what countries did belgium colonize in africa what countries did belgium colonize in africa

The economic system of the kingdom was organized into guilds based on agriculture and handicraft industries. The former Belgian colonies have experienced a series of coups, civil wars and have a history of political instability. It is estimated that millions of Congolese died during this time. 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. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. 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. 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). [21] The agreement was approved by the Belgian parliament on 13 July 1931. All the major decisions concerning the Congo were made in Brussels, and the Congolese were not allowed to participate in the running of their own country. From the 16th to the 17th centuries, the First French colonial empire stretched from a total area at its peak in 1680 to over 10,000,000 km 2 (3,900,000 sq mi), the second largest empire in the world at the time behind only the Spanish Empire.During the 19th and 20th centuries, the French colonial empire was the second largest colonial empire in the world only behind the British Empire; it . ." The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". In 1960, as the result of a widespread and increasingly radical pro-independence movement, the Congo achieved independence, becoming the Republic of Congo-Lopoldville under Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Kasa-Vubu. Following a general analysis of French colonial rule in the AOF, a separate chapter is devoted to each colony. 111: 1223. 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. 27 Apr. Stengers, Jean. Among the Congolese, the Belgians used the strategy of divide and rule. 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. Western colonialism | Definition, History, Examples, & Effects 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. German Colonial Rule - African Studies - Oxford Bibliographies - obo Belgian colonial empire - Wikipedia 1992. If this small European country nevertheless succeeded in ruling a vast colony in Central Africa, this was due only to the tenacity of its second king, Leopold II (18351909). By the mid-1950s, an independence movement was underway. The king imposed a harsh labor regime on the Congolese populations in order to extort ever-growing amounts of wild rubber. ." Even in the first decades of its existence, it showed little inclination toward overseas expansion. The Free State's expenses outstripped its incomes. They favored the takeover of political power by the latter, a policy that succeeded in Rwanda but failed in Burundi. Specifically, in 1929, they eliminated all the non-Tutsi chiefs, and as a result the Hutus lost all their representation in the colonial government. "[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. ed. At the Berlin Conference in 1884, the USA, the Ottoman Empire and 12 European countries divided up most of the . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1966. During the 1840s and 50s, King Leopold I tentatively supported several proposals to acquire territories overseas. On reaching Kinshasa in May 1997, Kabila declared himself president and changed the name of Zaire back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Belgium is a small country in northwest Europe that joined Europe's race for colonies in the late 19th century. Idi Amin became the president of Uganda in January 1971 after a military coup removed the elected leader, Milton Obote, and he, Colonialism, Internal The many horrors and atrocities which disgrace humanity give way little by little before our intervention. A study of encounters between colonizer and colonized in French West Africa throughout the colonial period, focusing on "history from below.". 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. When did Belgium colonize Congo? What were the former British colonies in Africa? The Congo under Belgian Rule 19081960. [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. [15] By the 1950s the Congo had a wage labour force twice as large as that in any other African colony.[16]. Rwanda also has a new constitution, and amnesty was granted for most of the Hutu genocide perpetrators. When did Germany colonize Tanzania? These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. There were slight improvements in the everyday economic and social life of the Congolese that were comparable to conditions in other European colonies in Africa. These organizations, controlled by the king himself, had in fact a commercial purpose. German colonists entered the area in the 1880s, and in 1891 the Germans declared the region a protectorate as part of German East Africa. The history of Colonialism as a policy or practice go, Amin, Idi c. 1925-2003 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 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. It was the activities of these extreme groups that led to the various episodes of genocide that reached appalling heights in 1994 with the killing of nearly one million people, mostly Tutsis and moderate Hutus, by extreme Hutus. colony, any nonself-governing territory subject to the jurisdiction of a usually distant country. Belgian authorities were caught practically unprepared by the sudden wave of black political activism, and subsequently engaged in a process of "precipitous decolonization." The rubber trade, which was of critical economic importance to sustaining Leopold's enterprise, was marked by especially inhumane conditions. 