New Imperialism: Belgium Imperialized Congo In The 19th Century

New imperialism is a term used to describe the sudden mania for expansion and conquest that gripped Western powers in the late 19th century. It was a time period of colonial expansion of European powers, specifically Africa, known as the Scramble for Africa, it was the occupation, division, and colonization of African territory by European powers during the period of New Imperialism, between 1881 and 1914. One of the most brutal and famous colonization was when King Leopold from Belgium colonized Congo. King Leopold was the second King of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909 and became known for the founding and brutal exploitation of the Congo Free State as a private venture, he was one of the most cruel and imperious 19th century European heads

Some historians may argue that Belgium imperialized Congo in the 19th century in order to get natural resources that were not available in Europe because they discovered that instead of trading, they could save resources by occupying the place. There was a great demand for natural resources and products not found in Western Countries, such as rubber, oil, and tin. Because of the massive industrialization increase, the demand for these resources increases as well. European investors advocated direct control of the areas where the raw materials were found. This was because

In the White Man’s burden, it states “ Take up the White Man’s burden- Send forth the best ye breed- Go send your sons to exile To serve your captives’ need” (Kipling, White Man’s burden) This shows that the Europeans really wanted the Africans to do everything for them while they do the commanding. The line “Send forth the best ye breed” shows that not only they wanted to take away all the freedom and opportunities they had, they wanted only the best men, in order to make the best economic profit. The Europeans also justified their colonial expansion by using Social Darwinism. “How many centuries, how many thousands of years, have the Kaffir or the negro held large districts in Africa undisturbed by the white man? Yet their intertribal struggles have not yet produced a civilization in the least comparable with the Aryan. Educate and nurture them as you will.” This shows that the Europeans believed that for centuries, the Africans had not been disturbed by other race, however, they still couldn't develop a civilization that is comparable to the Europeans, therefore, it is completely reasonable for the Europeans to try to civilize the underdeveloped Africans. Social Darwinism was one of a big reason why Belgium colonized