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…