Why didn't the USA also Scramble Africa? (Short Animated Documentary)

The USA, despite being a great power, didn't carve up Africa. So why not?
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[@stevenchoza6391]

To be fair about Mexico being occupied by an Austrian, America was kind of busy at that moment fighting itself.

[@andrewklang809]

And once the Civil War was done, and Maximilian still refused to leave, the funniest thing happened. A whole bunch of Union weaponry, which weren't needed anymore, just found its way to southern Texas. And then....just disappeared. No one knows why. On an unrelated note, the Mexican Republicans suddenly were very well-equipped and made short work of the Imperial Army. History is full of odd co-incidences.

[@stevenchoza6391]

@@andrewklang809 Not to mention those scary Union troops who were conveniently at the border at the time.

[@biggibbs4678]

@@andrewklang809 his wife knew he was fucked and was super depressed about it. She went to beg to the pope to do something and started crying, refusing to leave. He let her sleep in the vadican.

[@tableprinterdoor]

what other country was occupied by an Austrian and how well did that go?

[@enrico.beltrao]

Also the Brits got that chunk out of Venezuelan Guyana through international arbitration and the Falklands matter was really about restablishing control not actually taking over anything. I suppose you can violate the Monroe doctrine at will if you get really technical or outright sneaky about it

[@ivansych8956]

I like how US ''potential claims'' in Africa are drawn in a shape of some US states.

[@u2beuser714]

Damn i knew that algeria is florida in disguise

[@derekchristenson5711]

@@u2beuser714 "I see things; I see them with my eyes! / I see things; they're often in disguise!"

[@jeffbenton6183]

Interestingly enough, the one shaped like Texas actually follows the claimed borders of the Republic of Texas. That kind of seems like a fun Easter-egg-within-an-Easter-egg of sorts.

[@shinsenshogun900]

American East Africa = Rhode Island & Providence Then there’s an idealist named Cecil Rhodes whose surname was once a nation’s previous colonial name Therefore, this is American Rhodesia

[@Rogue_Centurion]

@@u2beuser714 also that Sudan was Virginia secretly

[@Americancountryball142]

Liberia: I’m declaring independence USA: I don’t even know who you are

[@jesucristobostero3287]

lmaoo

[@NovikNikolovic]

"and thus they had no desires to squabble over pieces of a third continent." Philippines: 😐

[@ihavetowait90daystochangem67]

I unironically love thumbnail. Instead of drawing parts of Africa with an American flag, he just put US States with a flag on Top of Africa like Texas and Florida

[@unscenegamers]

Floridian Algiers is my favorite.

[@BigFatWow]

Even better are the largest states depicted being Delaware and Rhode Island.

[@windykingdom6153]

@@unscenegamers Texan Lagos for me

[@HoennMaster]

I'm glad I'm not the only one loving this thumbnail.

[@ZatzoZimmerman]

I just said that 😔

[@volodask]

A quick note about Congo being free for all countries to trade with. It was actually a ruse used by Leopold II to get international backing for his administration of Congo. The moment he had enough troops there to defend it, well, the free for all part was quickly forgotten and the terrible looting and mass murder began.

[@sixthcairn]

Leopold II was such a swell guy.

[@kjellvanderpoten3141]

as i remember it the free trade part was held up under leo, but ended when belgium seized the colony (before that it was leo's private property (also when most atrocities happened)) the great powers actually wanted to take it away from belgium when they ended the free trade, and belgium immediately cozied up to the germans to get the great powers to fight each other (that didn't backfire at all)

[@lucasfernandes0002]

The great Leopold II, easily the worst man to ever live, Hitler is a kid throwing a tantrum next to him

[@kjellvanderpoten3141]

@@lucasfernandes0002 woah, intentionally trying to eradicate multiple peoples from the earth shouldn't be taken so lightly

[@Josep_Hernandez_Lujan]

Companies still could do whatever they wanted though, as long as Leopold 2 got a piece of the profits. Like a mob boss He never personally set foot in the Congo. It was run by companies and their mercenaries.

[@YouTube]

amazingly fascinating history bites 👍

[@edixonvc5101]

Holy shit the real KZbin?

[@VitorSantos-jo4qz]

What ?

