The Berlin Conference: Dividing the Swahili Coast

The Berlin Conference of 1884-85 set the rules for the Scramble for Africa, but its real impact was felt on the ground, especially along the Swahili Coast. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the Conference's General Act, which declared free trade and navigation on the Niger and Congo rivers, had little to do with East Africa, yet legitimized Germany's claims to territories like the Kilimanjaro region and Dar es Salaam. They delve into the 1886 Anglo-German Agreement that carved up the Sultanate of Zanzibar's mainland possessions, creating German East Africa (Tanganyika) and British Kenya. Lucas explains how Sultan Barghash bin Said, who had fought to maintain his realm's independence, was forced to accept a rump state of the islands. The episode also covers the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty of 1890, where Britain traded Heligoland to Germany for Zanzibar and Pemba, and the Abushiri Revolt of 1888-89, a major uprising against German colonization. Throughout, Lucas highlights the role of figures like Carl Peters, Hermann von Wissmann, and Abushiri bin Salim al-Harthi. The discussion reveals how the Berlin Conference's abstract principles translated into concrete, often violent, colonial takeovers. #BerlinConference #SwahiliCoast #Zanzibar #CarlPeters #AbushiriRevolt #GermanEastAfrica #SultanBarghash #HeligolandZanzibarTreaty #EastAfrica #Colonialism #Imperialism #1884 #History #FexingoHistory #ScrambleForAfrica #Tanganyika #Kenya #Africa Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo