111: 1223. The Congo was also characterized by the extraordinary development of huge mining industries (particularly in the province of Katanga, well known for its copper, and in the Kasai region, famous for its industrial diamonds). Belgian rule in the Congo was based on the "colonial trinity" (trinit coloniale) of state, missionary and private company interests. 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. Despite Mobutus dictatorship, relative peace reigned during most of his regime. Encyclopedia of Race and Racism. On February 5, 1885, Belgian King Leopold II established the Congo Free State by brutally seizing the African landmass as his personal possession. King Leopold II and the Belgians extend their military rule over the much desired Congo Basin in Central Africa. Very little money was invested in educationwhich was left to missionaries, mainly Roman Catholic, and consisted of basic literacy and numeracy. This exploration led initially to the establishment of the Congo Free State. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. The term is also applied to a group of nationals wh, c. 1875 European traders came to the new country, which was not a colony in the normal sense, but essentially the personal possession of King Leopold, to obtain beeswax, coffee, fruits, ivory, minerals, palm oil, and especially rubber. A map, published in Portugal in 1623, showing a representation of Africa as understood by colonizers. Other notable empires included the Luba empire, founded in the sixteenth century and centered around Lakes Kisale and Upemba, located in central Shaba; the Lunda kingdom of Mwata, founded in the fifteenth century and centered in southwestern Congo; and the Kuba empire of the Shonga people, founded in the seventeenth century and centered around the Kasai and Sankura rivers in southern Congo. The Tutsis were willing collaborators to the Belgian colonization. Belgians, including their government, adopted an ambivalent, even indifferent attitude towards their empire. Nevertheless, there were interethnic wars on some occasions. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. Only a tiny fraction of the Congolese population, the so-called volus, succeeded more or less in assimilating the European way of life, but their Belgian masters kept them at the bottom levels of the public service or private companies, without any short-term prospects of exercising responsible tasks. When Belgium became a nation in 1830, it had almost no tradition of long-distance trade or colonial activity. 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. Intermarriage was not prohibited in this caste system. Maurel, Auguste. 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. These migrations created myriad problems both at the time and in subsequent periods. Western colonialism, a political-economic phenomenon whereby various European nations explored, conquered, settled, and exploited large areas of the world. The Belgians, in turn, gave the Tutsis privileged positions in politics, education, and business. While some Africans initially welcomed European rule, others opposed it from the start. France began to rule a large territory in the west and north. 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. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Encyclopedia.com. A number of lobbying groups formed after the unification, including the West German Society for Colonization and Export (1881) and the Central Association for Commercial Geography and the Promotion of German Interests Abroad (1878). Their regime in the Congo used forced labour, and murder and mutilation on indigenous Congolese who did not fulfill quotas for rubber collections. Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and Spain also rushed to gain territory. 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. By the time independent Belgium might have been in a position to consider an overseas empire, major imperial powers such as the United Kingdom and France already had the most economically promising territories for colonization within their spheres of influence. In 2001, when Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards, he was succeeded by General Joseph Kabila, his son. Belgian colonial empire - New World Encyclopedia On reaching Kinshasa in May 1997, Kabila declared himself president and changed the name of Zaire back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ." European colonization of Africa - Students - Britannica Kids The Belgian claim was never formally recognised and the proposal was dropped in 1908. When both countries became independent on July 1, 1962, Rwanda was governed by a Hutu president, Burundi by a Tutsi king. Paris: Harmattan, 1992. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. These countries accounted for more than 30% of Africa's population. Like the 1994 genocide, it started when extremist Tutsis attacked a Hutu leader, and the Hutus retaliated by killing hundreds of Tutsis. The United States and Belgium provided the money that Mobutu used to bribe the Congolese army to commit treason against their properly elected government. The main contenders in this region, particularly France and the United Kingdom, hoped to reap the benefits of Leopold's "whim," which, in their opinion, would not last long. The economic system of the kingdom was organized into guilds based on agriculture and handicraft industries. 