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