Belgian colonial empire
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Empire colonial belge
Belgisch koloniaal rijk Belgian colonial empire |
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Map of the Belgian colonial empire at its maximum extent.
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The Belgian colonial empire (French: Empire colonial belge; Dutch: Belgisch koloniaal rijk) comprised three colonies controlled by Belgium between 1885 and 1962: Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), Ruanda-Urundi and a concession in China.
The empire was unlike those of the major European imperial powers in that roughly 98% of it was just one colony (about 76 times larger than Belgium) — the Belgian Congo — which had originated as the personal property of the country's king, Leopold II, rather than being gained through the political or military action of the Belgian state.
Belgians tended to refer to their overseas possessions as "the colonies" rather than "the empire". Unlike other European empires of the period, such as the British or German Empires, the Belgian monarch never styled themselves 'Emperor'.
Belgium received its independence in 1830 after a revolution against the Dutch government of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. By the time Belgian independence was universally recognized in 1839, most European powers already possessed colonies and protectorates outside Europe and had begun to form spheres of influence.
During the 1840s and 50s, King Leopold I tentatively supported several proposals to acquire territories overseas. In 1843, he signed a contract with Ladd & Co. to colonize the Kingdom of Hawaii, but the deal fell apart when Ladd & Co. ran into financial difficulties. Belgian traders also extended their influence in unoccupied West Africa but this too fell apart following the Rio Nuñez Incident of 1849 and growing Anglo-French rivalry in the region.
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