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Rwanda & Imperialism
-Imperialism: empire-building; the policy of extending the rule and/or influence of a country over other countries or colonies
Reasons for Imperialism1. Cheap natural resources2. A place to sell finished goods3. Conversion of native to Christianity4. Expand a nation’s power
What is Imperialism?
Carving up Africa
Rwanda—A Brief History-During the 1400s—the Tutsis (hailing from Ethiopia) invaded present-day Rwanda and Burundi
-They conquered the Hutus
-The Hutus agreed to raise crops for the Tutsis in exchange for protection
-The two groups lived peacefully
-They spoke the same language, intermarried and obeyed the same godlike king
European Imperialists1850: Catholic missionaries move into untouched African land
1890: This and other areas become part of German East Africa
1916: Belgium gained control of large tracts of German land in Africa (including present-day Rwanda)
1919: League of Nations gives Belgium authority in Rwanda. Why?
Mistakes
-Both German and Belgium authorities turned the Hutu-Tutsi relationship into a class system
Class system = Caste System
-Europeans historically gave the Tutsis (15%) favor over the Hutus (85%) in matters of education, housing, jobs, etc.
-In 1926 Belgium authorities issued identity cards differentiating the two tribes
Resentment Soon Follows1959: Hutus rebel, 150,000 Tutsis flee country
1962: Rwanda gains independence from Belgium
1963 & 1967: Massacre of thousands of Tutsis, many flee
1973: Removal of Tutsis from Universities
Sept. 1993-March 1994: President Habyarimana delays but moves closer to signing peace accords
April 6th, 1994: Habyarimana is assassinated
The Killing Begins
-On April 7th, the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) set up roadblocks and go from house to house killing Tutsis and Hutu moderates
-Thousands die on the first night
-On April 30th, 250,000 Tutsis and Hutu moderates are killed (mainly Hutus fleeing the FAR’s advance)
No one to stop the massacre…-United Nations does nothing as their instructions are to “monitor”
-10 Belgium U.N. soldiers killed; Belgium troops pull out of Rwanda
-U.N. votes to cut U.N. troops from 2,500 to 270
-U.N. refuses to send help because of cost ($$$)
-U.S. failures in Somalia caused Clinton to be standoffish to the Rwandan situation
-Over 800,000 Rwandans die
Putting it into Perspective-Population of Medford—4,500
-Over 800,000 Rwandans dead
800,000/4,500 = ????
~178—That’s every person in Medford killed 178 times…
Think about the effect of Imperialism
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