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. Much of this was spent on public buildings in Brussels, Ostend and Antwerp. 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. The Challenge of Third World Development, 4th ed. Egypt was also under colonialism, but it did have a unique history . Any four countries? The large numbers of white immigrants who moved to the Congo after the end of World War II came from across the social spectrum, but were always treated as superior to black citizens. It was an apartheid type of social and political system. Africans and Their History, 2nd ed. Through the Royal Trust he left most of his property to the nation. King Leopold II and the Belgians extend their military rule over the much desired Congo Basin in Central Africa. The Tutsis were willing collaborators to the Belgian colonization. The Congo From Leopold to Kabila. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Finally in 1908, Leopold was forced to hand over the Congo Free State, his personal fiefdom, to the Belgian state. Belgian King Establishes Congo Free State - National Geographic Society Poor relations between factions within the Congo, the continued involvement of Belgium in Congolese affairs, and intervention by major parties of the Cold War led to a five-year-long period of war and political instability, known as the Congo Crisis, from 1960 to 1965. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 1998. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. But in 1965, after ruling from behind the scenes for four years, Mobutu finally overthrew Kasavubu in a coup widely believed to be sponsored by the CIA. Conditions in the colonies did improve after the Belgian government assumed direct control after 1908. History of Europe - The scramble for colonies | Britannica 2002. In 1885 Leopold II secured U.S. recognition of his personal sovereignty over the Congo Free State. This exploration led initially to the establishment of the Congo Free State. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Through intermarriage and socioeconomic contacts, interethnic strife was benign. 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. 2023 . This led to him being remembered in Belgium today as the "Builder-King." Belgium's African Colonies | Encyclopedia.com Belgiums other colony, Rwanda, was an independent monarchy until the Germans annexed it in 1899 and made it part of German East Africa. Their ambivalence resulted in Leopolds establishing a colony himself. Along with several other European powers and the United States, as a result of the Boxer Rebellion, Belgium also gained a Concession of two square kilometers in Tientsin (or Tianjin; a Chinese Treaty port). The second king of Belgium, Leopold II, was a very ambitious man who wanted to personally enrich himself and enhance his country's prestige by annexing and colonizing lands in Africa. The Congo survived mainly through the king's personal funds. During the 1940s and 1950s, the Congo had extensive urbanization, and the colonial administration began various development programmes aimed at making the territory into a "model colony". Which African countries did Belgium colonize? - Answers Despite Mobutus dictatorship, relative peace reigned during most of his regime. Nevertheless, there were interethnic wars on some occasions. 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). Even in the first decades of its existence, it showed little inclination toward overseas expansion. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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. The history of Colonialism as a policy or practice go, Colonialism, Internal [CDATA[ Encyclopedia of Race and Racism. They occupied a large part of this German colony. All Rights Reserved 2022 Theme: Promos by. 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). A People's History. 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 final decade of the Belgian presence in the Congo was characterized by a notable improvement of the living standard of the growing black urban population. What is the meaning of healthcare system? [3], Colonization of the Congo began in the late 19th century. Leopold II, King of the Belgiansas his coun, The Thirteen Colonies were British colonies in North America founded between 1607 (Virginia) and 1732 (Georgia). Paris: Duculot, 1989. Second, these leaders exacerbated ethnic rivalries and tensions to stay in power. In the late 19th century, Belgian engineers were employed on construction of the BeijingHankou Railway, leading the Belgian government to unsuccessfully claim a concession in Hankou (Hankow). THE CAUSE OF DECOLONIZATION 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. "Archives Africaines" of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brussels (Archives of the former Belgian Ministry of Colonies). Brussels: De Boeck & Larcier, 1998. GENEALOGY OF THE TERM DECOLONIZATION "Belgium's African Colonies Even before the 1870s some new gains had occurred. Fourth, European and American governments and the multinational business and interests have fueled ethnic conflicts in Africas former Belgian colonies for their own purposes. Handelman, Howard. