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The Great War

» The Great War - Land Grab

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Africa prior to World War One.

The Industrial Revolution in the late 1700's created a need for raw materials and markets. By the early 19th century most European nations had gained some colonial territory. As weapons technology improved, Europeans were easily able to take control of huge amounts of land and large numbers of people.

Great Britain led the way with nearly 20 percent of the world's land mass under its control. With colonies on every continent, the British people were known to boast that, The sun never set on the British Empire. The Germans and French tried to keep up with the British and eventually carved out large chunks of Africa along with several Pacific islands and Asian ports. The smaller countries, namely Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands, also got in on the game by taking lands in central Africa and the Dutch East Indies.

As the globe was carved up into European claims, it became obvious that clashes could occur between two or more imperialists over territory. So the European powers met in Berlin, Germany, in 1885 to set some ground rules. They agreed that a colony could only be established if a European nation announced its claim and actually occupied the land. The new guidelines created a greater sense of urgency among the Europeans to grab whatever they could before someone else did.

Answer the following questions from the reading above.

According to the passage, imperialism was fueled by

lands being discovered.
resources and markets.
small European nations.
the Berlin Conference.

The map of Africa shows how

European languages and religions spread through the region.
natural resources and geography hurt the continent of Africa.
Africa was eventually separated into modern day countries.
the continent was carved up by the European imperialists.

Which of the following words BEST summarizes the events described in the passage?

glory
greed
competition
rules

How do you think the land grab may have contributed to the tensions in Europe before the war?
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