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German unification
In Germany, a large number of people desired to reside in one country. But Otto von Bismarck, who many historians believe started the Franco-Prussian War to unite Germany, was largely responsible for making German unification feasible. After decades of backing from nationalists and approval from the majority of the German-speaking European governments, Germany was unified. -
Berlin West Africa Conference
The main European countries convened for the Berlin West Africa Conference to settle all issues pertaining to the Congo River basin in Central Africa. The conference was required by the great European nations' mistrust and jealously of one another's attempts at colonial expansion in Africa. Portugal sponsored the meeting in defense of its unique claim to control over the Congo estuary. -
Gold in the Transvaal
THE discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand was made in the year 1885.History in South Africa underwent a sea change as a result of this revelation. It transformed South Africa from an agricultural nation to the world's top producer of gold—much more than diamonds. Along with progress, jobs, and prosperity, the gold mines also brought with them the worst war in South Africa's history -
Belgian Scramble for the Congo
By the early 20th century, the majority of the continent had been colonized thanks to this massive annexation effort, sometimes known as the "Scramble for Africa." Belgium dominated the Congo from 1908 until 1960, first under King Leopold II and then under the Belgian government. The Congo was a privately held state known as the Congo Free State before the Belgian government colonized this area. -
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War, a struggle that raged between China and Japan from 1894 to 1895, signaled Japan's rise to prominence in the world arena and exposed the vulnerabilities of the Chinese empire. The rivalry between the two nations on Korean supremacy gave rise to the war. -
Fashoda Crisis
The Fashoda Incident was the conclusion of a series of territorial disputes between France and Great Britain in Egypt. The goal of each nation to connect its various colonial domains in Africa gave rise to the disagreements. The Fashoda Incident's conclusion signaled a change in Anglo-French ties. It resulted in the Entente Cordiale, a set of accords that ended centuries of sporadic hostilities between the two countries and settled numerous colonial disputes, being signed in 1904. -
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion was a 1900s Chinese rebellion against foreigners that was started by peasants and later backed by the government. A violent effort to expel all foreigners from China was started by the Boxers, a secret club in China. To stop the attacks, the USA, Britain, France, Germany, and other nations sent soldiers. The Qing dynasty was greatly weakened as a result of the Boxer Rebellion and overthrown in 1911 -
Entente Cordiale
The Entente Cordiale was an Anglo-French agreement that stopped hostilities between France and Great Britain by resolving a number of contentious issues and opened the door for their diplomatic collaboration against German pressure in the ten years leading up to World War I. The deal did not link France's commitment to Russia with Great Britain, nor did it in any way form an alliance. -
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
The archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, and his wife Sophie the Duchess of Hohenberg were critically wounded when two shots were fired from a street corner in the middle of this city at approximately eleven in the morning. The direct cause of the First World War was the 1914 assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand -
Japan’s Twenty-One Demands to China
claims made during World War I by the Japanese government to exclusive rights in China. Because of their involvement in the war, the major European nations, who already enjoyed similar advantages in China, were unable to oppose Japan's action. China's president, Yuan Shikai, submitted to Japan's ultimatum on May 7 by signing a number of Sino-Japanese accords on May 25.