POST-1945 HISTORICAL CONTEXTS His inability to disarm the ex-Rwandan soldiers and perpetuators of the 1994 genocide who were now living in Congo led to the invasion of the Congo by a combined army of Tutsi-led governments of Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda and the Congolese rebel leader Laurent Kabila. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. In French. Some argued for a gradual shift to self-governance because of the lack of personnel equipped to take over the responsibilities of governance. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. [1], Much of the initial infrastructure was the work of Stanley Morton Stanley who, having extensively explored the Congo, was employed by Leopold from 1878. It was not until the eighteenth century that the Portuguese gained substantial influence in Congo. These mandatory identity cards removed the fluidity from the Rwandan stratification (caste) system, thereby confining people permanently as Hutus, Tutsis, and pygmies. The Belgians empowered the Tutsis so much that their exploitation of the Hutu majority reached new heights. The killing stopped only when Paul Kagame, with the help of Uganda, led a Tutsi army that drove the Hutu-led military into exile in neighboring Congo. Belgium created two colonies in Africa: the entities now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly the Republic of Zaire) and the Republic of Rwanda, previously Ruanda-Urundi, a former German African colony that was given to Belgium to administer after the defeat of Germany in World War I. Belgian Congo, French Congo Belge, former colony (coextensive with the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) in Africa, ruled by Belgium from 1908 until 1960. The other chief colonisers were France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Second, these leaders exacerbated ethnic rivalries and tensions to stay in power. This uprising led to the disintegration of the Belgian colonial administration and helped in winning independence for the Congo in 1960. 2023 . During its colonisation era, Belgium controlled several colonies/concessions during its history, the Belgian Congo (modern DRC) from 1908 to 1960, and Ruanda-Urundi (Rwanda and Burundi) from 1922 to 1962. Mobutu ruled for thirty-one years and pauperized the Congo. A third economic sector consisted of large-scale plantations (e.g., palm oil production by the enterprise founded by the British businessman William Lever [18511925]), also oriented toward export. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Ekwe-Ekwe, Herbert. As a result, Lumumba asked the Soviet Union to help him bring Katanga back to Congo. The second king of Belgium, Leopold II, was a very ambitious man who wanted to personally enrich himself and enhance his countrys prestige by annexing and colonizing lands in Africa. On many occasions, the interests of the government and private enterprise became closely tied, and the state helped companies break strikes and remove other barriers raised by the indigenous population. . If this small European country nevertheless succeeded . The Belgian Congo (French: Congo belge, pronounced [ko bl]; Dutch: Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa between 1908 and 1960 in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Retrieved April 27, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/belgiums-african-colonies. Under the cloak of humanitarian and scientific interests, he then created successive private organizations, the most important of which was the Association Internationale du Congo (AIC). [20] Although Belgian companies invested in Tianjin, especially in the city's tram system, the Belgian concession remained inactive. Belgium controlled several territories and concessions during the colonial era, principally the Belgian Congo (modern DRC) from 1908 to 1960 and Ruanda-Urundi (modern Rwanda and Burundi) from 1922 to 1962.It also had small concessions in Guatemala (1843-1854) and in China (1902-1931) and was a co-administrator of the Tangier International Zone in Morocco. However, when independence came, the territories were ill-prepared for self-governance since little effort had been made to train and equip an African leadership. So did Spain, Italy and Portugal by 1914. GENEALOGY OF THE TERM DECOLONIZATION The colony was founded in 1908 following the transfer of sovereignty from the Congo Free State, which was the personal property of Belgium's king, Leopold II. When did Germany colonize Tanzania? Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. When Belgium became a nation in 1830, it had almost no tradition of long-distance trade or colonial activity. Although the figures are estimates, it is believed that as many as ten million Congolese died during the period,[7][8][9][10] roughly a fifth of the population. The history of Colonialism as a policy or practice go, Colonialism, Internal At the Berlin Conference in 1884, the USA, the Ottoman Empire and 12 European countries divided up most of the . [4] By the turn of the century, however, the violence used by Free State officials against indigenous Congolese and the ruthless system of economic extraction led to intense diplomatic pressure on Belgium to take official control of the country, which it did in 1908, creating the Belgian Congo. 2006. "Archives Africaines" of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brussels (Archives of the former Belgian Ministry of Colonies). Africans and Their History, 2nd ed. OF DECOLONIZATION 40). In 1482 the Portuguese navigator Diogo Co became the first European to come to the Congo. This antagonism, coupled with the high population density in these overwhelmingly agricultural countries, was to form a volatile environment in the following decades, causing several interethnic massacres, of which the Rwandan genocide of 1994 was the most terrifying example. What were the former British colonies in Africa? Stengers, Jean. (April 27, 2023). Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. In 1971, in a continuation of his Africanization policy, the Congo River was renamed the Zaire River and consequently, Congo was renamed the Republic of Zaire. The Belgian administration of the Congo was run by a relatively modest corps of civil servants (in 1947 only about 44,000 whites, 3,200 of whom were public employees, were present in this vast country, inhabited by some 11 million Africans). Another notable kingdom was the Lunda kingdom of Nwata Kazembe, founded in the early eighteenth century and centered around the Luapula River near the Congo-Zambia border. Very little money was invested in educationwhich was left to missionaries, mainly Roman Catholic, and consisted of basic literacy and numeracy. Article 4 of the May 1842 Acte de concession clearly stated that the cession of the territory to the Belgian company did not involve, implicitly or explicitly, a cession of sovereignty over the territory, which would forever remain under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of Guatemala. On the local level, in close contact with the African population, the missionaries played an important role in evangelization, in (primary) education, and in health services. They could also cheaply receive slaves and ivory and sell it at a very high price making a huge profit. Map of Africa in 1910. These countries accounted for more than 30% of Africa's population. Subsequent political problems led to military intervention by the Belgians, who claimed that they intervened to protect Belgian citizens from attack. Belgium created two colonies in Africa: the entities now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly the Republic of Zaire) and the Republic of Rwanda , previously Ruanda-Urundi, a former German African colony that was given to Belgium to administer after the defeat of Germany in World War I . It does not store any personal data. For example, Belgian and other foreign interests engineer these conflicts so they can continue to loot the resources of Africa. Nevertheless, there were interethnic wars on some occasions. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. All the members of the castes seemed to be living in harmony until the Belgians came and brought ethnic conflict with them. "[1] In 1876, he told delegates at an international conference on geography which he sponsored in Brussels that: To open to civilization the only part of our globe which it has not yet penetrated, to pierce the darkness which hangs over entire peoples, is, I dare say, a crusade worthy of this century of progress. https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/africa-belgian-colonies, "Africa: Belgian Colonies In 1955 some of the few Congolese educated-elites organized a resistance to the lack of democracy and the apartheid policies of the Belgian colonial masters. The history of Colonialism as a policy or practice go, Amin, Idi c. 1925-2003 Available at: http://www.diplomatie.be/fr/archives/archives.asp. The so-called Colonial Charter of 1908 set out the main lines of the Belgian colonial system: a rigorous separation between the budgets of the colony and the mother country; a strict parliamentary control of executive power (in order to avoid the excesses of the former Leopoldian despotism); the appointment of a governor-general in Congo, whose powers were strictly limited by the metropolitan authorities; and a tight centralism in the colony itself, where provincial authorities were granted little autonomy. Ethnic Conflict. Foreign Policy No. Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges. After Belgium began administering the colony, it generally maintained the policies established by the Germans, including indirect rule via local Tutsi rulers, and a policy of ethnic identity cards (later retained in the Republic of Rwanda). [citation needed], Leopold achieved international recognition for the Congo Free State in 1885. It was, however, the third largest colonial territory in Africa; in contrast, the possessions of Belgium's more powerful neighbor, Germany, came sixth in size. This was in contrast to the British and the French, who generally favoured the system of indirect rule whereby traditional leaders were retained in positions of authority under colonial oversight. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Mobutu and his supporters were so corrupt and stole so much money from the Congolese people that his government was described as a kleptocracy, or government by thieves. The scramble for colonies was the brainchild of Leopold II, king of Belgium. Even in the first decades of its existence, it showed little inclination toward overseas expansion. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. North Africa experienced colonisation from Europe and Western Asia in the early historical period, particularly Greeks and Phoenicians . Mass Crimes Against Humanity: The Congo Free State Genocide Circa 1895-1912. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Belgian_colonial_empire&oldid=1023550, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. [21] The agreement was approved by the Belgian parliament on 13 July 1931. Britain established control over many parts of Africa, including Sudan and much of the south. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The term is also applied to a group of nationals wh, c. 1875 In April of 1885 Belgium's parliament made Leopold the sovereign ruler of this new "state," called the Congo Free State, incorporating all lands not directly occupied by Africans. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Belgium controlled 3 colonies and 3 concessions during its history, the Belgian Congo (modern DRC) from 1908 to 1960, and Ruanda-Urundi (Rwanda and Burundi) from 1922 to 1962. Leopold II was absolute ruler of Congo. 1998. [15] By the 1950s the Congo had a wage labour force twice as large as that in any other African colony.[16]. Whereas the Hutus were farmers, the Tutsis were cattle herders. A study of encounters between colonizer and colonized in French West Africa throughout the colonial period, focusing on "history from below.". Supporters of the second option led by Patrice Lumumba (1925-1961) won the day and the Belgian Congo became independent on June 30, 1960. Can I leave an internship for another internship? