What was the Scramble for Africa? The Scramble for Africa was a period of time in which major European countries fought and colonized African lands, which stretched from South Africa to Egypt. The scramble for Africa began shortly after the slave trade and ended during World War I, and is a strong representation of the "New Imperialism". The first country to act was Belgium, which colonized the Congo in 1885, but other countries such as Portugal and Great Britain soon joined so as not to miss the opportunity. First, Europeans could not easily colonize Africa, due to Africa's gigantic land mass and the diseases that spread throughout the territory. But then came the steam train, Maxim weapons, and new cures for diseases that paved the way for Europeans to control Africa. Since one of the reasons why Europeans wanted to colonize Africa was that they wanted to "civilize" the people, the German leader, Otto Von Bismarck, decided to hold a conference to divide the land and not fight each other. Soon, by 1914, almost all African countries were colonized by Europeans, with the exception of Ethiopia and Liberia. Different countries had different styles of colonization. For example, France was less eager to let African leaders take control of their colonies than Britain, who established an African government in their colonies. Basically, the scramble for Africa was a time when European countries colonized Africa. Why did European countries colonize Africa? How could they benefit? Slave Trade: There are many causes behind the rush for Africa, and one of them was to "free" slaves in Africa after the slave trade ended. The slave trade was a period in the colonization era where Europeans, Americans, and Africans traded with each other… middle of paper… the information I have gathered to present to you. Works CitedAfrican History: What Caused the Rush for Africa. Alistair Boddy-Evans, n.d. Web. 17 March 2014..Why Europeans colonized Africa. Saylor Foundation, n.d. Web. March 19, 2014.HIST252-Subunit-2.3.2-Why-Did-Europe-Colonize-FINAL.pdf>.Spark Notes: The Scramble for Africa. Np, nd Web. 19 March 2014. storia/europea/1871-1914/section5.rhtml>. The new imperialism and the race for Africa 1880-1914. Jeff Taylor and Web. March 19, 2014..Exploring Africa. Np, nd Web. 20 March 2014.curriculum/m7b/activity2.php>.