Divide and Rule: The Partition of Africa, 1880-1914

The partition of Africa was one of the most spectacular episodes in modern history. For Europeans, Africa was still an unknown continent in 1880. Thirty years later, almost all of it was under European control. This race for colonies went hand in hand with a host of thrilling exploits and dramatic conflicts, of which Stanley’s exploration of the Congo and Gordon’s death in Khartoum were just two examples. In Divide and Rule , Wesseling dwells primarily on the historical developments. The many picturesque and problematic events are brought back to life. The leading characters are presented with gusto: the pioneers, the conquerors, the European politicians who tried to run the show no less, and the main African protagonists. For this reason, Divide and Rule is above all a story of one of the most dramatic highlights of the centuries-long history of European expansion.