[@wildwilly356]

huh

[@abrahammelano3495]

Wtf???

[@fryhyh]

I wonder who runs the youtube channel

[@LitD]

Interesting facts: Liberia has the dubious honour of being one of the last countries with slavery in it, it wasn't until the 1930's that the League of Nations got involved. They wanted to turn the country into a mandate with Poland being seen as the preferred country to oversee it, mostly because they were the Liberians preffered option as they viewed the Poles as the least likely to try and annex Liberia. Nothing came of it because the US had a hissy fit about foreign investments in their territories and Poland was more concerned about their neighbours being warmongers.

[@hadracks]

There are still plenty of countries with slavery now. It is de facto legal in many countries with around 40 million current slaves and a lot more with very limited freedoms. Interesting fact though, given Liberia's history.

[@raptorfromthe6ix833]

nah the last country with slavery was mauritania....in 1981

[@boaoftheboaians]

@@raptorfromthe6ix833 he said "one of the last countries", not "THE last country"

[@bobjones8949]

What slavery in Liberia are you talking about? There's a lot of revisionist history going on with these subjects.

[@user-nm3nb4oj5d]

Poland was a huge warmonger themselves. Started war with Soviet Union in the 1920’s, took land of Czechoslowakia in the 30’s and refused to negotiate any reasonable solution to the Corridor issue with Germany while mistreating ethnic Germans who found themselves in this Western puppet state.

[@knives4cash]

The Limbo joke caught me off guard. That was hilarious.

[@benjaminmclaren8782]

Why did he have to show the Yubi? That was really scary 😨

[@ilovemuslimfood666]

@@benjaminmclaren8782 The Yubi? I saw the Grim Reaper!

[@bjhale]

Same here! Literally loled.

[@whafflete6721]

@@benjaminmclaren8782 Yubi yubi

[@stevenbalaoingsb]

same

[@Mr_M_History]

HistoryMatters is a truly great history channel because it answers the negative questions as well as the positive ones!

[@brandoncampanaro7571]

History give us context to the world we live in, everything we use and believe and have is based in our history and to not know or understand our history is choosing to be ignorant to the problems we face today

[@WayneNaude670]

i love the animated characters and their expressions

[@tommiddlefinger6188]

If you live in Nevada, do NOT v o t e for Chuck Short. He is running ads on this channnel but he is a JERRK. We don't need more of the diversty Commmunst type Democrts.

[@Jotari]

What's the difference between a negative and positive question?

[@adityas9377]

@@Jotari “Why did?” vs “Why didn’t?”

[@BrammBass]

To answer your question: Yes, I did enjoy this episode. Thanks for the amazing content you have been producing for all those years!

[@captaindouchebag1703]

I love how this channel gives you the basics of complex historical themes in 3 to 10 minute long videos that feature dry British humour and colourful animations. Well done, History matters. You nailed it!

[@expandedhistory]

If you look at the long run, the United States focusing on its expansion into territories in North America rather then Africa such as Europe did, the United States won in the long run. The vast untouched resources the United States still has in its land is astonishing. Not to mention it still holds majority of its original territories unlike Europe in Africa.

[@alastairward2774]

Like a game of Civilization, they had the best starting location and didn't expand quickly abroad.

[@Jin-Ro]

To be fair the USA is 5 minutes old. Lets come back to this thread in ~1,500 years before making any declarations.

[@MrSiddharthaSaha]

@@Jin-Ro technically, Germany and Italy are younger than the USA.

[@planescaped]

@@MrSiddharthaSaha Yeah, a lotta people forget that Italy was an array of small nationstates and citystates from the fall of Rome through until the Napoleonic era.

[@TheMasterOfCornedy]

@@MrSiddharthaSaha technicality doesnt matter here

[@TheLocalLt]

As you touched on, Liberia was originally a series of American colonies under company rule and run by freedmen, most of which merged into the Colony of Liberia from 1838 until it declared independence in 1847, although America didn’t officially recognize independence until 1862. Liberia subsequently became an American client in the region all through the Scramble and World Wars, before the Americo-Liberian freedmen started waging brutal wars and fell out of favor in Washington in the second half of the 20th century. Still the capital today remains Monrovia, named after James Monroe, and its political system is at least nominally based off America’s (although in reality it’s been made ineffective at many points by corruption and despotism). Edit: for all those replying “just like the American government”, please understand that these are not just issues that needs to be worked on like in America, the situation in Liberia is really quite bad, the government lurches between periods of outright dictatorship and periods of struggle to even maintain order. Comparison to a rich and democratic country like America severely trivializes the depth of the Liberian situation.

