Most likely to have multiple European conflicts in Africa

[Conquistador]

Okay, technically this would be alternate history.    

Belgium, Britain, the Boer, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish Africa Colonies existed in Africa at various times.

Where (if there was one region) would there be the mot possibility for multiple European nations fighting each other in Africa?  Excuses can always be found to stage a battle...

Given the long time period of colonization, what period of time would allow the most (theoretical) possible opponents?

Gracias,

Glenn

[Plynkes]

Given the long time period of colonization, what period of time would allow the most (theoretical) possible opponents?

Given that it actually happened, the answer to that is the Great War. Britain (including South Africa), Belgium, France and Portugal all against Germany. 



But purely in the realm of theoreticals, I would say the mid-to-late 1890s right bang in the centre of Africa, where British, French, German, Belgian and Mahdist forces all found themselves encroaching on the last blank spaces on the map. Nearly happened between Britain and France at Fashoda. Could have happened between any of them.

To the north and west you have the French Sudan, to the northeast you have the Mahdists, to the west you have the Congo Free State and to the east and southeast you have British and German East Africa. If all of them push towards the centre you have the possibility of a rather interesting six-way disagreement.

[fastolfrus]

Actual European forces or local natives under a flag of convenience?

[Plynkes]

To be honest I have no idea why that particular patch land right in the centre of Africa was seen as desirable. But it happened. Britain, France and the Congo Free State all sent forces into that area to claim it, and the British and French did almost come to blows over it until clearer heads prevailed. It was a by-product of defeating the Mahdist state really. I think they just figured somebody was going to stamp out Mahdism and colonise it, so it had better be us rather than Johnny Foreigner.

At the close of the Century, the major powers had something of a frenzy of gobbling up the last bits, mostly just for the sake of it rather than profit, it would seem. A lot of the colonies from that time were a very long way from being profitable, and the private colonial companies were in the habit of collapsing and being swallowed up by the state.

[juergen c. olk]

They wanted to do what China is doing today,a transcontinental railway,east and west and north and south,to cart out all they could pillage from these lands.The Belgians even built a railroad in china,in exchange were  equipped w/a endless supply of coolies to die w/ the Congolese building a railway in the Congo.

[Atheling]

To be honest I have no idea why that particular patch land right in the centre of Africa was seen as desirable.

It must have served as some strategic importance?!?! After all, there were plenty of armies trying to get their mittens on that particular piece of land 

Darrell.

[Plynkes]

Well there may have been some who thought it might eventually have economic potential, and I suppose the Congo Free State having the Lado Enclave did give them access to the Nile, but I really think it was mostly just national pride. As said above, British desire to have a "Cape to Cairo" rail link also factored into the matter.

[Jeff965]

Maybe it was various Goverments thinking ahead and trying a land grab in case there were future prospects of wealth from those areas. A more modern equivelant might be the Falklands war. Which ever country has the nearest airstrip to the Antartic when they eventually work out a way to strip that of its assets is going to make a bundle. Just a thought.

[Plynkes]

Certainly. That's why the Ndebele were conquered and Rhodesia created. It was hoped it would be full of gold and diamond fields just like the Transvaal.

[Jeff965]

I quite like these pseudo historical scenarios it gives you a chance to mix troops in a game that would probably not have come into contact in the real world. I remember many years ago when Redoubt brought out their ACW range I wanted to get some, I did not collect ACW at the time so thought up a situation where a small Union expeditionary force was sent to Africa to tackle slavers on an 1860's PR stunt for President Lincoln. I even had ideas to involve the British who would have been torn between their anti slavery stance and their support for the Confederacy. It never came off but the thought was there . Anybody else had some weird and wacky ideas like that?

[Conquistador]

Sometimes it is just owning the land, (being an American of mixed Spanish-Indian heritage, among others, I can say that the fixation of owning land is enough to cause some wars that are mind-boggling experiences in self-justification when viewed from the 20th/21st centry,) that alone drives the conflict.

Gracias,

Glenn