[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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The Anglo-Belgian India Rubber Company (ABIR), among others, used force and brutality to extract profit from the territory. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. These three protagonists had an enormous influence in the colony, and assisted each other in their respective ventures, even if their interests did not always coincide and, indeed, sometimes openly conflicted. In 1966 he renamed the Congolese cities of Lopoldville (Kinshasa), Stanley-ville (Kisangani), and Elisabethville (Lubumbashi). But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Belgium itself could not stay aloof, because of its growing involvement in the Congo Free State. Successive governments viewed colonial expansion as economically and politically risky and fundamentally unrewarding, and believed that informal empire, continuing Belgium's booming industrial trade in South America and Russia, was much more promising. The aristocracy, who were essentially the Tutsi, owned all the land and earned tributes from the farmers, who were mainly Hutu. "Africa: Belgian Colonies The king imposed a harsh labor regime on the Congolese populations in order to extort ever-growing amounts of wild rubber. Belgium's African ColoniesWhen Belgium became a nation in 1830, it had almost no tradition of long-distance trade or colonial activity. ." The king took several personal initiatives, without the formal backing of his country's government and even without the support of Belgium's leading economic players. The most notable of these empires was the Kingdom of Kongo, which was founded in the fourteenth century and centered around present-day western Congo and northern Angola. On July 14, the United Nations Security Council authorized a force to help to establish order in the Congo, but this force was unable to bring the seceded Katanga province to order. These countries accounted for more than 30% of Africa's population. In the years following the Boxer Rebellion, the diplomat Maurice Joostens negotiated a concession for Belgium. Western colonialism | Definition, History, Examples, & Effects 40). Here are some facts about Belgian rule and the two countries' difficult bilateral ties since. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Towards the end of colonial rule, the governor general at the time, Lon Antoine Marie Petillon (in office 1952-1958), wanted to grant Africans more civil rights. How do I move data from one tab to another in Excel? 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. A map, published in Portugal in 1623, showing a representation of Africa as understood by colonizers. Despite the modest improvements in the lives of the Congolese, the Belgians created two separate societies in the Congo: the whites and the natives. 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. The Negative Legacy of Belgium Colonialism in Africa - ThoughtCo Nairobi, Kenya: Paulines Publications Africa. 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). 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. Revolts and violence against Tutsi, known as the Rwandan Revolution, occurred in the events leading to independence. 21 section 2 Flashcards | Quizlet They favored the takeover of political power by the latter, a policy that succeeded in Rwanda but failed in Burundi. The Congo under Belgian Rule 19081960. OF DECOLONIZATION What has been described as an Apartheid-like system also existed in that the mobility of Africans, but not of Europeans, was restricted and curfews applied to the former. However, the date of retrieval is often important. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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 Free State's expenses outstripped its incomes. Leopold II personally accumulated considerable wealth from exports of rubber and ivory acquired at gunpoint. The first wave of genocide by the Hutus against the Tutsis took place earlier, however, under the administration of the Belgians in 1959. A governor general exercised more or less absolute power. Germany's African ColoniesThe unification of Germany in 1871 constituted a watershed in Germany's imperial agenda of acquiring colonies in Africa. Ethnic Conflict. Foreign Policy No. 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). Encyclopedia of Race and Racism. Subnationalism in Africa: Ethnicity, Alliances, and Politics. Germany had only been unified in 1871 and . These organizations, controlled by the king himself, had in fact a commercial purpose. Congo, mythes et ralits: 100 ans d'histoire. Millions of Congolese died during this time. 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. Leopold II became known as the "Butcher of the Congo," where millions of Africans died as a result of the brutality of his rule. 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. Whereas the Hutus were farmers, the Tutsis were cattle herders. [citation needed], Leopold achieved international recognition for the Congo Free State in 1885. From the 1920s on, heavy investments in the exploitation of the colony's rich mineral resources transformed the Congo into a major actor in the world economy. Mobutu in his bid to stay in power for life did not build a strong army. [4], The Free State government exploited the Congo for its natural resources, first ivory and later rubber which was becoming a valuable commodity. 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. Belgian colonial empire - Wikipedia Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The concept of internal colonialism has become so widely used and applied that almost every minority group in the world has b, THE CAUSE OF DECOLONIZATION What are the most attractive personality traits in a man? With the support of the Free State's military, the Force Publique, the territory was divided into private concessions. . 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. In reality, Belgium's political parties and public opinion showed little interest in Congolese matters. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. [13] The privileging of Belgian commercial interests meant that large amounts of capital flowed into the Congo and that individual regions became specialised. There had been vicious cycles of violence beginning in December 1963 when Hutus killed more than 10,000 Tutsis and sent about 150,000 into exile. The archives of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade show that Leopold investigated possible colonies in dozens of territories. 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. 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. 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. He proclaimed himself king-sovereign of Congo Free State at a time when France, Britain, Portugal, and Germany also had colonies in the area. 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. Although a few attempts were made by the first king, Leopold I (17901865), these were not successful. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Any four countries? Seven days later, Moise Tshombe, the provisional president of Katanga, in a move instigated by the Belgians, declared the mineral-rich Katanga province an independent country. "Archives Africaines" of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brussels (Archives of the former Belgian Ministry of Colonies). Cawthorne, Nigel. that existed between the Europeans and the Africans. 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. In 1877, the European country Belgium and King Leopold colonized the Democratic Republic of Congo. 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. In 1908, in order to defuse an international outcry against the brutality of the Congo Free State, the Belgian government agreed to annex it as a colony, named the Belgian Congo. In 1482 the Portuguese navigator Diogo Co became the first European to come to the Congo. As a result, Lumumba asked the Soviet Union to help him bring Katanga back to Congo. 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. 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). The new leader signed a peace treaty with the rebel groups and appointed four vice presidents hailing from former rebel groups. Joseph Mobutu, who later changed his name to Mobutu Sese Seko, was appointed army chief of staff by Lumumba. Second, these leaders exacerbated ethnic rivalries and tensions to stay in power. 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). 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Following the Rwandan Revolution, the mandate became the independent states of Burundi and Rwanda in 1962.[1]. A further blow came in 1933, when the Belgians issued identity cards to all Rwandans. colony, any nonself-governing territory subject to the jurisdiction of a usually distant country. 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 people, although classified as Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa, essentially spoke the same language. On September 5, President Kasavubu dismissed Lumumba as prime minister. (April 27, 2023). Germany's African Colonies | Encyclopedia.com 2004. During a period lasting from 1881 to 1914 in what was known as the Scramble for Africa, several European . 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). In 1865 he succeeded his father, Leopold I, to the Belgian throne. Colonisation of Africa - Wikipedia Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. During World War I, Belgian colonial troops participated in the military campaigns against the Germans in East Africa. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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. Burundi is a small country in Central Africa, which borders with Rwanda, Zaire, and Tanzania. As the result of a widespread and increasingly radical pro-independence movement, the Congo achieved independence, as the Republic of Congo-Lopoldville in 1960.