[@abbyalphonse499]

Monrovia? How come it wasn't called Bissonetia?

[@duskpede5146]

he litterally says this in the video

[@rwboa22]

And Liberia today is under the control of the indigenous Africans living within its borders today, as Americo-Liberians practically loss their power through the different conflicts and civil wars waged there.

[@brandonlyon730]

Also ironic fact: the black freedmen ended up enslaving a lot of the original natives in Liberia.

[@glif1360]

Notably, relationships with Liberia are still good enough for it to be invited to Ramstein.

[@mbrennan459]

Morocco was one of the first countries to officially recognize the newly independent USA. At the beginning of the 20th century Germany realized that in the Scramble for Africa, not many good spots were left. The Germans began showing interest in Morocco shortly after Great Britain and France had secretly agreed to divide Egypt and Morocco among themselves. Germany vowed to protect Moroccan independence. This precipitated the First Moroccan Crisis. Morocco realized the position it was in. They applied for statehood in the USA based on their early relationship with the USA. The USA not wishing involvement in Africa, called the Algeciras Conference to negotiate a settlement. This ended the first Moroccan Crisis unfortunately Germany would precipitate the Second Moroccan Crisis five years later.

[@anthonyprestipino8906]

O

[@isaacsechslingloff8008]

@@anthonyprestipino8906 The US statehood thing seems like fake news. I can't verify this information anywhere.

[@genghiskhan5701]

Man everyone is trying to take over my country. TIme to apply for US Statehood

[@hases2772]

the alt history take- what if morroco became a U.S state

[@Liam-iv7wk]

That would actually be pretty cool. It would be a totally improbable event but fascinating nevertheless

[@FGH9G]

Love the concise and straight to the point videos man! Keep it up! And also the Limbo joke was Gold!

[@lkpinette]

Something interesting, I discovered years ago from an old newspaper article is that a proposal was mooted at Versailles by one of the European powers (Britain, I think) for the United States to take over Germany's African colonies. I couldn't find much additional information, but it's clear that it was not a priority for Wilson or probably anyone in the US, and was likely never seriously pursued. Woodrow Wilson did pursue a mandate over Armenia, and that was agreed to in principle, but was rejected by the US Senate.

[@robertrichard6107]

There was a former U.S. Admiral that became Armenian Ambassador that had eyes on their oil.

[@readingking1421]

Oh that is super interesting! Do you by any chance still have the source for that? Sounds like a great Alternate History scenario

[@fasinfata]

Too bad for Armenia, that could have increase the probabilities of keep the Wilsonian Armenia borders.

[@SiPakRubah]

Can I know more about this, I'm curious since there's a chance that they could took over Namibia and some other Eastern part of Africa, but instead they only took the ones on the Pacific Island parts only, if I'm not mistaken Also why did they wanted Armenia? I imagine that the Cold War might started earlier from here, and see some weird version of WW2

[@Liam-iv7wk]

Wow that's some serious border gore.

[@slipper1889]

Loved that Limbo reference.

[@nrobnas]

I love pausing the videos to read whatever lists are shown. Always a great read! "#3: Try not to go to war unless you really need to or could do with the practice."

[@nrobnas]

Also, the shot of TR at 1:36 peaking from behind the bush had me legit laughing out loud

[@alogahjames9490]

Same here, he's really talented.

[@W3Slots]

"Oil yo!" As an Animator, I'm loving the animations. Great information!

[@goldennugget2562]

"Sometimes you gotta crack some Africa's to make an omelette" -Berlin Conference

[@gargoyles9999]

Makin the Mother of all empires Jack! Can’t fret over every colony!

[@jikihendrik4281]

1:51 Totally love the Limbo reference

[@taranbaze1448]

What's the reference from?

