frica Is Very Far Away Belgium and its Colonial Past in Congo
In contrast to many other European countries, Belgium never seemed to have many colonial ambitions. During the first wave of colonisation, from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, circumstances were distinctly un- favourable. The Southern Netherlands, the precursor of modern Belgium which only became independent in r 830, were, largely for political reasons, unable to develop a seafaring tradition in spite of attempts by Ostend shipowners to establish colonies — in the Canary Islands for instance. During Europe's second wave of expansion in the late nineteenth century, the young Belgian state pursued economic expansion at home. It was the first continental country to develop into an industrial nation. The only Belgian who still dreamed of turning the country into a colonial power was King Leopold ii, who reigned from 1865 until his death in 1909. Leopold cherished high ambitions for Belgium, which naturally would also enhance his own standing. He regarded the acquisition of a colony as the crowning accolade for little Belgium's industrial success. The King explored nearly every continent for an opportunity to lay his hands on extra territory. But he could generate little enthusiasm for this within the ultracautious economic elite, while the political elite — consisting largely of the same people — was afraid that overseas adventures would be too costly for
The steamboat Princess Clementine, laden with rubber, on the River Congo. Photo Royal Archives, Brussels.
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