On this day in 1884, the "Berlin Conference" began when delegations from nearly every Western European country and the U.S. met in Germany to develop a set of protocols for the seizure and control of African resources.
The conference, which had no African representatives, was the first international conference ever on the subject of Africa, and dealt almost soley with the matter of its exploitation.
At the time, approximately 80% of African land and resources were under domestic control; the influence of Europeans was most strongly exerted on the coast. Following it, colonial powers began seizing resources further inland.
As a result of the conference, which continued into 1885, a "General Act" was signed and ratified by all but one of the 14 nations at the table, the U.S. being the sole exception. The Act's main features were the establishment of a regime of free trade stretching across the middle of Africa, the development of which became the rationale for the recognition of the short-lived "Congo Free State", the abolition of the overland slave trade, and the principle of "effective occupation".
The Conference's rapacious intentions for Africa were noted by outsiders: socialist journalist Daniel De Leon described the conference as "an event unique in the history of political science...Diplomatic in form, it was economic in fact."
Before the Conference ended, the Lagos Observer declared that "the world had, perhaps, never witnessed a robbery on so large a scale." Theodore Holly, the first black Protestant Episcopal Bishop in the U.S., condemned the delegates as having "come together to enact into law, national rapine, robbery and murder".
Berlin 1884: Remembering the conference that divided Africa
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Gotta do the force yourself outta bed. I find if I do my daydreaming in the shower that helps cause you're standing up and sorta doing something productive but it's also nice and warm and stuff, it's like half way between bed and awake. I also get my clothes out beforehand and have them somewhere between my shower and my bed so I'm more likely to get fully dressed. Put your shoes on at this time as well for maximum effect. I also try to get some kind of errand done so I'm outside and walking pretty soon on. Usually it's either going to buy smokes or cat food but then I'm out in the world. It takes a lot of effort for me to do stuff in the winter, I was built to hibernate
yea, and forcing myself helps. today I'm just like dealing with a few things but I do plan on like doing laundry, dishes and washing the restroom later on tonight. and hopefully that helps later on.
I have to pick a day for house chores or that's all i do for like the first 4 hours of my day and I don't eat and whatever causenive got momentum dammit.