The composition of the colonies of Belgium for almost eighty years included part of the territory of the African country of the Congo and a number of other African countries. Also, a small zone in the Chinese city of Tianjin was considered a Belgian colony. The king’s power was shaky, so the reign did not last long: only from 1902 to 1931.
Background
Belgium itself has long been under the rule of foreign states: in the XVI - XVII centuries. it belonged to Spain, in the XVIII century - Austria, and from the XVIII to the first half of XIX - to the kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1830, a revolution took place in the country, and Belgium finally achieved the long-awaited freedom.
However, independence also brought many problems: industry developed rapidly, and new sales markets developed too slowly, many workers lost their jobs and, unable to immigrate to neighboring Netherlands, began to pose a serious threat. In such circumstances, the state began an active search for acceptable methods of capturing its own colonies for Belgium.
First try
King Leopold I, who ruled the country in 1831 - 1865, dreamed of developing East and West Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, the Philippines, and Hawaii. Ambitious plans were not destined to come true. Belgian immigrants sent to Guatemala, Belgium's first American colony, died of malaria and yellow fever. At the same time, preparations were underway for an expedition to Hawaii, but the ship never left the coast due to the bankruptcy of its private owner.
Another attempt to get a colony in Mexico was also unsuccessful: the migrants were sent to the Mexican state of Chihuahua to build a flax processing plant, but the land in this place was barren. In the period from 1842 to 1875, several more attempts were made to settle and colonize Brazil and Argentina. In Brazil, it was not possible to stay, but in Argentina, the Belgians were lucky: a colony in the province of Entre Rios lasted from 1882 to 1940.
Second attempt
The list of colonies in Belgium is small. The first Belgian kings made more than fifty attempts to get overseas colonies in one way or another for their state, from military capture to purchase. In 1865, Leopold the First died, his son Leopold the Second ascended the throne. He tried in vain to assert his authority on Crete, the island of Borneo, in New Guinea and other territories of Oceania. However, only in Africa did he finally manage to win.
Colonies of Belgium in Africa
Africa was held back by malaria and sleeping sickness, but with the discovery of quinine, colonization began with renewed vigor. Leopold II managed to gain a foothold in the Congo Basin as a personal possession, although the territory continued to be considered a free state.
The territory of the Free State of Congo was 77 times more Belgian. The unique status assigned by Leopold allowed him to dispose of the land of his own free will, without the consent of the parliament and without worrying about observing Belgian laws. With the help of military mercenaries, the Congo population was practically turned into slaves, the natives extracted rubber, ivory, and minerals for the king. The exploitation of local residents became the source of the king’s great wealth and the basis for the development of the Belgian economy. However, as a result of ill-treatment and hard labor, for 30 years, from 1880 to 1920, the population halved - from 20 million to 10 million.
The brutality of Leopold in the colony of Belgium caused a conviction in Europe. He was criticized by kings and ministers, Mark Twain and Conan Doyle spoke with a contemptuous satire in his address. As a result, Leopold II sold the rights to African lands to his own state, and the Congo Free State was renamed the Belgian Congo. In 1960, the country declared independence.
The Kingdom of Belgium also for some time owned other territories adjacent to the Congo: Ubangi Bomu, Katanga, Lado Enclave. However, Leopold was not able to maintain power over them, the regions quickly became former colonies of Belgium.
Belgian colonies in China
In 1899 - 1901 Belgium took part in suppressing the rebellion of boxers in China and as a result gained power over a small zone in the city of Tianjin, located on the banks of the Haihe River. In 1904, Belgian industrial companies built an electric lighting system in the region, and in 1904 the first electric tram went on a flight. In 1931, Tianjin ceased to be a colony of Belgium.