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. ISBN links support NWE through referral fees, tat Indpendant du Congo: Congo Free State. Although Great Britain held several, Belgium, Intelligence and Security Agencies, http://www.diplomatie.be/fr/archives/archives.asp, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/belgiums-african-colonies. [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. 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. 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. In 1876 he commissioned Sir Henry Morton Stanleys expedition to explore the Congo region. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. The new colony comprised a land bigger than western Europe and seventy-four times larger than Belgium, and belonged to Leopold II as a personal possession. Belgium's African ColoniesWhen Belgium became a nation in 1830, it had almost no tradition of long-distance trade or colonial activity. 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. Here are some facts about Belgian rule and the two countries' difficult bilateral ties since. The Belgian colonial empire consisted of three African colonies possessed by Belgium between 1901 to 1962. Ethnic Conflict. Foreign Policy No. Encyclopedia.com. 21 section 2 Flashcards | Quizlet Although forced labor, repression, and a "color bar" (a form of racial segregation) persisted till the very end of their domination, the Belgians made serious efforts to promote indigenous wellbeing, particularly during the 1950s, by developing a network of health services and primary schools. POST-1945 HISTORICAL CONTEXTS Mobutu was used as a Western stooge to stop an alleged communist incursion into Africa. Summary. The Twa or the pygmies, who were the original inhabitants of Rwanda, were outcasts and despised by both the Hutus and the Tutsis. (Colonizing other peoples, regardless of the justification . The Belgian colonial empire consisted of three African colonies possessed by Belgium between 1901 to 1962. When both countries became independent on July 1, 1962, Rwanda was governed by a Hutu president, Burundi by a Tutsi king. Colonial rule in the Congo began in the late 19th century. [14], Congolese troops participated in World War II and were instrumental in forcing the Italians out of their East African colonies during the East African Campaign. Congo, mythes et ralits: 100 ans d'histoire. With the promise of open trade, Leopold convinced world powers to recognize what eventually became the Association Internationale du Congo (AIC) as the legal authority over a vast territory in the heart of Africa. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. A further blow came in 1933, when the Belgians issued identity cards to all Rwandans. They also shared the same culture, ate the same or similar foods, and practiced the same religion. French explorers fanned out in equatorial Africa, and a French mission began the conquest of Indochina in the 1860s. It was designated as a United Nations trust territory, still under Belgian administration, until 1962, when it developed into the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi. In reality, Belgium's political parties and public opinion showed little interest in Congolese matters. Belgium itself had only been independent since 1830, prior to that it was part of the Netherlands (and had a role in that country's colonies) or of France, or was governed by Spain or Austria. So did Spain, Italy and Portugal by 1914. It also had a small concession in China and was a co-administrator of the Tangier International Zone in Morocco. The Congo Free State, officially presented to the world as a humanitarian and civilizing enterprise destined to abolish slavery and introduce Christianity, became the target of an international protest campaign, led by the British activist Edmund Dene Morel (18731924) and his Congo Reform Association. "Africa: Belgian Colonies [6], A sharp reduction of the population of the Congo through excess deaths occurred in the Free State period but estimates of the deaths toll vary considerably. By the time Belgium's second king, Leopold II, was crowned, Belgian enthusiasm for colonialism had abated. Leopold had administered Katanga separately, but in 1910, the Belgian government merged it with the Belgian Congo. Factbox: Belgium's colonial rule in Congo and what happened next On July 4, the army rebelled. 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. Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges. These conflicts resulted in many wars and episodes of genocide. How long should I wait to text after being left on read? 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. No democratic institutions were established. If this small European country nevertheless succeeded . As the first census did not take place until 1924, it is difficult to quantify the population loss of the period and these figures have been disputed by some who, like William Rubinstein, claim that the figures cited by Adam Hochschild are speculative estimates based on little evidence. 