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. In 1998 Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda jointly invaded Congo, and Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Chad, and the Sudan fought on the side of Kabilas 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. 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. Burundi is a small country in Central Africa, which borders with Rwanda, Zaire, and Tanzania. 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. Mobutu first escaped to Togo and then to Morocco, where he died a few months later from cancer. Leopold II, an ambitious and enterprising monarch, was fascinated by the Dutch colonial "model" in Java and wanted to enhance his country's grandeur by exploiting a vast colonial domain, destined to enrich the mother country. Portuguese Colonialism in Africa | Oxford Research Encyclopedia of In 1877, the European country Belgium and King Leopold colonized the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Belgians found willing elites to help them rule Rwanda. After the end of the war, the Belgian government tried to exchange these territories against the left bank of the Congo River mouth, which was in Portuguese hands. [20] Although Belgian companies invested in Tianjin, especially in the city's tram system, the Belgian concession remained inactive. Following the Rwandan Revolution, the mandate became the independent states of Burundi and Rwanda in 1962.[1]. When did Germany colonize Tanzania? 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). As the strategic importance of Mobutu disappeared with the end of the cold war, little or no attention was paid to the Congo. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. With support from a number of Western countries who saw Leopold as a useful buffer between rival colonial powers, Leopold achieved international recognition for the Congo Free State in 1885. The Black Mans Burden: Africa and the Curse of the Nation-State. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. King Leopold II of Belgium, frustrated by his nation's lack of international power and prestige, tried to persuade the Belgian government to support colonial expansion around the then-largely unexplored Congo Basin. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). This empire was unlike those of the major European imperial powers, since 98 percent of it was just one colony (about 76 times larger than Belgium)the Belgian Congoand that had originated as the private property of the country's king, King Leopold II, rather than being gained through the political action of the Belgian state. The Belgians ruled over Congo from 1909 to 1960, while their rule over Rwanda lasted from 1918 to 1962. 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. Roughly 98% of Belgium's overseas territory was just one colony (about 76 times larger than Belgium itself) known as the Belgian Congo. Starting in the 1880s, in what became known as the "Scramble for Africa," European countries raced to occupy the continent, seeking economic and strategic gains. (Colonizing other peoples, regardless of the justification . Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. The European incursion into the west coast of Africa and the consequent slave raids increased the migrations of refugees into Kongo. "[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. //Belgian Congo | History & Facts | Britannica 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. The age of modern colonialism began about 1500, following the European discoveries of a sea route around Africa's southern coast (1488) and of America (1492). It also annexed Katanga, a territory under the Congo Free State flag, which Leopold had gained in 1891, when he sent an expedition which killed its king, Msiri, cut off his head and hoisted it on a pole. Le Congo: De la colonisation Belge l'indpendance, 2nd ed. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In 1897 a Swedish missionary told a London meeting how Leopolds soldiers were rewarded by the number of Congolese hands they amputated as punishment to native workers for failure to work hard enough. Britain established control over many parts of Africa, including Sudan and much of the south. In the years following the Boxer Rebellion, the diplomat Maurice Joostens negotiated a concession for Belgium. In 1876 Leopold convoked an International Geographic Conference in Brussels, where prominent geographers and explorers were invited. Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium: Centre d'histoire de l'Afrique de l'universit catholique de Louvain, 1996. In 1482 the Portuguese navigator Diogo Co became the first European to come to the Congo. What African countries were Colonized by the British? - Answers Joseph Conrad's book, Heart of Darkness (1899), was based on an 1890 visit to the Congo.[4]. [21] The agreement was approved by the Belgian parliament on 13 July 1931. ." Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450. The rubber trade, which was of critical economic importance to sustaining Leopold's enterprise, was marked by especially inhumane conditions. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here: The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia: Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed. Even before the 1870s some new gains had occurred. As the result of a widespread and increasingly radical pro-independence movement, the Congo achieved independence, as the Republic of Congo-Lopoldville in 1960. The Consul of Belgium and the president of the Brera Academy established a charitable foundation with the goal of building a village for artists and a hotel.