The Berlin Conference's Border That Split the Ewe

In this episode, we explore how the Berlin Conference's arbitrary border drawing split the Ewe people between Togoland and the Gold Coast, creating a lasting ethnic partition that would shape Ghana and Togo's histories. We trace the Ewe's pre-colonial social structures, the 1884 treaty with Gustav Nachtigal that established German Togoland, and the Anglo-French boundary commissions that drew lines through Ewe villages. We examine the 1919 British Mandate referendum, the 1956 Ewe plebiscite, and how leaders like Sylvanus Olympio campaigned for unification. We reflect on the Ewe's continued cross-border ties and the broader legacy of colonial borders that divided African societies. Join us as we uncover the human cost of map-making. #BerlinConference #EwePartition #Togoland #GoldCoast #GustavNachtigal #SylvanusOlympio #Plebiscite1956 #ColonialBorders #EthnicPartition #GeneralAct1885 #EffectiveOccupation #AngloFrenchBoundary #GermanColonialism #BritishMandate #Togo #Ghana #BorderDrawing #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo