Africa by Three

After researching Africa in WW1 for one of my own stories I wondered if Africa could have divided between three powers before the 1900s. I figured England and French would control most of the continent. If only one other European country was to gain the rest of Africa which would it most likely be?
 
After researching Africa in WW1 for one of my own stories I wondered if Africa could have divided between three powers before the 1900s. I figured England and French would control most of the continent. If only one other European country was to gain the rest of Africa which would it most likely be?
My best guess, the Ottoman Empire. If not them Portugal or possibly Spain. With a POD before the Napoleonic wars the Netherlands.
 
Portugal has a more than fair chance. Germany is possible as well, although quite less likely.
Spain and the Netherlands possible, but probably requiring early PODs.

Actually, having Bismarck deciding Germany does not need any African territory around 1883-1884 could bring you very close to the situation where almost all of Africa is divided between France, Britain and Portugal with minimal Italian and Spanish presence (plus Liberia).
You could tweak things to the desired outcome from there.
 
The UK and France did control most of the continent IOTL.

In order for the 3rd to be Portugal, Britain still buys out the Danish and Dutch possessions and here it must also buy the the Spanish ones. Leopold must be butterflied away. The German interest must be butterflied away. Italian interest (or existence) must be butterflied away. Empty spaces will be mostly filled by France and Britain, in that order. Perhaps some condomina.

In order for it to be Germany, much of the above conditions must be met and Germany must also find a way to buy the Portuguese possessions.

In order for it to be someone else, we need earlier PoDs.
 
While I suppose the Spanish might sell Spanish Guinea, their's no way in hell they'd sell the North African cities which had been part of Spain for centuries.
Yeap, my thoughts were on Spanish Guinea indeed (and butterflying away the existence of Spanish Sahara and Spanish Morocco).

The Plazas de Soberanía are - and would be - for all effects and purposes as African as Madeira and the Canaries are African.
 
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