Belgian Congo

The History of the Belgian Congo The year is 1960, at first the Congo was a colony, but on June 30th, 1960 Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba gave independence to the Congo freeing its citizens. Only to be kicked out of office just a few weeks after their independence. Six months later Lumumba to be assassinated. When Lumumba came into office, it was a time where the Anti-colonial movement reached its peak. “It is a staggering example of what the Western ruling classes are capable of when their vital

If it wasn’t for Belgian colonization, the Congolese economy would be one of the most prosperous today. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, King Leopold II of the precocious Belgian Empire colonised the Congo. As a result, the economic development of the Congo was left severely devastated. This was due to Belgian exploitation of the Congo’s natural resources, disturbance of the Congo’s agricultural system, and new legislations that stripped the Congolese of their economic rights

Belgian Congo began between 1908 and 1960. It was a Belgian colony in Central Africa and today it is known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The colonization from Belgium happened mainly because of their first ruler's selfishness and trickery. After what he has done, Belgium had no choice but to take Congo Free State away from their king, and place it into their own care. This was much to the benefit of the native people throughout the colonization of Belgian Congo. Medicine and education

imperialism improved the lives of the native people in the Belgian Congo by providing modern infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, to a great extent imperialism made life worse because of its effect on nationalism and traditions as well as, the physical and emotional strain it inflicted in the Belgian Congo. However, imperialism helped the native Congolians by providing modern forms of infrastructure. Before the discovery of the African Congo, life in Africa was subpar. Lifespans were much shorter

and dependencies. In 1870, the European powers took over the African Congo and enslaved the natives. Moreover, they were forced to work the land, so the Europeans could obtain the products they needed by using a cheap labor force to turn around and sell them at a profit. These products included such commodities as rubber, diamonds and coffee (A New World Order: Imperialism and World War I). Unfortunately, the people of the Congo were beaten, over worked, raped, and even killed by the European powers

so they colonized the Congo Free State by 1885 discovered by an explorer by the name of Henry Morton Stanley. They ruled the Congo and created a whole new form of slavery and labor. But how do different perspectives help us better understand how slavery affected this colonization? The Belgians were desperate to grow their economy, so they used this form of slavery to achieve that. The Congolese had no control over their lives since it was all occupied for serving the Belgians. This is evident with

Da Montecuccolo. First Congo president The Congo president was Joseph Kasavubu  (born 1910?, Tshela, Belgian Congo [now Democratic Republic of the Congo]—died March 24, 1969, Boma), statesman and first president of the independent Congo republic from 1960 to 1965, who shortly after independence in 1960 ousted the Congo’s first premier, Patrice Lumumba, after the breakdown of order in the country.

King Leopold and the Belgian Congo It is widely debated why exactly King Leopold decided to conquer the Congo, but the general consensus seems to be that it was out of the belief that “the highlands of the Congo may be as rich in gold as the mountains of the western slope of the American Continent” (Stead). In the mid-1870s, the King hired Henry Stanley, who was familiar with many parts of Africa, to help him go about conquering. During the following years Stanley stayed in Africa, talking various

The violent and forced rule of the Congo is a horrific time in African history. The time period beginning with Henry Morton Stanley's first exploration to the Congo, and King Leopold's desire of this area, had been a nightmare for the people of the Congo. The civilizing mission to the Congo not only resulted in the killing of thousands of people but also the destruction of a culture. The two articles, 'Belgian Colonialism in the Congo', and the letter by George Washington Williams, are just two views

The Belgian Congo, as Zaire and now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, were formerly called was the creation of King Leopold of Belgium who desperately wanted a colony. By the late 19th century there was little land left for the taking except in Africa and it had become obvious that taking over independent lands was neither wise nor practical. King Leopold II, King of the Belgians, was a man of enormous appetites both for land and food—he once ate two whole pheasants at a restaurant in Paris,