1. The Berlin Conference (1884)
Meeting of European powers in order to establish colonies peacefully in Africa without any consent of the native people of Africa

3. The Berlin Conference (1884)
Why the desire to have influence in Africa?
Africa’s vast mineral resources
Europeans were competing with each other

4. The Berlin Conference (1884)
The representatives at the conference literally drew, erased, and re-drew boundaries WITH NO REGARD FOR THE TRIBAL REALITIES IN AFRICA
Natural boundaries like rivers and mountains were ignored

5. The Berlin Conference (1884)
Africans from the same tribal (ethnic) groups found themselves separated and under different colonial rulers
Hostile tribes often found themselves within the same political boundaries

6. The Berlin Conference (1884)

7. King Leopold II of Belgium
Brutal ruler over what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo
Used forced labor to extract rubber, copper, diamonds, ivory, and gold

8. King Leopold II of Belgium
Congolese that didn’t cooperate or didn’t produce enough wealth had their hands chopped off

10. The Berlin Conference (1884)
Many of Africa’s tribal conflicts today can be traced to the ill effects of the Berlin Conference