How did Belgium keep control of the Congo?

On February 5, 1885, Belgian King Leopold II established the Congo Free State by brutally seizing the African landmass as his personal possession. Rather than control the Congo as a colony, as other European powers did throughout Africa, Leopold privately owned the region.

How was the Congo exploited?

Leopold acquired the Congo through unethical means and thus took the people‟s chances away at self-rule. Leopold also exploited the Congo with the help of concession companies, both of which used forced labor to extract valuable resources.

How did Belgium affect Congo?

Belgium then administered the Congo as a colony until independence in 1960. Unlike other early twentieth-century colonial powers in Africa, Belgium did not directly oversee the education of the Congo’s indigenous population. Rather, it turned the responsibility for education over to missionaries.

How did colonialism affect Congo?

It is estimated that about 10 million Congolese were died or affected due to hunger, disease and starvation. The territory of Congo was rich in ivory and other minerals, including diamonds. The British, French and Germans were jealous that King Leopold owned such a vast rich area of Africa.

Why did the Belgium take over the Congo?

It was established by the Belgian parliament to replace the previous, privately owned Congo Free State, after international outrage over abuses there brought pressure for supervision and accountability. The official Belgian attitude was paternalism: Africans were to be cared for and trained as if they were children.

Who exploited the Congo?

King Leopold II
This thesis argues that King Leopold II, in his exploitation of the Congo, dealt the Congo a future of political, ethnic, and economic destabilization. At one time consisting of unified and advanced kingdoms, the Congo turned to one completely beleaguered by poverty and political oppression.