Figure 1.-This 1934 Belgian poster provides the image te country cultived of its colony. The legend reads, "Races commune by cigarette". Maurizio |
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The colonial era was launched by one of Europe's smallest countries--Belgium. King Leopold II, who proved to be the most brutal colonizers launched the colonial race in Africa. Belgium was a new country and had not participated in the colonial competition of the 16th and 17th century. Now Leopold declared, "Belgium must have a colony". The colony Leopold founded, the Belgian Congo, was a far cry from the humanitarian inpulse with which the Victorians justified colonialism. Leopold administered the Congo as his personal property and not a national colony. The people in the the Congo Free State were essentilly turned into slaves worked to enrich Leopold persnally. They were subjected to horendous abuses. As reports filtered out describing the terrible abuses, King Léopold eventually relinguished personal control of the Congo. Belgium annexed the Congo with a Treaty (November 28, 1907). The Belgian Colony was administered by a governor-general at Boma. A Colonial Council and colonial minister in Brussels set policy. The Congo was divided into 15 administrative districts. The new colonial adminstration made many improvements. The Belgians to redeam their national reputation attempted to turn the Congo into a "model colony". The Belgiand opened primary and high schools. Unlike some colonial powers, many of the ethnic laguages were used in the new schools. Belgian doctors and medics worked on tropical diseases, an eradicated the sleeping disease. The Belgians set up perhaps the most comprehensive medical infrastructure in Africa. The Belgians developed the Congo economicallt, building railways, ports, roads and opening mines and plantations. At the time of indepence, the Comgo had Africa's highest gross national product was the highest in Africa. The wealth was not, however, well distriubuted nd the Belgian Government did very liitle to prepare the colony for self government.
The colonial era was launched by one of Europe's smallest countries--Belgium. King Leopold II, who proved to be the most brutal colonizers launched the colonial race in Africa. Belgium was a new country and had not participated in the colonial competition of the 16th and 17th century. Now Leopold declared, "Belgium must have a colony".
The European Scramble for Africa began in the 1870s. At the time, what is now the Congo was did not exist as a unified state. Much of the Congo was loosely organized tribal confederations and the remaments of the earlier Bantu kingdoms. The most powerful force was probably the Aran traders in the eastern Congo. King Leopold II of Belgium
(1865—1909) decided that any self respecting European country needed colonies. Leopold concluded that the Belgian Government would not support a colonial venture in Africa. So he decided gto make it a personal, private undertaking. Henry M. Stanley made a widely publicized trek across central Africa and chartered the course of the Congo River (1874-77). Leopold was impressed by Stanley's account and noted assessments of central Africa's economic potential. Leopold thus essentially selected the heart of Africa for his new colony. Leopold contracted Stanley to assist in establishing royal authority in the Congo Basin. Stanley began by setting up trading stations along the middle Congo River (1879-84). Stanley negotiated treaties with local African rulers, obstensibly recognizing King Leopold's sovereignty. The European powers at the Conference of Berlin recognized Leopold's claim (1884—85). King Leopold used an official ceremony at Banana
to announced the creation of the Congo Free (1885). The Congo Free State encompased a huge area of central Africa. It was headed by King Leopold
as an absolute ruler. It took some time for Leopold to establish full comtrol over all of the Congo. It took several years to conquer mineral-rich Katanga (1891—92). The last area that Leopold established his authority was the remote eastern Congo (1892-84). Here Arab and Arabized Swahili traders resisted Belgian contril. Leopold at first used Tippu Tib as an administrator, but when he proved to independent supressed him. Leopold did not have the capital to develop the resources of his new fiefdom. He managed to secure loans from the Belgian Parliment (1889 and 1895). The loans included a provision giving the Belgian Government the right to annex the Congo in 1901. King Leopold declared all unoccupied land (including cropland temporarily lying fallow) as property of the Congo Free State. essentially his personal property. Leopold gained control of the profitable rubber and ivory trade. Leopold transferred land to concessionaire companies. In return these companies built railroads and opther infrastructure. They helped expand Belgian control throughout the country side. Many also paid the state a portion of their profits. Leopold in addition to the concessionaire companies grnted himself a large estate around Lake Leopold II. northeast of Kinshasa). Other private companies were established to develop the Congo's mineral resources. These companies worked in Katanga and Kasai. The largest was the Union Minière du Haut-Katanga (1905). The Congo Free State, was a far cry from the humanitarian inpulse with which the Victorians justified colonialism. Leopold administered the Congo as his personal property and not a national colony. The people in the the Congo Free State were essentilly turned into slaves worked to enrich Leopold personally. They were subjected to horendous abuses. Belgian's parliament did not proceed to annex the Congo as it was entitled to do in 1901.
Soon after the Belgian Parliament decided not to make the Belgian Free State an actual colony, reports filtered out describing the abuses. Reports of horendous abuses began to be published in Belgian newspaoers (1904). Roger Casement and E. D. Morel wroteabout how the Conolese were being treated. The worse absuses were in the rubber concessions. The Congolese were essentially enslaved to collect rubber. They were given quots and those failing to meet their quotas were subjected to trrible punishments, including amputations. Pressure mounted for tthe Belgian Government to take over the Cong Free Sate from the King. Parliament after extended debate decided to do so (1908). Belgium annexed the Congo with a Treaty (November 28, 1907).
The Belgian Parliament responding to reports of abuses and converted the Congo Free State into a Belgian colony. The worst excesses of Leopold's rule, especially forced labor, were ended.
Enforcement of the new regime ws at irst uneven as the concessionaire companies controlled large areas and the number of Belgian officials were small. The Belgian Government continued the basic approach of using the Congo to exploit its resources. Little effort was made to educate the Congolese people. The Belgians did make investments in railroads and other basic infrastructure, especially the infrastricture needed to exploit mineral and other resources. Beligian andother Europen companies developed large plantations and mines. The companies profited from both thge natural resources and cheap labor. The mineral resources of the south, both copper and diamonds, proved to be imensely profitable. Mining companies built whole twons. Workers moved from the countryside to these new mining towns. The Belgian Colony was administered by a governor-general at Boma. A Colonial Council and colonial minister in Brussels set policy. The Congo was divided into 15 administrative districts. The new colonial adminstration made many improvements.
The Belgian Government gave little attention to education. The Belgians to redeam their national reputation attempted to turn the Congo into a "model colony". The Belgians opened primary and and a few secondary schools.
Christian missionaries (mostly Roman Catholic) were active in the Belgian Congo. They played a major role in building an educational as well as a public health system. The education system for the Congolese was almost entirely at the primary level. Officials finally founded two universities (mid-1950s). Unlike some colonial powers, many of the ethnic laguages were used in the new schools. Belgian doctors and medics worked on tropical diseases, an eradicated the sleeping disease. The Belgians set up perhaps the most comprehensive medical infrastructure in Africa. The Belgians developed the Congo economicallt, building railways, ports, roads and opening mines and plantations.
A reader has provided us some of his boyhood experiences from the Belgian Congo.
At the time of indepence, the Comgo had Africa's highest gross national product was the highest in Africa. The wealth was not, however, well distriubuted nd the Belgian Government did very liitle to prepare the colony for self government.
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