[@jackopumpkin9308]

@@taranbaze1448 it’s a reference to the actual game limbo search it up on KZbin and you should get it

[@jwil4286]

Video ideas: 1. Why didn’t Sweden take part in the Schleswig wars? 2. What did Aaron Burr do in exile (technically not exile, but he did kinda vanish after his duel)?

[@r.o.b8728]

there is no way norway would have let sweden join the schleswig wars without revolting

[@alanpennie8013]

The Swedes did take part in the first one to some extent.

[@davidarnold2456]

The Burr thing is a good story look up “United States v. Aaron Burr”

[@AdamMounam]

The Limbo reference with the spider leg was my favourite bit! Im obsessed with this channel and the high quality content it produces! Keep it up! 👍🏻

[@SpaceMonkeyBoi]

It's always really weird to see countries willingly turn down the opportunity to get territory

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

Not really. It's like getting a mansion through impulse buying in one suburb just because your neighbors are busy gobbling up as many houses as available. At first, it's neat you have a bigger house with more rooms than you can use. Slowly, you come to realize this isn't going too well: the mansion is sucking up more money just keeping it functional while generating little to no income to defray the costs and you are preoccupied keeping all those rooms secure from thieves. That is what running an empire in the 19th Century really is: most of the colonies are economically barren and those who get rich in these places are too few to defray the massive costs in administration and defense of these places...

[@franzjoseph1837]

I wish they would do that more often

[@alexjv1370]

@@franzjoseph1837 The funniest example would be how Denmark refused to take land but everyone else was trying to force them to take it. 💀

[@franzjoseph1837]

@@alexjv1370 true lolo

[@kp782]

there were people already living there. No need to take their land away

[@Gorboduc]

"Americans felt like they already had hegemony over two continents, and thus they had no desire to squabble over pieces of a third." The Pacific, on the other hand... *that's* free real estate.

[@blackchrysler]

USA in 20th and 21st Century: The world is my home

[@derekchristenson5711]

@@blackchrysler Judging by the attitudes of some of the people who were alive at the time, it was at least partially a result of the two world wars showing that European and the Japanese empires couldn't be trusted to be the Great Powers without starting all sorts of wars of conquest, and that, as they would eventually pull us into a third world war if left alone, we may as well just try to be the "adults in the world's room" so to speak. Results were.... mixed.

[@TaftisBack]

@@derekchristenson5711 that and capitalism. China was seen as a close economic ally until they embraced communism, and in China itself America was seen as immensely better than the Europeans with whom they had bad blood, as America offered large business ventures without the desire to interfere with their internal politics. "Do business with US and you can do business as you wish."

[@thunderbird1921]

Actually, the expansion into the Pacific was viewed as VERY controversial by some Americans. One prominent Congressman believed snatching away colonies from Spain in 1898 there was absolutely immoral (and against America's founding principles), after all the war had been mostly about Cuba and perhaps the greater Caribbean (like Puerto Rico). President McKinley and others had their way though and Spanish possessions like Guam and the Philippines were handed over, pretty much ending the Spanish Empire apart from Africa's Equatorial Guinea. One has to wonder how much history was changed by our war with them, as theoretically Spain might have been forced to fight the Japanese in World War II (and might they have also joined World War I if this disaster for them didn't happen).

[@silencemeviolateme6076]

@@blackchrysler Yep, because the world got into two wars the us had to help end.

[@carlgrau5910]

Best channel on KZbin!! Love your work history matter's

[@joeshar.]

0:13 Rules 1) Be cool guys 2) Take as much as you can 3) Try not to go to war unless you really want to or could do with the practice 4) A bunch of powerful countries will get nothing 5) Belgium is also here for some reason

[@alanpennie8013]

Belgium was there, and also not there. It was confusing.

[@lonelyheartproductions5237]

That Limbo reference had me grinning from ear to ear. Brought back so many memories.

[@tommiddlefinger6188]

If you live in Nevada, do NOT v o t e for Chuck Short. He is running ads on this channnel but he is a JERRK. We don't need more of the diversty Commmunst type Democrts.

[@expandedhistory]

This channel is the epitome of answering questions we never knew we had but always wanted to know.

