draw political boundaries.
SIGNIFICANCE OF BERLIN CONFERENCE
1. It resolved the international rivalries that ivoted in areas like Congo, Egypt and Nile.
2. It speeded the partition of Africa under the principle of effective occupation.
3. The Conference highligtened the unity and degree of cooperation among European powers.
4. The Conference opened the interior of African land for colonization.
5. it avoided the possibility of the emperior powers to inter into war during the scramble for Africa.
6. It led to the setting of colonial boundaries in African Continent.
EFFECT OF PARTITION OF EAST AFRICA
1. The conflicts erupted between the religious groups such as the CMS (the church missionary society) the Bangereza or British participants. The white fathers (French Roman Catholics) or Bafaranca and Swahili traders (coastal Arabs and Kiswahili traders) who were being supported by the Kabaka and the traditionalists. The CMS entered in Buganda in 1877. The white fathers in 1879 both needed to spread Protestantism or Catholicism in Buganda. But they were opposed by the Muslims Arabs who had warned the Kabaka about the dangers of European missionaries, to respond Kabaka executed three believers of the CMS in 1885 including Bishop Hunnington.
2. In 1886 the government of the Kabaka killed about 30 converts at the court after refusing to drop their Christian faith as a result the CMS appealed to the British and whitefathers to the French government to penetrate and protect them hence the scramble for Africa.
3. An attempt to establish a Belgium empire from the coast of East Africa to the Congo basin from 1876 to 1889 by sending expeditions threatened the British and the Germans who were already in East Africa. In 1876 king Leopard formed the international Africa association trade, established Christianity civilization and control trade in the Congo region. Britain and Germany immediately pushed for East Africa to avoid it from falling under the control of king Leopold II of Belgium.
4. The need for raw materials and markets by Germany and Britain made them scramble for colonies in East Africa. Both Germany and Britain were industrialized countries demanding for raw materials, markets, areas for investments and cheap labour of which could be obtained in Africa hence the struggle to scramble for.
5. Trade. Both powers needed to occupy Zanzibar and large parts of the interior for trading interests. Among the commercial companies were such as the Germany with the company and the British East African association of 1887 these companies competed with each other.
6. British rule over Zanzibar began in 1890, while in Uganda and Kenya was in 1894 and was then refered as British East Africa).
7. Germany took Tanganyika including Dar es Salaam and bought the Coastal 10 strips from Zanzibar.
8. Dar-es-Salaam and Mombasa became important main ports and were linked with railway to the interior.
9. Two agreements (Anglo German of 1886 & 1890) eliminated in the prelude to colonialism.
STEPS WHICH WERE TAKEN IN THE PARTITION
The Powers Signed two Agreements or Treaties which included;
1.The Anglo – Germany Agreement or Delimitation Treaty of 1886.
In this agreement the two powers agreed on the following matters;
A. They defined the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, Mafia, Kismay, Brava, Mogadishu and Warshekh as the dominions of the sultan of Zanzibar plus 10mile coastal trip to Witu.
B. The region between the river Tana and river Ruvuma was divided by boundary to the Umba River to Lake Victoria.
C. The Northern half of (modern Kenya) became a British sphere of influence while the southern half becomes the Germany sphere of influence.
D. Germany was given Witu the coastline of Kenya up to Kipini river in Kenya.
The rivalry between the two powers continued because the western boundaries were not drawn between Tanganyika and Kenya.
The competition for the control of Uganda began due to its fertility, high population and being the source of river Nile. Britain feared that if Germany controlled Uganda her stay there would be in danger. At the same time Karl Peter’s of Germany trade treaties with Kabaka Mwanga and the chief Nabongo Sekwanga Mumia in western Kenya, therefore the rivalry between them led to another agreement.
2. The Helgoland Treaty of 1890
In this agreement the two powers agreed on the following matters;
1. Germany recognized Uganda and Kenya as British spheres of influence.
2. Germany recognized Zanzibar as the British protectorate and the rest of the sultan’s dominions.
3. Germany lost the Witu which became under British possession in Kenya. In compensation for Witu Germany was given Helgoland an island off the coast of Germany in the north sea to use it as a military base.
4. Germany continued to control Tanganyika and she acquired ten miles coastal strip from the sultan of Zanzibar by buying the area as compensation to the sultan for the possession, then the German controlled ports of Tanga, Bagamoyo, Dar es salaam, Kilwa and Mikindani and other parts of Tanganyika.
5. The western boundaries between Tanganyika, Uganda and Kenya were defined. Uganda became a British protectorate.
The Anglo-Belgian treaty of 1891 defined the south western Uganda. Therefore Germany controlled Rwanda and Burundi.