Cover image of show The Berlin Conference: How Africa Was Partitioned — Fexingo History

The Berlin Conference: How Africa Was Partitioned — Fexingo History

Podcast by Fexingo

English

History & religion

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About The Berlin Conference: How Africa Was Partitioned — Fexingo History

In 1884-85, European powers convened in Berlin to carve up Africa without a single African present. This show examines the Berlin Conference as the catalyst for the Scramble for Africa — a brutal division that redrew the continent's political map, imposed colonial rule, and set the stage for a century of exploitation, resistance, and enduring trauma. Lucas and Luna guide listeners through the conference's key figures like Otto von Bismarck and King Leopold II of Belgium, whose personal ambitions turned the Congo into a private horror. They explore the 'General Act' that established 'effective occupation' as the legal pretext for colonization, the arbitrary borders that still fuel conflicts today, and the resistance leaders such as Samori Ture and Menelik II who fought back. The show also delves into the economic drivers — rubber, ivory, gold, and diamonds — and the ideological justifications of 'civilizing mission' and Social Darwinism. Each episode peels back a layer of this pivotal moment, connecting it to modern echoes of resource wars, ethnic strife, and debates over reparations. Why did a few men in a chilly European city decide the fate of millions for generations? #BerlinConference #ScrambleForAfrica #Colonialism #KingLeopold #OttoVonBismarck #CongoFreeState #GeneralAct #EffectiveOccupation #SamoriTure #MenelikII #Adwa #Imperialism #PartitionOfAfrica #19thCentury #EuropeanHistory #AfricanHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

All episodes

122 episodes

episode The Berlin Conference and the Bombardment of Algiers 1830 artwork

The Berlin Conference and the Bombardment of Algiers 1830

In 1830, a diplomatic insult—the so-called Fly Whisk Incident—gave Charles X of France the pretext he needed to invade Algiers. This episode traces the escalating tensions between the Dey of Algiers and the French government, the bombardment of Algiers by Admiral Duperré's fleet, and the landing at Sidi Ferruch. We explore how the invasion was driven more by French domestic politics than by the stated cause of honour, and how it set the stage for 132 years of French colonial rule in Algeria. Along the way, we meet figures like Dey Hussein, the last Ottoman ruler of Algiers, and General de Bourmont, whose campaign ended the regency. We also consider the broader context of European imperialism in North Africa and the Mediterranean—a story that echoes in the later Berlin Conference of 1884–85. #Algiers1830 #DeyHussein #FlyWhiskIncident #CharlesX #AdmiralDuperré #SidiFerruch #GeneralDeBourmont #SiegeOfAlgiers #BarbaryCorsairs #OttomanRegencyOfAlgiers #FrenchColonization #AlgeriaHistory #NineteenthCentury #EuropeanImperialism #MediterraneanHistory #NorthAfrica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Yesterday - 8 min
episode The Berlin Conference and the Bombardment of Algiers 1816 artwork

The Berlin Conference and the Bombardment of Algiers 1816

In 1816, a joint British-Dutch fleet under Lord Exmouth bombarded Algiers, ending Barbary corsair attacks on European shipping. This episode explores the political context of the early 19th century Mediterranean, the Dey of Algiers, the role of the Philhelvetian (a captured brig), and the impact of the bombardment on the slave trade. We discuss the diplomacy, the ultimatum, the battle itself, and how this event shaped European intervention in North Africa, setting precedents for later colonial actions. #BarbaryCorsairs #LordExmouth #Algiers1816 #DeyOmarAgha #Philhelvetian #RoyalNavy #PaxBritannica #AngloDutchFleet #Slavery #Bombardment #NorthAfrica #OttomanEmpire #19thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #NavalWarfare #Diplomacy #Mediterranean Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Yesterday - 5 min
episode The Berlin Conference and the Herero-German War 1904 artwork

The Berlin Conference and the Herero-German War 1904

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a devastating conflict that unfolded in the wake of the Berlin Conference: the Herero-German War of 1904 in German South West Africa. They discuss how Germany's 'effective occupation' policy led to land dispossession, cattle theft, and the eruption of armed resistance under Herero chief Samuel Maharero. The conversation covers the Battle of Waterberg, the infamous 'extermination order' issued by General Lothar von Trotha, and the catastrophic retreat of the Herero into the Omaheke Desert. Lucas also examines the subsequent Nama uprising led by Hendrik Witbooi, the use of concentration camps, and the ongoing debate among historians over whether these events constitute the first genocide of the 20th century. The episode draws on primary sources, including von Trotha's own words and Herero oral accounts, to give listeners a nuanced understanding of this dark chapter in colonial history. #Herero #Nama #GermanSouthWestAfrica #SamuelMaharero #LotharvonTrotha #BattleofWaterberg #OmahekeDesert #Genocide #Colonialism #Africa #History #FexingoHistory #BerlinConference #Namibia #Schutztruppe #HendrikWitbooi #1904 #ConcentrationCamps Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

25 Jun 2026 - 5 min
episode The Sokoto Caliphate and the Fall of Kano 1903 artwork

The Sokoto Caliphate and the Fall of Kano 1903

In the aftermath of the Berlin Conference, the Scramble for Africa moved inland. While much attention has focused on coastal colonies, the conquest of the Sokoto Caliphate—one of Africa's largest precolonial states—was a pivotal campaign. This episode follows the British conquest of Kano in 1903, a battle that pitted the heavily armed West African Frontier Force under Colonel Thomas Morland against the cavalry of the Sokoto Caliphate. We explore the political fragmentation after the death of Caliph Umaru, the role of emirs like Aliyu Babba, and the controversial use of Maxim guns that decided the battle. The episode also touches on the legacy of Usman dan Fodio's jihad state and how British indirect rule, through Lugard, reshaped northern Nigeria. Names and places: Sokoto, Kano, Burmi, Katsina, Zaria, Kaduna, Lugard, Maxim gun, West African Frontier Force. #SokotoCaliphate #Kano1903 #ScrambleForAfrica #BritishColonialism #MaximGun #UsmanDanFodio #FrederickLugard #ThomasMorland #AliyuBabba #WestAfricanFrontierForce #BattleOfBurmi #IndirectRule #NorthernNigeria #19thCentury #Imperialism #History #FexingoHistory #AfricanHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

25 Jun 2026 - 6 min
episode The Bombardment of Algiers 1816 and the End of Barbary Corsairs artwork

The Bombardment of Algiers 1816 and the End of Barbary Corsairs

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the 1816 Anglo-Dutch bombardment of Algiers, a pivotal moment that broke the power of the Barbary corsairs. They discuss the role of Admiral Lord Exmouth, the treaty that freed Christian slaves, and how this episode of gunboat diplomacy set a precedent for European intervention in North Africa—a prelude to the Scramble for Africa later in the century. The conversation touches on the Dey of Algiers, the slave trade in the Mediterranean, and the shifting balance of power after the Napoleonic Wars. #BarbaryCorsairs #Algiers1816 #LordExmouth #AngloDutchFleet #BombardmentOfAlgiers #DeyOmarAgha #PaxBritannica #ChristianSlaves #BarbaryWars #RoyalNavy #History #FexingoHistory #MediterraneanHistory #NapoleonicWars #GunboatDiplomacy #NorthAfrica #Slavery #NavalHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

24 Jun 2026 - 10 min
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