The first comprehensive account of the Berlin Africa Conference of 1884 and 1885, this book looks at the mixed motives behind the partition of Africa into colonial monopolies. Historians from both Africa and Europe interpret this unique moment in Euro-Africa relations, looking at the origins of the meeting, the priorities of negotiators, economic interests, missionary aspirations, and national rivalries.
The Encyclopedia of Africa presents the most up-to-date and thorough reference on this region of ever-growing importance in world history, politics, and culture. Its core is comprised of the entries focusing on African history and culture from 2005's acclaimed five-volume Africana - nearly two-thirds of these 1,300 entries have been updated, revised, and expanded to reflect the most recent scholarship. Organized in an A-Z format, the articles cover prominent individuals, events, trends, places, political movements, art forms, business and trade, religions, ethnic groups, organizations, and countries throughout Africa. There are articles on contemporary nations of sub-Saharan Africa, ethnic groups from various regions of Africa, and European colonial powers. Other examples include Congo River, Ivory trade, Mau Mau rebellion, and Pastoralism. The Encyclopedia of Africa is sure to become the essential resource in the field.
"The image of Sweden is one of a small, democratic and peace-loving country without the moral burden of a colonial past. However, in this Current African Issues publication, the notion that Sweden lacks a colonial past in Africa is brought into question. At the Berlin Conference 1884-85, the rules for colonisation of Africa were agreed upon among a handful of white men. With the blessing of King Oscar II, the united kingdoms of Sweden-Norway participated in the Berlin conference, ratified the resulting convention and signed a trade agreement with King Leopold's International Congo Association. Thereafter, hundreds of Swedish militaries, seamen and missionaries took an active part in the brutal colonial project in the Congo. What was Sweden-Norway really doing at the Berlin Conference and in the ensuing Scramble for Africa ? Is it now time to re-assess Swedish identity in relation to Africa, an identity so far centered on colonial innocence ? Dr DAVID NILSSON is a researcher at the Division of History of Science, Technology and Environment, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. His research focuses on global long term perspectives on sustainable development in Africa." -- Abstract.
In the late 19th century, a group of men in Berlin decided the fate of an entire continent. The scramble for Africa, culminating in the infamous Berlin Conference, laid the groundwork for the European colonization of Africa, irrevocably changing its history and destiny. "The Berlin Conference: How Europe Divided Africa and Ignited a Curse" delves into the dramatic events that led to the partitioning of Africa by European powers. Witness the power plays, negotiations, and political maneuvering in Berlin's opulent halls. The narrative takes a tight turn when it introduces Otto, a German participant in the conference, and Adia, a beautiful woman from a village in the Congo. Their star-crossed love story unfolds against the backdrop of the colonial era, illuminating the human stories behind historical events. Discover the story of the curse laid upon the European colonizers by a village elder, a curse believed to have shaped the destinies of Otto's lineage and the generations of Africans and Europeans that followed. The tale explores the African resistance, the deceptions of the Europeans, and the devastating impact of their false promises. The book finally reflects on the enduring legacy of the Berlin Conference, the continuous struggle of African nations to overcome the effects of colonization, and the essential role of understanding and acknowledging Europe's part in shaping Africa's past and present. An enthralling journey through history, love, and betrayal, "The Berlin Conference: How Europe Divided Africa and Ignited a Curse" is a poignant reminder of the human cost of greed and the indomitable spirit of those who resist oppression.
On August 13, 1961, under the cover of darkness, East German authorities sealed the border between East and West Berlin using a hastily constructed barbed wire fence. Over the next twenty-eight years of the Cold War, the Berlin Wall grew to become an ever-present physical and psychological divider in this capital city and a powerful symbol of Cold War tensions. Similarly, stark polarities arose in nearly every aspect of public and private life, including the built environment. In Architecture, Politics, and Identity in Divided Berlin Emily Pugh provides an original comparative analysis of selected works of architecture and urban planning in both halves of Berlin during the Wall era, revealing the importance of these structures to the formation of political, cultural, and social identities. Pugh uncovers the roles played by organizations such as the Foundation for Prussian Cultural Heritage and the Building Academy in conveying the political narrative of their respective states through constructed spaces. She also provides an overview of earlier notable architectural works, to show the precursors for design aesthetics in Berlin at large, and considers projects in the post-Wall period, to demonstrate the ongoing effects of the Cold War. Overall, Pugh offers a compelling case study of a divided city poised between powerful contending political and ideological forces, and she highlights the effort expended by each side to influence public opinion in Europe and around the World through the manipulation of the built environment.
At the 1884-1885 Conference of Berlin a cartel of largely European states effectively set the rules for the partition of Africa, an event whose historical and structural importance continues to affect and shape Africa's contemporary international relations. This 'Curse' is a recurring theme in Adebajo's trenchant historical analysis, even though its main focus is on contemporary African issues after the Cold War. The first part of the book examines Africa's quest for security with three essays on Africa's security institutions such as the African Union and sub-regional bodies; another on the political, peacekeeping, and socio-economic roles of the United Nations (UN) in Africa; and a third on Africa's two UN Secretaries-General between 1992 and 2006: Egypt's Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Ghana's Kofi Annan. The second section of the book focuses on Africa's quest for leadership, and five chapters examine the hegemonic roles of South Africa, Nigeria, the United States, China and France on the continent. The five chapters in the final section of the study analyse Africa's quest for unity, and examine the roles and significance for Africa of six historical figures: Mandela, Mbeki, Kwame Cecil Rhodes, Obama, and Gandhi; as well as assessing the African Union and the EU in comparative perspective.
This is the first research study on Tobias Asser, the Nobel Peace laureate, based on his personal files. It sheds new light on all aspects of Asser's imposing career and enlightens the dramatic interaction of the professional and private reaches.
