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Consequences of the Berlin Conference

The conference provided an opportunity to channel latent European hostilities towards one another outward, provide new areas for helping the European powers expand in the face of rising American, Russian, and Japanese interests, and form constructive dialogue for limiting future hostilities. For Africans, colonialism was introduced across nearly all the continent. When African independence was regained after World War II, it was in the form of fragmented states.

The Scramble for Africa sped up after the Conference, since even within areas designated as their sphere of influence, the European powers still had to take possession under the Principle of Effectivity. In central Africa in particular, expeditions were dispatched to coerce traditional rulers into signing treaties, using force if necessary. Bedouin- and Berber-ruled states in the Sahara and Sub-Sahara were overrun by the French in several wars by the beginning of World War I. The British moved up from South Africa and down from Egypt conquering states along the way, and having already defeated the Zulu Kingdom in South Africa, in 1879, they moved on to subdue and dismantle the independent Boer republics of Transvaal and Orange Free State.

Within a few years, Africa was at least nominally divided up south of the Sahara. By 1895, the only independent states were:

• - Morocco, involved in colonial conflicts with Spain and France, who conquered the nation in the 20th century.
• - Liberia, founded with the support of the United States for returned slaves
• - Ethiopian Empire, the only free native state, which fended off Italian invasion from Eritrea in what is known as the First Italo-Ethiopian War of 1889–1896 but was later defeated in 1936 during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War
• - Majeerteen Sultanate, founded in the early 18th century; it was annexed by Italy in the 20th century
• - Sultanate of Hobyo, carved out of the former Majeerteen Sultanate, which ruled northern Somalia until the 20th century, when it was conquered by Italy.

The following states lost their independence to the British Empire roughly a decade after (see below for more information):

• - Orange Free State, a Boer republic founded by Dutch settlers
• - South African Republic (Transvaal), also a Boer republic

By 1902, 90% of all the land that makes up Africa was under European control.