2006. Leopold II exploited the Congo for its natural rubber, which was starting to become a valuable commodity. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. London: Zed Books, 2002. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. It does not store any personal data. Dakar, Senegal: African Renaissance. * As many as 10 million people are estimated to have died in Congo from killings, famine and disease . Joseph Mobutu, who later changed his name to Mobutu Sese Seko, was appointed army chief of staff by Lumumba. According to one estimate, casualties were as high as 66 percent of the local population. [20] Although Belgian companies invested in Tianjin, especially in the city's tram system, the Belgian concession remained inactive. On the Congo Free State's own domains, as well as on the vast tracks of land that had been conceded to private companies, brutal and repressive practices took the lives of large numbers of Africansthough exact figures are impossible to establish. 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. 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. These kingdoms, especially the Kingdom of Kongo, were comparably wealthy, and when the standard of living is high, people tend to get along well. Before the European incursion into Rwanda and the Belgian colonization, Rwanda was united under the central leadership of an absolute Tutsi monarchy. In 2006 a new constitution was written and approved for the Third Republic, and elections were conducted with Joseph Kabila emerging as victorious. What countries did Spain colonize in Africa? - Study.com The Portuguese established a relationship with the king of Kongo but stayed in the modern Angolan coastal areas. Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450. . Cawthorne, Nigel. Encyclopedia.com. By 1899 the British vice consul confirmed and further reported the brutality of Leopolds misrule in Congo. The Belgians even took the few leadership positions that the Hutus had and gave them to the Tutsis. From early April 1994 through mid-July 1994, members, Africa, Modern U.S. Security Policy and Interventions, African American Catholics in the United States (History of), https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/africa-belgian-colonies. As the strategic importance of Mobutu disappeared with the end of the cold war, little or no attention was paid to the Congo. in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. 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 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. Leopold II, French in full Lopold-Louis-Philippe-Marie-Victor, Dutch in full Leopold Lodewijk Filips Maria Victor, (born April 9, 1835, Brussels, Belgiumdied December 17, 1909, Laeken), king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909. How did Germany colonize Tanzania? - 2023 Autocratic rule did not need to find ways of negotiating how different factions could cooperate within a sustainable, participatory system of governance or access a fair share of resources. By 1895 the British press started to expose Leopold IIs atrocities in Congo. It also had a small concession in China and was a co-administrator of the Tangier International Zone in Morocco. Anticolonialism and nationalism found their way into the Congolese population comparatively lateindeed, not until the second half of the 1950s. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The rural masses were primarily engaged in a neglected and stagnating indigenous agriculture, aimed at self-subsistence but facing growing difficulties feeding the increasing population, particularly from the 1950s. 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 territory was granted independence in 1962, as the separate countries of Rwanda and Burundi in 1962, bringing the Belgian colonial empire to an end. 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. On 4 May 1843, the Guatemalan parliament issued a decree giving the district of Santo Toms "in perpetuity" to the Compagnie belge de colonisation[fr], a private Belgian company under the protection of King Leopold I of Belgium. Nairobi, Kenya: Paulines Publications Africa. Leopold II | Biography, Facts, & Legacy | Britannica Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. When Belgium became a nation in 1830, it had almost no tradition of long-distance trade or colonial activity. Histoire gnrale du Congo: De l'hritage ancien la Rpublique Dmocratique, 2nd ed. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. When Belgium became a nation in 1830, it had almost no tradition of long-distance trade or colonial activity. How many countries did Belgium colonize in Africa? Under Egypt 's Pharaoh Amasis (570-526 BC) a Greek mercantile colony was established at Naucratis, some 50 miles from the later Alexandria. OF DECOLONIZATION First, the post-colonial political leaders of Congo and Rwanda continued the Belgian colonial policies. . (April 27, 2023). 2006. Leopold II tried to interest his government in establishing colonies, but it lacked the resources to develop the candidate territories and turned down his plans. Kanyandago, Peter, ed. 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.