Early Belgian Colonial Efforts: The Long and Fateful Shadow of Leopold I

investment. This also created a need for the emigration of some of its citizens as both Belgium and the Netherlands had the greatest population density in Europe. Clearly capitalism and its expanding nature were behind this prescient phase of Belgian history.

Industrially Belgium was far ahead of its time, to its distinct disadvantage.

The difficulty lay in its inexperience as a capitalistic nation. It simply did not know how to go about creating overseas markets and opportunities, with the possible exception of Rio Nunez, which came at the end of this period. Additionally, especially in the case of Rio Nunez, the country did not possess the ability to capitalize on its early successes along the Rio Nunez because of a lack of commercial backing and the inability of the Belgian government to provide the necessary power to support this colonial project.

The fundamental failure of the Compagnie belge de Colonization and the Compagnie belge-brĂŠsilienne de Colonisation to adequately finance these ventures in Guatemala and Brazil, respectively, doomed them from the start. The Rio Nunez effort, after its initial success, failed from both an inconsistent governmental response and a fear by the backers and merchants in Belgium of additional risk. The Belgian economy was simply not sophisticated enough to overcome these overseas obstacles.

Additionally, the various entrepreneurs and agents attempting to either lure Belgian investment and colonists or become involved in this process from a Belgian perspective overestimated Leopold’s ability to produce results or influence the chambers and the Cabinet. Again, there was insufficient past history to rely on. It is not always best to be first.

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