History of the DRC
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a tragic history of oppression, war, and corruption. Following its prehistory, the country was "discovered" in the 1400s by Portuguese explorers. They traveled down the Congo River and claimed the land for Portugal. This paved the way for future European ventures into Africa, culminating in the Atlantic Slave Trade. This affected all of Africa, but particularly West Africa, which suffered from a drastic decline in population. The slave trade also led to the decline of many political powers and old kingdoms of the Congo, such as the Kongo Kingdom. The weakening political forces in the DRC also a factor in the establishment of the Congo Free State by King Leopold II. King Leopold II first gained interest in the area through the explorations of explorer H.M. Stanley down the Congo River. The inhumane treatment of the native population eventually led to nationalist revolts against Belgian rule. The Congo became an independent nation, led by President Kasavubu and Premier Lumumba. However, Kasavubu, with the help of Joseph Mobutu, soon plotted to remove Lumumba from power. Kasavubu succeeded, only to be overthrown a short time later and replaced by Mobutu. The Democratic Republic of the Congo became Zaire, as Mobutu sought to Africanize all the names of the country. Mobutu was a corrupt leader who lead the country into poverty for many decades. He was overthrown in 1997, and died in exile shortly after.
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Congo, Democratic Republic of the. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2015, from http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/congo-democratic-republic-the-history.html
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Mobutu Sese Seko. (2014, July 10). Retrieved August 7, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/biography/Mobutu-Sese-Seko
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Stanley, T. (2012, October 10). Belgium's Heart of Darkness. Retrieved August 7, 2015, from http://www.historytoday.com/tim-stanley/belgiums-heart-darkness
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Congo, Democratic Republic of the. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2015, from http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/congo-democratic-republic-the-history.html
David, S. (2011, February 17). Slavery and the 'Scramble for Africa' Retrieved August 7, 2015, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/scramble_for_africa_article_01.shtml
Diogo Cao | biography - Portuguese navigator. (2015, January 16). Retrieved August 7, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/biography/Diogo-Cao
Hooker, R. (1996, November 15). The Iron Age South of the Sahara. Retrieved July 31, 2015, from http://richard-hooker.com/sites/worldcultures/CIVAFRCA/IRONAGE.HTM
Kongo, Kingdom of. (n.d.). Retrieved July 31, 2015, from http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/history/kongo-kingdom-of.html
Middleton, D. (2015, April 9). Sir Henry Morton Stanley. Retrieved August 7, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Morton-Stanley
Mobutu Sese Seko. (2014, July 10). Retrieved August 7, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/biography/Mobutu-Sese-Seko
Patrice Lumumba. (2015). Retrieved August 7, 2015, from http://www.biography.com/people/patrice-lumumba-38745
Stanley, T. (2012, October 10). Belgium's Heart of Darkness. Retrieved August 7, 2015, from http://www.historytoday.com/tim-stanley/belgiums-heart-darkness