Latest / The Rise of Colonialism: How Europe Divided the World — Fexingo History
The Berlin Conference Maps and the Erasure of African Agency
While previous episodes have focused on the political maneuvering of Bismarck and Leopold II, this episode shifts focus to the cartographic violence of the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference. We explore how European diplomats drew arbitrary straight lines across complex indigenous landscapes, ignoring existing ethnic boundaries and trade routes. The conversation examines the concept of 'effective occupation' as a legal fiction used to justify conquest, and highlights the resistance of figures like Samori Touré who challenged these imposed borders. By analyzing specific treaties and maps…
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