Latest / The Rise of Colonialism: How Europe Divided the World — Fexingo History
The Berlin Conference Cartographers
In this episode, we explore the bureaucratic machinery behind the Scramble for Africa, focusing not on the generals or kings, but on the mapmakers and diplomats in Berlin. We examine how the General Act of the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 established the principle of Effective Occupation, a legal fiction that allowed European powers to claim vast territories with minimal military presence. Lucas and Luna discuss the role of Hermann von Wissmann, whose private militia helped enforce German claims in East Africa, and the contentious negotiations over the Congo Basin. We look at the specific…
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