[@thunderbird1921]

America and Russia historically were pretty similar in their expansion, they simply spread out in a direction with less powerful rivals and thus built giant transcontinental empires. Hence why they each had little interest in colonizing Africa.

[@balabanasireti]

And yet people keep posting the same comment under every video. I guess that being a like beggar is way easier than being original

[@tommiddlefinger6188]

If you live in Nevada, do NOT v o t e for Chuck Short. He is running ads on this channnel but he is a JERRK. We don't need more of the diversty Commmunst type Democrts.

[@Numba003]

This is one of those questions I hadn't really thought of before, but I was definitely interested in seeing the answer. Thank you for another interesting video! Stay well out there everybody, and God bless you, friends. ✝️ :)

[@liberty.b.r]

You too! :)

[@CliffSavage2021]

The Limbo reference was so quick and perfect. I love this channel.

[@r.a.acosta6528]

Those "Rules" at 0:13 were hilarious. This channel is too much. 😂

[@TheodoreServin]

"Belgium is also here for some reason"

[@andromeda331]

Another great one! I love the list. "We're here!" Also love Teddy Roosevelt peaking out of the bushes.

[@egosumhomovespertilionem2022]

Theodore Roosevelt was a great president, but his triumphant nationalism also led the United States down a path of quasi-imperialism before the Second World War reminded us that was not who the American nation was supposed to be. Sure, Americans have fought foreign wars, but that was more often than not to defeat foreign imperialists, communists and other authoritarian regimes bent on regional conquest. As I said above, the United States has not added a single square inch of sovereign territory since 1898, and it has long ago divested itself of its accidental empire of 1898, i.e., Cuba and the Philippines.

[@SoshoKozadokaGojiraChargedUp]

*That feeling when the jungle starts speaking Yankee*

[@aelicien7970]

I love the LIMBO reference you made 1:51, a truly great game.

[@eacalvert]

Once again the level of detail in the video where I have to pause or go back to read things love it!!!!!

[@andrews_lego_tanks_and_more]

"Belgum is also here for some reason", yha, that about sums it up.

[@maddrone7814]

US: why can’t we just not colonize Africa but just trade? All of Europe: *that isn’t very cash money of you*

[@attackonmars5198]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 You Europeans always loved stealing land and claiming it as yours smh....

[@brandonlyon730]

Funny enough the German Emperor of the time didn’t think colonization was a good idea either since it turns out colonies are expensive to maintain, but got pressured to pursue colonies anyway by his own government and people who thought colonies were awesome since the other great powers had them.

[@pecadodeorgullo5963]

@@brandonlyon730 it was actually Bismark who opposed funding colonies abroad.

[@deathkitten7635]

@@brandonlyon730 true, colonies actually didn’t benefit Europe that much, it was more just a competition to grab land.

[@FumbleSquid]

*coughs* south/central america *coughs*

[@Fierce0Deity0Link]

That visual gag about Limbo made me chuckle. Such a great game.

[@toxenzz]

Wow, never really deviled onto this topic. Thank you!

[@PetTheCat3730]

The "Limbo" reference was a very nice touch

[@jerekeya9910]

Number 5 on the berlin conference rules has me dying with laughter

[@southend26]

The little parchments on this one are gold. 😂

[@jackthehacker05]

That Limbo reference was incredible, bravo!

[@campfireeverything]

I certainly did enjoy this episode, thank you.

[@edwardengland8349]

1:52 +10 million points for the Limbo reference.

[@brivetteebanks-lynch3149]

0:20 Look closely on Africa U.S states these are Florida,Virginia,Texas(1830's),Delaware and Rhode Island. I hope this helped you

[@EV-wp1fj]

This channel has taught me many things, but the greatest lesson of all is that I really should run through a field of flowers sometime.

[@AG-ni8jm]

Lol 0:56 the Austrian Emperor with his sign "I'm also here"

[@Chiefjoseph82]

1:36 Love it, made me laugh. Keep up the good work.

[@leafygreen460]

I'm surprised no one else caught that the monroe doctrine was signed by "Jimmy M" lmao

[@alinkbetweengames4328]

The visual gags are always top-notch, but the ones at 1:35 and 1:52 are the best I have seen.

