What was the meeting in 1884-1885 where European powers divided Africa without considering Indigenous populations?

The correct answer is the Berlin Conference, which took place from 1884 to 1885. This conference was convened by Otto von Bismarck of Germany and involved the major European powers of the time. The primary purpose was to establish guidelines for the colonization and partitioning of Africa among European nations.

Significantly, the conference ignored the rights, needs, and voices of Indigenous populations living in Africa. The European powers arbitrarily divided the continent into various territories, often leading to significant cultural, social, and political disruption in the affected regions. The implications of the decisions made at the Berlin Conference have had long-lasting impacts that are still felt in Africa today, given that modern borders frequently reflect colonial-era divisions rather than indigenous social or ethnic landscapes.

Understanding this context highlights the nature of imperialism at the time, where European interests superseded the rights and autonomy of African peoples. The other options do not pertain to the specific event of the partitioning of Africa: the Vienna Congress dealt primarily with European balance of power after the Napoleonic Wars, the Paris Peace Conference followed World War I to establish peace terms, and while the Scramble for Africa refers to the rapid invasion and colonization of Africa by European powers, it is