---
title: Map of Africa after the Treaty of Versailles, c.1920
author: Simeon Netchev
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18797/map-of-africa-after-the-treaty-of-versailles-c1920/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0)
updated: 2025-12-23
---

# Map of Africa after the Treaty of Versailles, c.1920

_Authored by [Simeon Netchev](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/simeonnetchev/)_

## Image File

[![Map of Africa after the Treaty of Versailles, c.1920](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/18797.png)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/18797.png)

## Image Caption

In the aftermath of World [War](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/) I (1914–1918), [Africa](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/africa/) remained overwhelmingly under European colonial domination, despite widespread African participation in the war effort. While the conflict weakened several European powers, it did not dismantle imperial control on the continent. Instead, colonial rule was reconfigured under a new international framework following the [Treaty of Versailles](https://www.worldhistory.org/Treaty_of_Versailles/) (1919). With only a handful of exceptions, most notably Liberia and Ethiopi, Africa in the interwar period was governed by European empires, including [Britain](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Britain/), France, Belgium, Portugal and [Italy](https://www.worldhistory.org/italy/).

Former German territories were reassigned as [League of Nations](https://www.worldhistory.org/League_of_Nations/) mandates (from 1920), nominally administered to prepare them for self-government. In practice, these mandates functioned as colonies under a different legal label, often intensifying economic extraction and labor exploitation. African soldiers who had fought for imperial armies returned home to societies that remained politically marginalized, fueling growing resentment and political awareness. The interwar period thus marked a critical phase of continuity rather than change: European empires preserved control, but rising African discontent, shaped by wartime experience and postwar inequality, laid important foundations for later anti-colonial movements and independence struggles after 1945.

#### Editorial Review

This human-authored image has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).

## About the Author

Simeon is a freelance visual designer and history educator, passionate about the human stories that shape the past.
- [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/simeon-netchev/)

## External Links

- [Africa, 1914.](https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.wdl/wdl.15665)
- [Second World War - Colonialism in Africa](https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail/95935/second-world-war-colonialism-in-africa-afrika-velhagen-klasing)

## Cite This Work

### APA
Netchev, S. (2025, December 23). Map of Africa after the Treaty of Versailles, c.1920. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18797/map-of-africa-after-the-treaty-of-versailles-c1920/>
### Chicago
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of Africa after the Treaty of Versailles, c.1920." *World History Encyclopedia*, December 23, 2025. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18797/map-of-africa-after-the-treaty-of-versailles-c1920/>.
### MLA
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of Africa after the Treaty of Versailles, c.1920." *World History Encyclopedia*, 23 Dec 2025, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18797/map-of-africa-after-the-treaty-of-versailles-c1920/>.

## License & Copyright

Submitted by [Simeon Netchev](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/simeonnetchev/ "User Page: Simeon Netchev"), published on 23 December 2025. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0deed.en). This licence only allows others to download this content and share it with others as long as the author is credited, but they can't change the content in any way or use it commercially. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.