[@jackespinos7138]

0:21 I love how the hypothetical US colonies in Africa are shaped like US states. Looks like Florida, Rhode Island, Delaware, Virginia and Texas (during the Texas republic)

[@androzani]

They did leave out Tiverton and Little Compton thou. To be fair, as small as Rhode Island is, we even forget that they are there.

[@aperson22222]

Huh, I’d missed that. Good catch!

[@tommiddlefinger6188]

If you live in Nevada, do NOT v o t e for Chuck Short. He is running ads on this channnel but he is a JERRK. We don't need more of the diversty Commmunst type Democrts.

[@shinsenshogun900]

Rhode Island in the eastern side of the continent shares the same name as Cecil Rhodes This must be the American Rhodesia History Matters has in mind

[@ChessedGamon]

The history of american foreign policy feels like the geopolitical equivalent of Two-Face from Batman

[@acat6145]

That makes sense with democracy and changing administrations

[@TheLegoMaster261]

You just hate America

[@MatheusLB2009]

"The perfect comment doesn't exist-..."

[@Ravie1]

We have a long history of oscillating between being extremely uninvolved on the international stage and being very very involved. The American public has generally been isolationist, it's not very surprising when you view the geopolitical situation we're in, we're resource rich so we don't need the rest of the planet, but after two costly world wars we felt the need to become heavily involved in the world through trade and military might.

[@neetard1774]

It changed its foreign policy in the influence of Zionism and mainly when Israel formed

[@carloscampo9119]

A LIMBO reference totally unexpected. Ha. Great job.

[@Lexicommonzero]

I always love the prancing through the flowers clip

[@Omar-cw5gg]

I want to see an alternate history for this 0:50

[@hatsjer]

That limbo reference was such a nostalgia out of nowhere.

[@heythere6405]

thank you! i had to pause and rewind cause i thought i saw a limbo spider arm😂

[@myahein2095]

Love how you added limbo❤

[@Lions400]

1:59 those animations look adorable

[@kcgunesq]

Honestly, given the distance from the US, I wonder if the available resources simply weren't worth the effort when we could probably do just as well setting up shop in central and south America. I think the video alludes to this, but doesn't really focus on the fact that the distance and the need to move everything via ship over large oceans introduces huge additional costs.

[@kjellvanderpoten3141]

also still busy with pushing out the natives is what I got from the video, but I'm not sure that's what he meant with "consolidation"

[@epicgamerzfail4575]

Also something to keep in mind the us navy at this point was no where near as powerful as the European nations, which you would kinda need if you wanted to enforce territory overseas.

[@Josep_Hernandez_Lujan]

Oh, American companies did their fair share of looting Africa

[@buddermonger2000]

@@kjellvanderpoten3141 Eh not quite more just filling it with more Americans as otherwise it's just useless land.

[@kaiquecf]

Well, shortly after USA annexed the Philippines far, far away from the densely populated east coast.

[@1rjbrjb]

You do an incredible job of brilliantly answering questions no one had thought to ask, which is entirely our fault and not yours. Well done!

[@tylerpoire3496]

I've watched all of the history matters videos multiple times, especially the 10 min ones

[@GottlikeDamon]

Thank you for including the "exceptions" of the Monroe Doctrine.

[@harveya1a952]

James Bisonette should have got a part of Africa

[@riverman6462]

Bizonette Free State

[@jlshel42]

@@riverman6462 Spinning Free States

[@ecurewitz]

Like the USA, he sat it out

[@shinsenshogun900]

Kelly Moneymakerland

[@DanielRochester800]

The Scramble for Africa is such an elaborate yet overlooked topic in history.

[@kirjoittajajoni]

Is it? I remember it being a big deal in midschool history classes here in Finland

[@SamuriLemonX18]

It really isn't overlooked in an academic sense

[@tmp88]

@@kirjoittajajoni I don’t remember it even being touched, growing up in the US in a quite decent school district.

[@MrShadowThief]

@@SamuriLemonX18 I think it's overlooked in the sense of just reducing it to a matter of "Europe bad, Africa now poor" instead of trying to cover it like an actual historical event.

[@simplesimon8255]

They never got Ethiopia

[@CanadianReef]

I love how you included old states on the thumbnail.

