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Berlin Conference 1884
Thomas Jefferson Model United Nations
Conference
TechMUN 2017
High School Specialized Agency
Chairs: Akhil Rekulapelli and David Yan
TechMUN || Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology ||
April 21-22, 2017
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Hello delegates!
My name is Akhil Rekulapelli,
and I am excited be one of your cochairs for the Berlin Conference during
TechMUN 2017! I am a junior at TJ,
and have been doing Model UN since
my freshman year. I have great interest
in geography, which led me to firstly
winning the 2014 National Geographic
Bee, and later joining TJ MUN my
freshman year. I am also an active
participant in a multitude of other
clubs, such as our school’s rowing
team, Quiz Bowl team, as well as
Biology Olympiad. When I’m not
studying or doing any of that, you can usually find me playing a variety of other sports, reading,
or traveling the world. As a whole, I’m extremely ecstatic to be your chair for TechMUN 2017,
and I’m looking forward to seeing the novel ideas this committee can come up with! If you ever
have any concerns or questions, feel free to email myself or David at
[email protected].
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Hey everyone!
My name is David Yan and
I'll be your other chair. I'm currently
a junior, and this is my second year
in TJ Model UN. Outside of MUN,
I'm interested in neuroscience, am
involved in TJ Minds Matter, and
play hockey and lacrosse. In my free
time I enjoy thrifting, hanging out
with my friends, collecting records,
listening to indie music, and eating
good food. I look forward to hearing
you discussing your ideas, seeing
you collaborating with others, and
enjoying yourself while you do so when we meet in April. Whether it's remapping Africa or
regulating trade, come prepared-- I can't wait to see how you shape history.
Best,
Akhil and David
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Topic 1: Redrawing the African Map
Introduction
By the late 19th century, European imperialism had reached a peak. As European
leaders formed political allegiances, made diplomatic maneuvers, and expanded further
into Africa, a conflict between countries soon seemed inevitable. After years of
unchecked slave trading and gold mining in the vast continent of Africa, European
leaders found themselves on the precipice of conflict over this resource-laden land. In
order to avoid a premature world war, Portugal called for a conference to partition
Africa, thereby leading to the Berlin Conference of 1884 headed by German Chancellor
Otto von Bismarck. With each country attempting to expand its industrial sector and
economic market by acquiring the largest piece of Africa, power struggles soon arose
(Heath). Coming into the conference, von Bismarck
and France had an informal agreement to
undermine the expansion of the large British empire
(Craven). In addition, the majority of countries were
worried about the large tracts of land that King
Leopold of Belgium had quickly started to amass.
These, however, were not the sole ententes arranged
before the conference; informal agreements like
these would lead to conflicts during the conference
Figure 1. Africa Before the Berlin
Conference, 1882
itself.
Setting the Stage
Since the Portuguese began exploring Africa in the 1450s, it was clear that the
continent was a land of abundant natural and human resources (Aronson). With the
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start of the Industrial Revolution, European countries began flocking to the previously
untouched continent (Aronson). The start of major conflicts came when King Leopold II
of Belgium created the philanthropic International Congo Society, which was simply a
front for his imperialistic goals ("The Berlin Conference of 1884–85"). As Leopold II
finalized plans to take over the congo territory and establish the Congo Free State, his
plans were intercepted by French intelligence, who quickly moved into the same area
("The Berlin Conference of 1884–85"). Compounding this conflict, Portugal also
claimed this area using agreements with both Spain and the United Kingdom, which
resulted in further division between the European countries ("The Berlin Conference of
1884–85"). This dominance by Belgium, Portugal, France, and the United Kingdom in
Africa left other countries feeling threatened, thus resulting in the start of their
imperialistic conquests ("Berlin Conference 1885").
With Germany, under the leadership of chancellor Otto von Bismarck, quickly
expanding into Africa, violence started to erupt between countries. Realizing this,
Leopold II and Bismarck decided that a conference was required to peacefully resolve
the issues (Aronson). Leading up to the conference, the invited countries had the
understanding that the primary concern would be to address the status of the Congo and
Niger rivers as neutral areas of free trade, controlling the slave trade, and protecting
humanitarian idealism. ("Scramble for Africa: Berlin Conference of 1884 -1885 to Divide
Africa", Aronson). However, behind the scenes, Otto von Bismarck was developing a
scheme to expand Germany's sphere of influence by pitting his country's competition
against one another-- an ulterior motive shared by many of the attending leaders
("Scramble for Africa: Berlin Conference of 1884 -1885 to Divide Africa").
