Unit 21: Paper 3 (HL) — History of Africa & the Middle East
Topic 21.8: European imperialism and the partition of Africa (1850–1900) Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB History Topic 21.8. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.2 - Q12
Which German pressure group lobbied Bismarck for the protection of German trading posts in Africa in the early 1880s?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q12
Which explorer is best known for crossing the African continent between 1874 and 1877?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.2 - Q14
Which explorer signed treaties with Congolese chiefs on behalf of King Leopold II of Belgium in the early 1880s?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q11
Which event in 1882 alarmed France and Germany and accelerated the Scramble for Africa?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.2 - Q13
What was the key rule agreed at the Berlin West Africa Conference (1884-85) that required powers to demonstrate actual control of territory before claiming it?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.2 - Q11
Which weapon, introduced in 1884, gave European forces a decisive firepower advantage over African armies during the Scramble for Africa?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q14
According to the 'African background to partition', what does the memory device 'MAC' stand for?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q15
Which combination of factors gave European powers a decisive military advantage in Africa by the 1880s?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q1
Examine the economic causes of the European partition of Africa between 1870 and 1900.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q3
Discuss the role played by traders, missionaries and explorers in preparing the way for the European partition of Africa.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.2 - Q1
Examine the internal weaknesses that made it difficult for African states to resist European colonization in the late nineteenth century.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q5
Compare and contrast the reasons for British expansion in Egypt and in South Africa in the late nineteenth century.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q6
Analyse the role of chartered companies, such as the Royal Niger Company, in the process of European partition in Africa.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q13
Which of the following best describes the main economic driver of European interest in Africa after 1873?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.2 - Q15
In what year did international outcry force the Belgian state to take over the Congo Free State from King Leopold II's personal rule?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q2
Evaluate the importance of strategic factors in causing the European partition of Africa.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q4
To what extent was the decline of the Ottoman Empire responsible for opening North Africa to European control?
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.2 - Q2
Discuss the reasons why Germany, under Bismarck, suddenly annexed African territories in 1884.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.1 - Q10
Compare and contrast European causes and African conditions in explaining the speed of the Scramble for Africa.
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2026• Aimnova original vault - 21.8.2 - Q8
Examine the reasons why the Berlin West Africa Conference excluded African rulers from its proceedings, and the consequences of this exclusion.
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