[@160509able]

Great video, very informative

[@LiezAllLiez]

1:51 I find this Limbo reference cute. Well done, sir.

[@tommiddlefinger6188]

If you live in Nevada, do NOT v o t e for Chuck Short. He is running ads on this channnel but he is a JERRK. We don't need more of the diversty Commmunst type Democrts.

[@lemonfellow4703]

1:50 loved the limbo reference

[@EnigmaticDecay]

Love this channel.

[@lightgreen3479]

Can you please do a "How did the Entente react to Franz Joseph's death and Kaiser Karl's coronation"? Or just a video on Karl in general, I've found him to be one of history's more interesting figures. Pretty please

[@tainted-rn]

I have been wondering about this too. I would assume they didn't care, or found it beneficial for them, considering Austria and the Entente were at war

[@vteles]

Placing US “claims” in the shape of American States on Africa? Well Done, sir..

[@Jordan77831]

Well, with Alaska being colonised, Hawaii, American Samoa, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam and the wild west, it's ambitious for the 19th century American government to reach Africa as well

[@shinsenshogun900]

Imagine the US getting declared war/sanctioned by the great powers of 1900 using the notion of containment as a cause over this overextension

[@Qwerty-qg6db]

I like that you put American Gothic on the outro background

[@SMBDX]

Lost opportunity to put Idaho on Cameroon in the thumbnail

[@Byzantiumball]

Haven’t even watched it and I already know it’s good

[@masterelitant6065]

i love how the thumbnail map shows us territories in africa shaped like us territories

[@shinsenshogun900]

Both current and historical boundaries If only Florida was in Uganda tbh, but American Rhodesia got me

[@masterelitant6065]

@@shinsenshogun900 yes that's why i said territories not states, because by territories i mean past and modern us land

[@alparslankorkmaz2964]

Nicely explained.

[@ekay8968]

Yessir I enjoy every episode

[@NIDELLANEUM]

Wouldn't another reason be the (then) recent Civil War? I mean, imagine going through years of war regarding slavery, and then 20 years later you try to obtain parts of the very continent where those slaves came from. It could have caused a huge mess in the nation

[@ryangale3757]

Was just thinking that as well.

[@obsidianjane4413]

Not at all. They wouldn't have been trying to revive the slave trade, and the newly freed African-Americans didn't have anywhere near the socio-political power to influence even domestic policy much less foreign and colonial affairs. Even US abolitionists probably would have been able to rationalize it as bringing "civilization to the savages". etc.

[@MrQuantumInc]

@@obsidianjane4413 "Now that we have ended slavery here, we need to go into Africa to make sure they are not enslaving each other!"

[@williamking6787]

@@MrQuantumInc You joke, but that would 100% be the kind of reasoning used by late Victorian era political pundits

[@obsidianjane4413]

@@williamking6787 Not really a joke because slavery is still a thing in some parts of Africa.

[@LGus-gr9wo]

A LIMBO reference? now that was something I never could have expected

[@jembo1809]

you have answered most of my questions in under 8 minutes

[@EHonda-ds6ve]

"America just wanting to trade is a theme of americas late 19th to early 20th century US-foreign policy" And then they took 1898 ( 13 years after the conference ) Puerto Rico, Guam, the Phillipines and Cuba from Spain.

[@wppb50]

re: 2:23 Okay, so fair point, BUT it has to be said the US of A was a little occupied with internal issues during that period (1862-1867) to put the effort into pushing out the French down south.

[@zjzr08]

Very interesting to see a very global focus for this episode - European imperialists, Africans, Americans (both North and South), and a little bit of Asia with China and the Philippines, I think.

