Belgian+Colonization+of+the+Congo

Declan Vick Colonization of the Belgian Congo Belgium colonized the region of Africa now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. Belgium obtained the colonies during the late 1800s period of colonization known as the Scramble for Africa, where all the major European powers grabbed as much territory in Africa as they could. The Belgian Congo was envisioned as a wealth yielding prize by Belgium’s king Leopold II, but his project resulted in the deaths of many people in one of the worst genocides in history.

In 1876 the Congo region was scouted by the Belgians, and eventually the Congo Free State was established. It was a very large colony, and in fact was more than 70 times the size of Belgium itself. Leopold claimed the colony for his personal possession in the 1880s. During Leopold II’s reign, many atrocities were committed by his supporters by his orders. He worked the natives to death and killed many rebellious ones as well. Historians speculate that under Leopold II’s administration over a million Congolese natives died. By the late 1800s the British were finding out more about what was happening in the Congo Free State. One such revelation was that soldiers of Belgium were rewarded by the number of hands they amputated for the natives’ refusal to participate in the grueling labor required by the Belgian administration. Eventually in 1908, the Belgian parliament forced Leopold to relinquish personal control of the Congo Free State due to the officials trying to save face in wake of the media exposure of the king's barbaric actions.

Conditions in the colony improved to the standard for African possessions, and things like schools, plantations, railways, and mines were built. However, as was seen all over Africa, there was a major social difference between the poorer, less educated natives and the wealthier whites. An apartheid system was created like the one seen in South Africa. The Belgian government in Brussels, instead of the Congolese people, made all of the decisions. Eventually the people rebelled and the Congo Free State gained independence in 1960.

The colonization of the Congo by Belgium killed many natives and left the people in a very bad state. As a result, The Democratic Republic of the Congo still has very low standard of living, and the country has the 8th lowest income per person of any country in the world. The colonization and administration of the Congo Free State is a blemish to the Belgian history books.