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The 'Scramble for Africa': everything you wanted to know

The 'Scramble for Africa': everything you wanted to know

Professor Richard Reid explains what happened when European imperial powers made land grabs across the African continent between the 1870s and the First World War

Ellie Cawthorne

Published: April 6, 2025 at 7:00 AM

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Between the 1870s and the First World War, European colonialists set their sights on the Africa, making territorial land grabs that consumed nearly the entire continent. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Professor Richard Reid explains how the so-called 'Scramble for Africa' played out, and explores its immense impact on Africa and its peoples.

Richard Reid is the author of The African Revolution: A History of the Long Nineteenth Century (Princeton University Press, 2025).

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Authors

Ellie CawthorneHead of content (audio)

Ellie Cawthorne is head of content (audio) at HistoryExtra