[23]. Arguably, in comparison with other colonial powers in Africa, Belgium did less to prepare its overseas subjects for political independence, investing little in education and training, and extracted the riches of its colonies at enormous human cost. Congo, mythes et ralits: 100 ans d'histoire. Whereas the Hutus were farmers, the Tutsis were cattle herders. The first wave of genocide by the Hutus against the Tutsis took place earlier, however, under the administration of the Belgians in 1959. Only in the final phase of their presence in Rwanda and Burundi at the end of the 1950s did the Belgians change their attitude toward the Hutu majority. 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). After the June 1960 elections, Lumumba became prime minister and Kasavubu the ceremonial president. Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450. . More or Less: Heroes and Killers of the 20th Century. [22], In 1919, the island of Comacina was bequeathed to King Albert I of Belgium for a year, and became an enclave under the sovereignty of Belgium. ." The United States, Belgium, and other Western governments aided Mobutu in overthrowing the government of Lumumba as part of their cold war rivalry with the communist bloc countries led by the Soviet Union. Fourth, European and American governments and the multinational business and interests have fueled ethnic conflicts in Africas former Belgian colonies for their own purposes. New York: Barnes and Nobles. As part of the Treaty of Versailles, the major part of German East Africa was handed over to British control but Ruanda-Urundi, twice the size of Belgium but only about 2 percent of the size of the Congo, was confirmed as a Belgian colony by a League of Nations Mandate in 1924, later renewed as a United Nations Trust Territory. 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. What were the former British colonies in Africa? However, the date of retrieval is often important. 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. Supporters of the second option led by Patrice Lumumba (1925-1961) won the day and the Belgian Congo became independent on June 30, 1960. What are the most attractive personality traits in a man? Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. ed. On July 4, the army rebelled. How do I move data from one tab to another in Excel? [18], While the Compagnie belge de colonisation was granted the land in perpetuity, the concession did not become a colony in the political sense. Ruanda-Urundi was a part of German East Africa under Belgian military occupation from 1916 to 1924 in the aftermath of World War I, when a military expedition had removed the Germans from the colony. During the 1840s and 50s, King Leopold I tentatively supported several proposals to acquire territories overseas. . It does not store any personal data. POST-1945 HISTORICAL CONTEXTS How many countries did Belgium colonize in Africa? EUROPEAN EFFORTS TO REINVENT OVERSEA, LEOPOLD II (18351909; ruled 18651909), king of Belgium and personal sovereign of the Congo Free State. The Congo From Leopold to Kabila. In 1876 he commissioned Sir Henry Morton Stanleys expedition to explore the Congo region. The Anglo-Belgian India Rubber Company (ABIR), among others, used force and brutality to extract profit from the territory. The colonial authorities also obliged these agriculturalists to produce export crops (e.g., cotton), which made them vulnerable to the ups and downs of world markets. These kingdoms, especially the Kingdom of Kongo, were comparably wealthy, and when the standard of living is high, people tend to get along well. . N'Daywel Nziem, Isidore. 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. As early as 1860, he was urging his state to imitate its neighbors in acquiring overseas territory, "extend beyond the sea whenever an opportunity is offered," he said, "you will find there precious outlets for your products, food for your commerce and a still better position in the great European family. The Congolese petty bourgeoisie remained embryonic: local entrepreneurs or proprietors were almost nonexistent. A study of encounters between colonizer and colonized in French West Africa throughout the colonial period, focusing on "history from below.". The pre-colonial social and political authorities, consisting of a Tutsi king (mwami) and a tiny aristocracy (predominantly of Tutsi origin), ruling over a vast majority of mainly Hutu agriculturalists, were kept in placeeven if the Belgians reshaped the traditional structures by constantly intervening in them. 7 What were the former British colonies in Africa? 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. Colonisation of Africa - Wikipedia This uprising led to the disintegration of the Belgian colonial administration and helped in winning independence for the Congo in 1960. 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. [11], Although the Congo Free State was not a Belgian colony, Belgium was its chief beneficiary in terms of trade and the employment of its citizens. The aristocracy, who were essentially the Tutsi, owned all the land and earned tributes from the farmers, who were mainly Hutu. However, one of the main failures of Belgian colonial policy was the choice not to develop an indigenous elite.
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