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Although there were several political parties, the two most prominent were Joseph Kasavubus ABAKO, a party based among the Kongo people, and Patrice Lumumbas Congolese National Movement. The French first began colonizing Africa in the 17th century, although they did not start having a significant presence on the continent until the 19th century. Vocabulary. As a latecomer in the struggle for colonies, Germany had to settle for four territories, called "protectorates," in . Nairobi, Kenya: Paulines Publications Africa. In just a few months' time (from early 1959 to the beginning of 1960), the political prospects for the colony evolved from a long-term loosening of the ties between Belgium and the Congo, to the immediate independence of the African country. ed. Consequently, colonial policy was determined by a small group of persons, in particular the minister of colonies, a handful of top civil servants in the Ministry of Colonies, some prominent Catholic ecclesiastics, and the leaders of the private companies that were investing increasing amounts of capital in the colony. By 1899 the British vice consul confirmed and further reported the brutality of Leopolds misrule in Congo. What are the most attractive personality traits in a man? Leopold II exploited the Congo for its natural rubber, which was starting to become a valuable commodity. 27 Apr. Following the independence of both colonies, Belgium kept strong but eventful political and economical relationships with the three succeeding African republics, which still refer to the "special relationship" whenever that seems to suit: Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), Rwanda, and Burundi. After several unsuccessful attempts in different parts of Asia and Africa, Leopold developed a keen interest in Central Africa. As the independence of Rwanda became inevitable in the 1950s, however, the Belgians changed course and started to empower the Hutus by increasing their political and economic muscle and providing them access to modern education. [15] One of the results was the development of a new middle class of Europeanised African "volus" in the cities. More or Less: Heroes and Killers of the 20th Century. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450. Summary. Forrest, Joshua B. Under Egypt 's Pharaoh Amasis (570-526 BC) a Greek mercantile colony was established at Naucratis, some 50 miles from the later Alexandria. In the west, it 'acquired' Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Southern Cameroon, and Sierra Leone; in the east, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania were under Britain rule; and in the south, Britain successfully overtook South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, Botswana, and Swaziland. [17] Belgian colonizing efforts in Guatemala ceased in 1854, due to lack of financing and high mortality due to yellow fever and malaria, endemic diseases of the tropical climate. 5 How did Belgium maintain power in Congo? That the Tutsi and Hutu were originally two castes of the same people, speaking a common language, and that the antagonism had been created by Belgian colonial forces for their own purposes, were facts somehow lost in the international dialogue. Mobutu was used as a Western stooge to stop an alleged communist incursion into Africa. Until almost the end of the mandate period, the Belgian administrators, with the help of the Catholic Church and its schools, did their best to turn the Tutsi elite into docile auxiliaries of their own rule. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. This ended with the seizure of power by Joseph-Dsir Mobutu. A further blow came in 1933, when the Belgians issued identity cards to all Rwandans. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In the Congo, the Belgians created an apartheid-like system between the Europeans (Belgians) living in Congo and the Congolese, thereby marginalizing the Congolese in their own society. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Through intermarriage and socioeconomic contacts, interethnic strife was benign. A classic image depicts the Belgian Congo as being run by the "Trinity" of administration, capital, and the (Catholic) Church. Setting up an administration and waging exhausting military campaigns in order to secure the Free State's grip on a territory more than eighty times as large as Belgium turned out to be very expensive. Before the coming of the Europeans, the Kingdom of Kongo had well-organized political and administrative structures that rivaled those of the Europeans. When Congo became a sovereign nation on June 30, 1960, this new state was utterly unprepared to handle the enormous problems that it had to face, and it slid into years of chaos, internal disruption (e.g., regional secessions, such as Katanga's), and civil waronly to emerge in 1965 under the Mobutu Sese Seko (19301997) dictatorship, which was to last more than thirty years and thoroughly pillaged the country's enormous riches. In spite of this legacy of the colonial period, political developments in the Congo and Rwanda (peace agreements, new constitutions, and new elections) show that there is a new hope for the former African colonies of Belgium. Le Congo: De la colonisation Belge l'indpendance, 2nd ed. ." Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450. . The Free State's expenses outstripped its incomes. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"n0hifXIP06k4AZAYPfhaWe9Vz2rtENJE3ukkjTyT.f4-86400-0"}; Yet, Leopold personally subscribed to what was sometimes called the "progressive" view of imperialism: That it had a moral justification as a civilizing mission. By 1900, the French had colonies in present-day Senegal , Mauritania , Mali , Niger , Burkina Faso , Guinea , Ivory Coast , and Benin, just to name a few. They also shared the same culture, ate the same or similar foods, and practiced the same religion. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These migrations created myriad problems both at the time and in subsequent periods. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. New York: Barnes and Nobles. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. However, one of the main failures of Belgian colonial policy was the choice not to develop an indigenous elite. When the Belgians took over the administration of Rwanda from the Germans in 1918, they significantly changed the Rwandese system of government and social relations. In the 1500s, Portugal colonized the present-day west . Contents1 How did Belgium colonize Africa?2 Was []
Prophet Bruce Edwards,
2016 Grizzly 700 Valve Adjustment,
Articles W