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The African Map
Prior to the 1884 Berlin Conference, the majority of the African continent still
remained under the control of indigenous people ("Mapping History"). In addition, the
only colonized areas were along the coastline, leaving the majority of inland Africa not
only uncolonized, but uncharted as well ("Mapping History"). During this time, the most
colonized areas were Cape Colony at the southern tip of Africa and The Congo Free State
under control by Belgium ("Africa before the Berlin Conference, 1882"). The Congo Free
State acquired by Leopold II became an important part of Africa following the actual
conference itself, as it was uncharacteristically given solely to Belgium as an area where
all European nations could trade freely (Faal). Agreements like this were commonplace
during the conference, with each country attempting to acquire the most land while
maintaining economic dominance. As a result, previously vast expanses of uncharted
land were quickly discovered and divided up for the respective countries ("Africa before
the Berlin Conference, 1882"). These areas of European control were primarily
established as corporate states, concerned with creating trade monopolies in Africa. This
was starkly contrasted by the neighboring areas where indigenous tribes still resided,
attempting to preserve their way of life in a time of European conquest.
As the Berlin Conference approached, more and more of these tribes were wiped
out by European powers in a race to imperialize the largest portion of Africa. The
existing boundaries between the tribes and other various groups native to Africa would
soon become void as the European powers set their eyes on the plentiful natural
resources, the prospect of an untouched market to sell to, and easily exploitable labor
sources.
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With the Berlin Conference quickly approaching, history will soon be made. Until
this point, Africa has been a continent of unchecked imperialism, with each country
laying claim to whatever lands it desired. It is your job to determine how the African
lands are to be fairly split amongst the European countries to prevent further territorial
disputes while also ensuring that your country gains whatever it wants from this
bountiful continent. Will you help redraw the African map or will violence erupt once
more?
Figure 2. The Congo Free State area given to Leopold II of Belgium, intended for free
trade.
Questions to Consider
1. What specific resource or economic market does your country want to pursue?
2. How will you insure that your allotted land plays to your advantage?
3. Which countries will be competing with you for the same land?
4. How can you fulfill your country's goals while simultaneously compromising with
other nations?
5. Are you concerned with preserving the culture of indigenous people? If so, how
will you do this while exploiting the land for your own country's gain?
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Works Cited
"Africa before the Berlin Conference, 1882." Educational Technology Clearinghouse.
N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.
Aronson, Goran. "Berlin Conference." Then Again. Ed. Jamie Griesmer. N.p., n.d. Web.
25 Feb. 2017.
"Berlin Conference 1885." Africa Federation. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.
Craven, Matthew. "Between law and history: the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 and
the logic of free trade." London Review of International Law. Oxford University
Press, 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.
Faal, Courtney. "The Partition of Africa." Black Past. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.
Heath, Elizabeth . "Berlin Conference of 1884–1885." Oxford Reference. N.p., 13 Jan.
2015. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.
"Mapping History." Mapping History. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.
"Scramble for Africa: Berlin Conference of 1884 -1885 to Divide Africa." Kasi
Economics. N.p., 30 Mar. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2017.
"The Berlin Conference of 1884–85." Originalpeople.org. N.p., 26 Feb. 2014. Web. 25
Feb. 2017.
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Topic 2: Regulating Trade
Introduction
Since the times of the Carthaginians and Phoenicians, Africa has often been a
continent of lucrative trading from the eyes of the Europeans. With the Romans
pillaging Carthage and establishing the area around present-day Libya as the
“Breadbasket of Rome”, Africa was predispositioned for further trade with Europe and
possible conquest (“Africa- Roman Territory”). Such a predestination came to fruition at
the Berlin Conference, which was organized by Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor of the
German Empire to split up Africa politically and economically (Craven). With Africa in
the 1880s serving as a crucial center for rubber, tin, and tea, products unavailable in
Europe, European countries are on the brink of conflict between this once untapped well
of resources (“Berlin Conference 1884-85”). Therefore, it is essential that delegates
focus on resolving economic animosity in favor of amicable trade and symbiotic
economic regulations in order to evade conflict and facilitate resource obtainment.
Trade Organizations
In response to a rapidly increasing understanding of Africa, Europeans began to
establish organizations to explore the riches of this once poorly documented continent,
namely the International African Society and the International Congo Society ("Berlin
Conference of 1884-85”). In specific, the International Congo Society was formed by
King Leopold II of Belgium to attract investors for his planned excursion and expedition
into the Congo Basin, led by Henry Morton Stanley. In order to facilitate trade, trading
posts, and plans for a railroad were devised, utilizing the funds provided by investors .
This organization provided a premature sense of geographical unity within the Congo,
and served as the foundation for further exploration into the economic exploitation of
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African resources by the Europeans. With a superfluity of funds being channeled into
the ICS through corporate investors, exploration became easier and easier, eventually
leading to the need for the Berlin Conference to regulate trade in this resource-rich
region ("Association Internationale du Congo" ).
The African Economy
Because of its variable geography, Africa served as a large producer of a myriad of
goods, many of which were discovered through expeditions into the African interior
through the utilization of pivotal waterways, such as the Nile, Zambezi, and Congo
Rivers (“Scramble for Africa”). Specifically, the Saharan Desert, in the north of Africa,
was a large center for the gold trade; the
tropical climates of Central Africa were
conducive to rubber and tea cultivation;
and the hills of Southern Africa
predominantly contained copper and
diamonds. After the mass utilization of
quinine to fend off malaria, European
explorers were able to discover such
valuable resources in the interior of
Africa, which led to an exponential
Figure 3. Map of expeditions made
through the interior of Africa
growth in colonialist ventures by
Europeans into Africa (“Scramble for Africa”; “The Scramble for Africa”).
