The Congo

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

• Between 1878 and 1959 Congo was a Belgian colony
• Recources like rubber was heavily exploted
• One of Africa’s most wealthiest colonies

Question 2

Features of Belgian colonial rule

Answer 2

• High taxes
• Forced labour
• Paternalism
• Few secondary schools, no tertiary education
• Nearly 10 million died under King Leopold’s rule (1885-1908)

Question 3

Paternalism

Answer 3

Restricting freedom’s of a person supposedly for their own benefit

Question 4

Social and Political Legacies of colonialism

Answer 4

• No political opportunity for African’s as they were treated like children
• 1950: Limited roles in local affairs for Africans
• No representation in central government
• Political parties were banned
• Poor schooling system
• Few numbers of educated elite (only 30 university graduated out of a population of 14 million)

Question 5

Economic Legacies of Colonialism

Answer 5

• Economy based on copper, rubber and minerals
• Plantations and mines owned by Belgian companies
• Profits were taken out of the country
• Workers were poorly paid, exploited and abused
• Post WWII: some local industries were established
• Regared as the most wealthiest colonies, but foreigners and settlers owned most of the wealth

Question 6

ABAKO

Answer 6

Alliance des Ba-Kongo

Joseph Kasavubo

Question 7

MNC

Answer 7

Mouvement National Congolais

Patrice Lumumba

Question 8

Post WWII: Background

Rise of African Nationalism

Answer 8

• After WWII Belgium was determined to maintain colonial rule (Inhibited spread of African Nationalism, banned political parties, banned independant African newspapers)
• Rise of African Nationalism inspired Congolese to form nationalist movements:
  1. Joseph Kasavubu: Alliance des Ba-Kongo (ABAKO)
  2. Patrice Lumumba: Mouvement National Congolais (MNC)

Question 9

Léopoldville Riots

Answer 9

• 1959: violent protests in Congo
• Demonstrators destroyed government buildingd and churches
• Angry at: unemployment, overcrowding and discrimination
• Belguim decides to grant immediate independance but still wanted to mantain control due to inexperienced polititians

Question 10

1960 Elections

Answer 10

• About 120 political parties registers between May 1959 and 1960
• Almost every party was from from at least one of Congo’s 200 ethnic groups
• Division amongst ethnic lines made Congo vulnerable to power struggles
• 30 June 1960: Congo gains political independance, however Belgium maintains control of military and economy
• MNC won most of the seats but not outright majority
• Patrice Lumumba becomes PM and Joseph Kasavubu becomes president
• Lumumba wanted strong central government but Kasavubu wanted loose federation with regional autonomy

Question 11

Military Mutiny

Answer 11

• 5 July 1960
• The Congolese army (The Force Publique) mutiny against their Belgian officers
• Attack Belgian property and civillians
• Lumumba replaces all white officers with Congolese officers

Question 12

Seccession

Answer 12

• Kasai breaks away and is backed by the USSR
• Katanga breaks away and declares an independant state
  1. Leader is Moise Tshombe
  2. Katanga is mineral rich in uranium
  3. Backed by Beligian mining interests
• Justified protecting Belgian nationals
• Seen as an attempt to restore Belgian colonial rule

Question 13

Civil War

Answer 13

• Lumumba appealed to the UN to:
  1. Restore order
  2. Reunite the country
  3. Ensure withdrawal of Belgian troops
• UN sent troops but refused to help Lumumba or use force against Katanga
• Congo then appealed to the USSR
  1. USSR sent Soviet technicians and aid
  2. US and West became alarmed
  3. Congo became a zone for cold war rivalry

Question 14

US reponse to soviet involvement

Answer 14

• President Eisenhower furious that the USSR was allowed to set up an African power base
• CIA gets involved and is authorised to “eliminate” Lumumba
• Tshombe of Katana and Belgian authorities support CIA’s plan

Question 15

Breakdown of Goverment control

Answer 15

• Kasavubu deposes Lumumba as PM
• Lumumba is furious and says he deposes Kasavubu as president
• Chaos and confusion spreads in the Congo; no one is sure who is in power
• Joseph Mobutu (head of army) declares a coup d’état and seizes power:
  1. Expels Soviets and arrests Lumumba
  2. Backed by US
  3. Sets up Congolese governement with Kasavubu as president

Question 16

Rise of Joseph Mobutu

Answer 16

• 1965: Mobutu sizes power and establishes a one-party state
• Set up Mouvement Populaire de la Revolution (MPR)
• Ruled as a dictator for 32 years
• Reintegrated breakaway provinces
• 1971: Changes Congo’s name to Zaire
• Received financial support from the US:
  1. Seen as an allie against the USSR
  2. Mineral wealth of Congo

Question 17

Mobutu Sese Seko

Answer 17

• Mobutu was corrupt and dictatorial and focused on self enrichment and mainting personal power
• Cult of personality: Extensive media propaganda that turned him into a “godlike” figure and expected unquestioning adoration and praise
• **Used army and police: ** Served as his personal bodyguards and imposed ruthless treatment for his opponents (torture, cruelty, public hangings)
• Kept changing ministers to avoid political rivalry which led to an inefficient government

Question 18

Mobutu’s vision for Zaire

Answer 18

1. Authenticité: Increased awareness for indegenous African beliefs and practices
2. Zairianisation: Nationalisation of foreign owned small businesses which most of them fell under control of Mobutu’s political allies
3. Mobutuism: Official state policy and cult of personality - “the thought and vision of Mobutu Sese Seko”

Question 19

Economic Policies

Answer 19

• 40% of export earnings came from copper mining
• Mobutu used copper mining profits to start 10 year industrialisation project:
  1. Inga Hydroelectric Dam
  2. Steel mill in Kinshasa
  3. Power line across Congo
• BUT THEN… Mobutu nationalised 2000 foreign owned businesess (Zairianization)
• Established a kleptocracy: Corrupt leaders using plitical power to steal wealth from the land and people they govern
• Mobutu Mobutu rewarded friends and family with government resources with led to a plundered economy (nepotism, corruption, mismanagement)

Question 20

Economic Crisis

Answer 20

• Civil servants unpaid
• Soldiers set up roadblocks to extort money from civilians
• Hospital staff sells medicines
• All infrastructure begins to collapse into chaos
• Everyone suffers as a consequence
• Zaire goes bankrupt and turns to massive borrowing and aid deals to avoid total collapse
• No more influence from the West and neo-colonialism established in Zaire