IMPERIALISM IN THE CONGO

By Ameerah and Lucy

John Green's Views on Imperialism

Positive:

When countries were colonised, the people who lived there had access to factors that improved their way of life. This included things like clothing, food, supplies, education, etc.  Influence from Western colonisations grew for both home countries and the countries where they were investing. This is the period in which the world we know today began to take shape.

Negative:

Many countries were colonised through war, and a lot of blood was shed. They lost their freedom and both the people and the land were exploited to the best interests of the 'invading' nation.

Background of the congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country located in central Africa and home to over 200 different African ethnic groups. Today, the president is Joseph Kaliba, son of assassinated president, Laurent Kaliba. The economy is currently improving after decades of decline. 

Before the Congo gained independence in 1960, it was under Belgian rule. Colonisation of the country began in the 1879 by Belgian King Leopold II and was under Belgian rule from 1908 onwards. 

After independence, many civil wars and rebellions took place as the country still fights against corruption.

The Effects of Imperialism on The Congo

Positive

The colonisation of The Congo found materials in their land that could be used for both the benefit of the native people and the colonisers. This then in turn provided the The Congo region with ideas and a base for economic development after the country became independent. For example, the Belgian gave the Congolese the idea about providing big companies with rubber, which resulted in The Congo being the richest economy in Africa.

Negative

The Congolese people were being treated in a very inhumane way. The workers and their wives were kidnapped, tortured and even killed in many cases if they didn’t bring the required amount of materials for making rubber. This resulted in a massive drop in population count; from 20 million to 8.5 million. The native people were doing all of the hard work however, they were still not treated well and did not have the same rights as the white Europeans there. They did not receive any better than a primary education and there was a lot of racism and discrimination.

In fact, when the country gained independence and an election for a new government was held, there was a struggle for 93 seats by 120 parties, and many were accused of acting only for the place they came from, not the country as a whole.

Conclusion

Based on the prior information, the conclusion found was that imperialism had a negative effect on The Congo.

After gaining independence, the country's government lost all control of it's people. Many civil wars and rebellions began and continued throughout the years. Even today, despite being possible one of the richest economies in our world, the Democratic Republic of The Congo is not completely at peace.