5) Berlin Conference notes PDF

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First class notes with lecture, discussion and readings...

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5) Berlin Conference 3rd impulse Deal with aspiration of King Leopold, to designing his Belgium Colony 2 narratives 1- colonisation, and germany establishing a colony and portugal, Britain and French desire to compete against each other 2- free trade agenda HM Stanley- expert attached to the US mission - that signalled that the US was there as the belgium mouthpiece US first nation to recognise Leopold’s state in the Congo Anticolonial free traders won- and lead to the partition of Africa and also led to the most brutal colonial rule in history- Leopold With the UK at the forefront of going against Leopold’s free state Seen as a humanitarian‘In convoking the Conference, the Imperial Government was guided by the conviction that all the Governments invited share the wish to bring the natives of Africa within the pale of civilization by opening up the interior of that continent to commerce, by giving its inhabitants the means of instructive themselves, by encouraging missions and enterprises calculated to spread useful knowledge, and by preparing the way for the suppression of slavery, and especially the over-sea Traffic in blacks, the gradual abolition of which was proclaimed by the Congress of Vienna of 1815 as the sacred duty of all the Powers.’ Bismark, Introduction, Nov 15, 1884, Protocol No.1 Humanitarian and commercial agenda- by opening up the interior of that contient to commerce Want to be important African goods to Europe but also a market that you can export to- make the African consumers

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Three main questions addressed in the Conference

1. Freedom of Commerce in the Basin and Mouths of the Congo. 2. The Application to the Congo and Niger of the principles adopted by the Congress of Vienna with a view to preserve freedom of navigation on certain international rivers, principles applied at a later date to the River Danube 1. Danube was a regime of internationalization for the congo 2. Expanding it to Niger was a way for the British to wipe out he French 3. Agreed to internationalise the congo and leave the Niger aside 3. A definition of the formalities to be observed so that new occupations on the African coasts shall be deemed effective. 1. Mutual notification 2. Control the land ie more than planting the flag and have to make an effective administrative colonies. German said that the British were not good at it

3. Limited to establishment of claims on the coast and not inland, and by that time a large part of the coast had already been claimed Focused on coast because had an idea that the interior would be free trade and so the only parts to be colonised would be the coast

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Main points of discussion

Status of the International Association of the Congo King Leopold and co- small group that would give him money and promote his view Issue here: It is not a state so can a non state entity claim sovereignty over a territory. Most states said that was not possible. They can claim sovereignty on behalf of a state but that is not what was happening Effect of Treaties with local sovereigns The sovereign of Africa on which they were claiming to have sovereignty over were not present. So the status of the treaties was curious Legitimacy of Colonial Protectorates Significance of anti-slavery initiative 1815 agrement that European should abolish slave trade UK takes the lead of politcing, as the mane naval power- catch the ship and get the goods, that may at tames included the slaves...