Imperialism in

Congo

Case Study: The Congo

Case Study: The Congo

Before Imperialism Rain forest, plateau Resources: Iron, copper,

Ivory Spoke Bantu Congo was ruled by several

African tribes -> used to be at war with one another

Motives for ImperialismWhy did Belgium colonize the

Congo? 1) Economically: Needed

Rubber for shoes and gloves, but especially automobile tires

Ivory, iron, copper

2) Ideologically Claimed they wanted to “end the slave trade” Believed they were racially and religiously

superior and had to “civilize” the Congolese. (White Man’s Burden)

What allowed Belgium to colonize Congo?

1) Belgium had technological advantages (railroads, steamboats, etc.

2) Belgians had vaccines that protected them against Malaria

3) Belgians had weapons (due to industrialization)4) Congolese tribes had internal fights (that weakened

them) 5) Belgians got support from the US and other countries

Case Study: The Congo

Methods of ImperialismBelgian King Leopold II

Enslaved native AfricansOrdered the “Force Publique”

to beat, mutilate and kill to meet quotas for rubber and ivory

Millions were killed

Methods for imperialism King Leopold enslaved people to work for him He set quotas (numbers) on how much rubber they

needed to produce. If they didn’t meet the quota he would torture the people/ chop off their handsThe following slides are images of the effects

Case Study: The Congo

After ImperialismTime Period (Years) What HappenedThe African Congo Free State (1877–1908) Period of King Leopold II’s exploitation

Belgian Congo (1908-1960) Direct rule by Belgium’s parliament

The Congo Crisis (1960 – 1971) Independence leads to civil war

Zaire (1971-1997) Corruption and dictatorship

Democratic Republic of Congo (1997 – ???) Civil wars in neighboring Uganda and Rwanda have spilled into the country

Case Study: The Congo

After ImperialismToday

Civil war continues5 million killed45,000 killed per monthAttacks on civiliansMillions of refugeesChild soldiersRape used as a method of warfare (200,000 reported)

One of the poorest countries in the world

ClosingConsidering what happened in the Congo, people should

unite against a common threat because…