The Berlin Conference: How Europe Carved Up Africa

In 1884, a group of European diplomats gathered in Berlin to draw borders on a continent they had barely explored. Over 90 days, they carved Africa into colonies, sparking a scramble that redrew the map forever. Lucas and Luna explore the conference's key players—Otto von Bismarck, King Leopold II of Belgium—and the cynical 'principle of effective occupation' that sparked land grabs across the continent. They unpack the economic drivers: rubber, ivory, gold, and the palm oil that greased industrial Europe's gears. And they ask: can you own a land you've never seen? This episode sets the stage for a series that will trace how those arbitrary lines created lasting trauma—and why the echoes of Berlin still shape Africa today. #BerlinConference #ScrambleForAfrica #OttoVonBismarck #KingLeopoldII #Colonialism #Imperialism #Africa #1884 #1885 #CongoFreeState #PartitionOfAfrica #EuropeanHistory #Rubber #Ivory #Exploration #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast #KingLeopold #GeneralAct Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo