The Unifier Who Divided Africa

Before the mid-19th century, what we call Germany today was a mere geographical expression representing a group of independent principalities and municipalities. Westphalia, Prussia, Bavaria and many others were all independent German states.

Otto von Bismarck, also known as the Iron Chancellor made effort to unify Germany. He succeeded. He was made Chancellor of Prussia, (the largest of the German kingdoms) where his prowess at statecraft was displayed. He realised soon enough that the disunity among German states made them vulnerable to European politics and warfare. For sometime, they were at the mercy of Napoleon and his European agenda.

With complex diplomacy combined with some level of coercion—when necessary—he unified Germany and used about two decades to assert its dominance in Europe.

He was able to dislodge the major powers in continental Europe. He tamed Austria and France with decisive defeats at the hands of his United Germany forces. Particularly, it was the war with France that brought along the Southern German states into the union.

Ironically, it was Otto von Bismarck who hosted, supervised and moderated the partitioning of Africa during the 1884-5 Berlin Conference which had been convened for the purpose. Despite his knowledge of the advantages of unity, he thought that the partitioning of Africa was the way to go.

Yes, he had been the largest beneficiary of unity among all the principal representatives in the conference, but his duty was to psychologically and physically break Africa and its people. Colonialism was meant to perpetually divide Africa and plunder her abundant resources. Any remnants of it should not be entertained.

By: Fidel Amakye Owusu

image: Sketch of Bismarck surpervising partitioning Africa source: Alamy

I authored and posted an earlier version of this on my Facebook Wall on March 10, 2022.