Most notably, King Leopold II of Belgium commissioned expeditions in the
Congo region of sub-Saharan Africa in order to explore the resource-laden interior of
the Congo Basin (“Scramble for Africa”). Through the efforts of Henry Morton Stanley,
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who mapped the Congo River Basin during the 1870s, Leopold II was able to set up
trading posts and sign treaties with the plethora of tribes, eventually utilizing the
territory as a source of ivory (Hochschild; “Belgian King Establishes Congo Free State”).
Although many nations attempted to make similar fiscal gains, Leopold’s attempts at the
construction of economic ties with Africa before the conference have been fruitful.
In part due to the economic advances made by King Leopold II, however, it
became increasingly evident that trade regulations must be placed in Africa in order to
avoid conflict between nations vying for similar plots of land. Firstly, the Niger, Congo,
and Zambezi Rivers, vital for transport of goods from the Saharan Desert, Congo Basin,
and interior Southern Africa, respectively, must be monitored and adequately regulated
by all parties of the conference (“Berlin Conference of 1884-85”). These waterways serve
as crucial arteries for not only trade between eventual colonies in Africa, but between
Africa and the rest of the world, as without such rivers, the vast lodes of gold, salt, and
rubber will not reach Europe and beyond.
In addition, parties of the conference must consider inter-African trade, between
the various colonies that will be established in Africa during the conference. With the
Congo Basin specializing in ivory and rubber, the Sahara specializing in salt, and
Southern Africa focused on precious metals, it is evident that resources will be traded
within colonies (“The Scramble for Africa (St. John’s College)”). Similar to regulations in
economies of the home nations of participants in the conference, parties must consider
the implementation of free trade, tariffs on imports from other colonies, and other
regulations not akin to ones that exist in Europe. On the other hand, the conference
must consider the extenuating circumstances of regulating the economy in established
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colonies on the African continent, in specific the decision on whether to establish trade
relations with natives.
Aside from materialistic trade regulations, another important aspect of the
African economy is the slave trade. Although the great majority of European countries
have abolished slavery, it still very much exists among the people of Africa (Wright). In
order to obtain the bountiful resources that lie in Africa, labor however, is required,
whether it be free labor through slavery or through assistance from natives. Either way,
constituents of the conference and the conference together must consider the social and
economic consequences of either propagation of slavery in Africa, or introduction of law
that bans the practice. As a whole, it is crucial that the conference address this
widespread practice, and determine if slavery is an issue to be decided by each party for
their territory in Africa, or through comprehensive regulation derived from the parties
of the Berlin Conference.
Overall, the multi-faceted African economy plays a pivotal role in this Scramble
for Africa. Therefore, it is imperative that the constituents of the conference places a
great emphasis on the efficient regulation of trade within Africa, one that benefits all
parties involved, and ensures that the economic liberties of all signatories are respected.
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Questions to Consider
1. How can your nation preserve free trade in Africa, but still gain an economic
upper-hand?
2. How will you cater trade regulations to the relatively fluid state of African
borders?
3. How will your nation deal with natives? Will you decide to utilize them for labor,
or emphasize trade between natives and Europeans?
4. How will you utilize trade regulations to benefit the industries your nation
harbors a particular focus towards?
5. In what ways will you utilize existing trade organizations to collocate your
country’s economic interests in Africa?
A Quick Note About Your Positions
If your country was not in attendance at the real Berlin Conference, do not worry
as you still have sway in this committee! All of your assigned countries have some sort of
global influence, whether it is through economic or social means, and can certainly all
gain land in Africa if played correctly. If you have questions regarding the specifics of
your country, please email us at the committee email.
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Works Cited
"Africa- Roman Territory." Encyclopaedia Britannica. N.p., 20 July 1998. Web. 19 Nov.
2017.
"Association Internationale du Congo" Encyclopaedia Britannica. N.p., 22 March 2007.
Web. 19 Nov. 2017.
"Belgian King Establishes Congo Free State." National Geographic. National Geographic
Society, 26 Oct. 2013. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.
"Berlin Conference of 1884-85." New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2017.
Craven, Matthew. "Between law and history: the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 and
the logic of free trade." London Review of International Law. Oxford University
Press, 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.
Hochschild, Adam. "Leopold II." Encyclopaedia Britannica. N.p., 11 Feb. 2015. Web. 19
Feb. 2017.
"Scramble for Africa." New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2017.
"The Scramble for Africa." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 25 Dec. 1999.
Web. 19 Feb. 2017.
"The Scramble for Africa." St. John's College. University of Cambridge, n.d. Web. 26
Feb. 2017.
Wright, Donald. "Slavery in Africa." University of Colorado. Microsoft, n.d. Web. 25
Feb. 2017.
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