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The Democratic Republic of the Congo

Adi, Kavin, & Luke

1874

1874

Leopold Commissions Stanley to Explore the Congo Region

British explorer Henry Morton Stanley wished to develop the

Congo region, having seen the resources around the Congo Basin. While the English refused, King Leopold II commissioned him, looking for a way to benefit Belgian trade. He especially agreed than due to the economic situation in Belgium; there was rapid growth, but it was quickly decreasing due to the small land size. While initially unsuccessfully attempting to gain power in China, Leopold’s idea of colonizing in Africa was at first disliked, but eventually gained international support. As the last part for his initial planning, Leopold formed a private company called Société Anonyme Belge pour le Commerce du Haut Congo, and hired Stanley to set up outposts.

An image of King Leopold II.

1885

1885

King Leopold II Becomes the Sole Ruler of the Congo Free State

After the Berlin Conference of 1885, Leopold became the ruler of a land

eighty times the size of his own, known as the Congo free state. He managed to convince international powers that it was the right decision, using the guise of civilizing the natives and prohibiting slavery, which was ultimately a blatant lie. This was during a time period where thoughts about slavery were going through change, and Europeans found that maybe “civilizing” the Africans was a better idea. Many leaders including Leopold used this idea advantageously for their own personal gain. British explorer Stanley and Leopold’s private company negotiated in Africa with different rulers and succeeded, Leopold never once setting foot into what would become the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

1908

1908

Belgium Annexes Congo

King Leopold II had independently ruled the DRC since 1885, and set very harsh rules into place for

slaves. The high demand of rubber was an open opportunity for Leopold to make a lot of money, so he forced

local people to collect it from trees. His personal army, the Force Publique, was required to sever and present the hands of the people they shot. This was to prove that they were not using ammunition on hunting, which would be wasting bullets. Around 10 million local people were killed during those times for not completing the daily quota of rubber, and outsiders began to take notice. Belgium did not agree with Leopold's colonialist methods and took action. In November of 1908, Congo officially became a Belgium colony, now under direct government control instead of a single ruler. Afterward, it became known as "Belgian Congo".

Image of a man staring at his daughter's severed hand and foot after not completing the daily rubber quota; his punishment was having his daughter and wife killed and then cannibalized.

1955

1955

Belgian Congo State Enacts 30-Year Plan Tentatively

In the 1955 30-year emancipation plan, Belgium talked about how it is their fault that the

black Congolese communities weren't progressing forward. They understood that there was a risk in staying in Belgium for the future as tensions began. In 1956, the Congolese made a manifesto against the Belgian 30-year emancipation. In this manifesto they had agreed in principle to the emancipation but didn’t support the idea of Belgian Congo the last phrase in the 30-year plan. The Congolese stated, “We do not in any way want the Congo to be integrated into the unified Belgian state.” They did not support the idea of a Belgian Congo state but rather supported collaboration with Belgium as an independent country. In the counter manifesto made in 1956, the Belgians insisted they be a part of the 30-year emancipation and if not they would not have Belgian support. They wanted to destroy the ideals said in the manifesto as it would only further “retard” or disrupt the growth of the country. The Belgians were then tired of the issues caused and believed that if at that moment they did not begin the plan, it would be put off for 30 more years and to that point emancipation would not be able to solve the problem, only violence and hatred.

1959

1959

The Start of the Republic of Congo

The new king of Belgium Baudouin announced reforms which would benefit the

Africans' future. He felt he owed it to the Congo to fulfill Leopold II's message to the Africans guaranteeing emancipation and progress. He finished his statement by asking for the emancipation to begin now, but did not want a hasty rush towards peace and independence. On January 13th, 1959 the minister of the Belgian Congo stated “Belgium intends to organize a democracy in the Congo”. They began a plan to begin the new democracy in which all adults could vote no matter age or class. They set that they would create councils. In March 1959, each council would elect 2 members to sit on the legislative council who will share legislation control. They will remove all traces of racism from the government but Belgium must still maintain all the rights it has currently. Finally, on January 27th 1960 they declared that on June 30th 1960 Congo will gain its independence from Belgium and lastly a treaty of friendship, assistance, and cooperation would be signed between Belgium and Congo.

1960

1960

In June 1960, the DRC became independent from Belgium. Patrice Lumumba became prime minister and

Joseph Kasavubu was chosen as president.

Works Cited

Works Cited

"Belgian Congo." Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed May 7, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/place/

Belgian-Congo.

"Conflict in the Congo." Africa Today 7, no. 5 (1960): 5-13. Accessed May 7, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/4184114.

"Father stares at the hand and foot of his five-year-old, severed as a punishment for failing to

make the daily rubber quota, Belgian Congo, 1904." Rare Historical Photos. Accessed May 6,

2020. https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/father-hand-belgian-congo-1904/.

Harford, Tim. "The horrific consequences of rubber's toxic past." BBC. Last modified July 24, 2019.

Accessed May 6, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48533964.

Lemarchand, René, and Bernd Michael Wiese. "Democratic Republic of the Congo." Encyclopedia

Britannica. Accessed May 6, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/place/

Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo/History.

Moss, Joyce, and George Wilson. "Heart of Darkness." In Civil Wars to Frontier Societies (1800-1880s), 145-151. Vol. 2 of Literature and Its

Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1997. Gale eBooks (accessed May 6, 2020). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2875100104/GVRL?u=s0257&sid=GVRL&xid=e087caa3.

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