Patrice Lumumba’s Struggle Against Belgian Imperialism Essay

Patrice Lumumba’s Struggle Against Belgian Imperialism It is hard to believe that in 2002 there is still imperialism being practiced in the world, but the fact of the matter is, it is. Imperialism is the policy of extending a nation’s territory or power by establishing dominance over other nations. A modern example of imperialism is the Congo. At the 1885 Berlin Conference, where the European powers carved up most of Africa among themselves, they sanctioned the claim of Belgian King Leopold II to sole authority over the Congo, a land mass 75 times the area of Belgium. The Congo was virtually his private property. He wiped out some 10 million people, around half the population, in his determination to extract every†¦show more content†¦However, Lumumba’s intentions became clear from his Independence Day speech. He said, We have known sarcasm and insults, endured blows morning, noon and night because we were niggers... We have seen our lands despoiled under the terms of what was supposedly the law of the lad but which only recognised the right of the strongest. We have seen that this law was quite different for a white than for a black: accommodating for the former, cruel and inhuman for the latter. It is evident from this excerpt that Lumumba’s Congo would not be one where the Belgians could remain in complete control. The imperialist powers, led by Washington together with Brussels, undertook a series of operations designed to undermine the new Lumumba-led government. Less than two weeks after Congos independence, the former Belgian rulers succeeded in organizing a secessionist movement in the province of Katanga, where U.S. and European companies had vast mineral holdings. On July 11, 1960, Moise Tshombe, a wealthy businessman and leader of the UCOL party who bitterly opposed Lumumba, declared Katangas separation from the Congo. UCOL originally stood for the Union for Colonization but then was later changed to the Union for the Collaboration of the Middle Classes in Katanga due to the feverish anti-colonial spirit in the Congo. Brussels sent 10,000 troops to Katanga toShow MoreRelatedNotes18856 Words   |  76 PagesIndividuals like l Dr. David Livingstone were able to combine missionary activities with extensive scientific research and geographic investigations. To this day, Africa remains a favorite destination for missionaries. The third reason was based on imperialism, the desire by European patriots to contribute to their country’s grandeur by laying claim to other countries in distant lands. Imperial Germany’s Karl Peters’ adventures M04_KHAF1713_04_SE_C04.indd 101 1/18/12 10:30 AM  102 C ha