Scramble for Africa

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The Scramble for Africa (or the Race for Africa) was the period of time from the 1880s until the start of World War I. During this time there was a lot of colonial expansion in Africa. Many European countries created colonies in Africa during this time. This is an example of New Imperialism.

The last fifty years of the 19th century saw a change in the way countries controlled their colonies. They changed from control by military and economic rule to direct control of the colonies during the 1870s. This was shown by the fight for land in areas that were once controlled by Western society.

Important people who helped European countries find more land in Africa included the explorers David Livingstone, Henry Morton Stanley, and Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, and the French politician Jules Ferry.

The Berlin Conference (1884 - 1885) ended the fight between the United Kingdom, France's Third Republic and the German Empire. It defined "effective occupation" as the rule for international recognition of colonial claims. Laws were made for using direct rule on a colony. These laws were possible because of armed force.

[edit] Books about the Scramble for Africa