[@shinsenshogun900]

The Yanks taking the global spotlight by spanning across a landmass and influence affairs across their shorelines Truly a Mr. Worldwide moment

[@TheDreamerintheStarlight]

Fun fact: Liberia was actually a decently developed country for the region until the 1980’s when their economy pretty much took a nosedive

[@Kilometer-nz5yj]

I like this channel, its kind of like oversimplified, but uploads more often

[@thebalkanhistorian.3205]

Great video

[@whatname3676]

Its not even been 20 seconds since video was out

[@khakiturtle6776]

Great comment

[@Joaquin_Z]

The US also used its influence during the Scramble for Africa to help safeguard Liberia from European colonisation from France and Germany. France took a big chunk of Liberian territory but the US was the reason it wasn’t completely consumed. Thus, the US’ protection is the reason why by WWI, Liberia was one of only two independent states in Africa

[@terrorgaming459]

America now has hygomony over the world

[@terrynewsome6698]

@@terrorgaming459 soft power is awesome, all the benefits none of the headaches

[@jcl4370]

@@terrynewsome6698 Unfortunately Russia didn't get the memo

[@anneslot7013]

@@terrynewsome6698 "soft power", the literal destabilization of the entire Middle East, bruh

[@Seriona1]

Liberia to this day still gets American Protection even in the smallest ways. The US has basically extended Monroe Doctrine De Facto over Liberia. The Liberian military completely uses everything the US used in the 80's and every time there is an armed conflict in Liberia, the US marines are sent in for whatever mission is required. It's almost a US state in the way our government acts sometimes.

[@aidanwithana143]

HE MADE IT ON TRENDING LETS GO

[@janteo1]

The limbo reference is briliant

[@willek1335]

Scrambling for Africa was largely a thing rich empires did to flaunt their resume. British Empire wanted to create a railway north south, which is nuts at this point. The French wanted west-east railroad, which is equally nuts. Economically, African colonies were not even self-sustaining, mostly due to lack of communication across the interior. USA was at this point an up%coming power, more pragmatic, while Europens were by far more capable to splurge until WW1, when the balance was at the precipice. Now it's China's turn to cover Asia and Africa in the same manner, the belt.

[@frka.836]

Chinese initiative is a bit different though, apart from the fact that it will interconnect many developing economies to develop ones (not just unlimited pieces of desert and Forest, it will also allow them bypass the traditionals maritime roads which are mostly under US control)

[@SuperCatacata]

@@frka.836 A bit different. But every bit as exploitative.

[@c0ya1]

@@SuperCatacata hell, china, much like Russia are switching to Neo-Colonialism. Not good.

[@NewSherrif]

@@SuperCatacata No It isn't

[@charlestonianbuilder344]

@@SuperCatacata just like american neocolonialism

[@gtaRadi0]

As an African I’m thankful for the positive influences of western culture, but also wish the borders weren’t purposely drawn to cause chaos and conflict that still plagues us to this day.

[@righthandstep5]

This op^^^

[@sakurakou2009]

you do know that african people can change that but they wouldnt bt cuz they all still conolized in their minds

[@gtaRadi0]

@@sakurakou2009 you’re right but if you think about how dems and republicans are forced into tribalism and how that will be the U.S eventual downfall then you realize majority of humans brains aren’t smart enough to put their differences aside for greater good.

[@gabriel.b9036]

@@sakurakou2009 What?

[@sakurakou2009]

@@gabriel.b9036 what can't read 🙄

[@sabrakt]

I wasn't ready for that Limbo reference, damn!

[@oliversherman2414]

Great video 👍🏻

[@cmjcj2ktn]

The history of Liberia would be a good video in and of itself, but would require viewer discretion.

[@Mark-xp3cg]

I too want to see a General Butt Naked cameo in a History Matters video.

[@purplespeckledappleeater8738]

General Butt Naked is genuinely an underrated historical figure. Starts out as a warlord and ends up building churches.

[@BigFatWow]

Actual reason: Africa is east, and Manifest Destiney says you have to go West.

[@merwthegreat]

i see, thats why they went for japan

[@marcuseasoniiyt]

Well, almost right. The United States went after Germany and Italy in World War II.

[@MattJunewski]

Well tehnically if you go to africa through asia that means you go West so technically that still applies.

[@Anonymous-uu8fw]

Can you do a video on what life was like in French occupied Germany after WW2? Kind of a mirror video to life in German occupied Alsace and it'd be interesting to know if the Franco-German animosity made any difference compared to the rest of the allied occupation.

[@eturner]

I love his attention to detail. For the part of Africa that he used in the in the thumbnail, he uses the shape of Florida where Morocco is. If you went straight east from Florida, you'd be in Morocco.