Berlin Conference

As 1884 approached, Europe was brewing a conspiratorial "grand gathering." Just as in the previous life, the location was Berlin, but the purpose and content of this Berlin Conference were vastly different. To everyone's surprise, the East African government had received an invitation as well.

The Berlin Conference of the previous life had chiefly been sparked by disputes over the Congo River basin, but in this life, the fuse was the Niger River basin.

After all, East Africa had effectively brought most of the Congo River basin under its control. Only the lower Congo River was respectively controlled by Belgium and Portugal, while the Congo River estuary was entirely controlled by Portugal's Angola Colony. Thus, there was currently no so-called dispute over the Congo River basin.

"German Chancellor Bismarck intends to convene an international conference concerning West Africa. Nominally, it is to bring civilization into West Africa and transform the region's backward state. In reality, it is to thoroughly resolve the increasingly fierce confrontations and disputes in West Africa—or rather, for the colonizers of the West African nations to carve up West African interests and accelerate their colonization of the region."

"They invited us? Could they possibly allow East Africa to set foot in West Africa?" Constantin said jokingly.

"That is precisely what is strange. East Africa is now unquestionably the foremost power in Africa. If we were to stick a foot into West Africa, wouldn't they be asking for trouble? So this time, I fear those who come do not come with good intentions."

"This Berlin Conference is, in truth, a contest among Britain, France, and Germany in West Africa, with Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and other traditional colonial powers thrown in as well."

Portugal's colonies in West Africa chiefly consisted of a small coastal territory of the