How did Belgium get an Empire? (Short Animated Documentary)

Special Thanks to the following Patrons for their support on Patreon:

Kevin Sanders
Chris Fatta
Daniel Lambert
Richard Wolfe
Joshua
Tom Loghrin
Warren Rudkin
Andrew Niedbala
Mitchell Wildoer
Blaine Tillack
Bernardo Santos
Matthew
John Garcia
Richard Hartzell
Will Davis-Coleman
Danny Anstess
Henry Rabung
August Block
Perry Gagne
Shaun Pullin
Joooooshhhhh
Vesko Dinev
PaulToon
Kelly Moneymaker
FuzzytheFair
Armani_Banani
Jeffrey Schneider
Byzans_Scotorius
Seth Reeves
Haydn Noble
Josh Cornelius
Gideon Rashkes
Spencer Smith
Cornel Borină
Roberto
Andrew Keeling
Richard Manklow
Chance Cansler
João Santos
Gabriel Lunde
Pierre Le Mouel
anon

How did Belgium get an empire? The other European nations gave them one so they wouldn't fight over it.

Sources:

King Leopold's Imperialism and the Origins of the Belgian Colonial Party, 1860–1905 by Vincent Viaene.

Belgium, the Congo, and Imperial Immobility: A Singular Empire and the Historiography of the Single Analytic Field by Matthew G. Stanard.

Anglo-Belgian Military Relations and the Congo Question, 1911-1913 by Mary Elizabeth Thomas.

[kormagogthedestroyer]

Imagine being such a brutal ruler that you make the European colonial powers beg you to stop

[mercurius]

Leopold: Will you give me the Congo?
Great Powers: To civilise it and make life better for the natives?
Leopold: Yeees...
*hand-chopping time*

[UwU-xkcx]

Portugal with 5 million people sitting in the corner: Y-yeah guys our population is sooo big...

[avengermkii]

Everyone else: He died

History Matters: He has a case of the *D E A D S*

[sIeeperagent]

Leopold II was like "bingo bongo gimme that Congo."

[lmonk]

Capetown to Cairo would have been one epic railroad.

[flybeep]

Basically Belgium was the little guy playing out the big guys against each other to get what it wants. Smart move.

[blessingsogbetun]

Germany invades Belgium
World: poor Belgium
Congo: yay 😀🧨🧨

[evoluxman]

I'm Belgian, and at school we are taught about how Leopold II got the congo (and the atrocities that came with it) and that he gave he to Belgium after, however I never learned about the crisis that came with the british and the germans. Great video!

[andromenia]

“Hey congolese man, great job gathering that rubber, high five!! ... ow wait.”

[powertogame]

I love how "Empire" went from "Owning a huge amount of land with lots of development and approval from your head of religion" to "Owning even a single piece of land overseas"

[MrBristolian]

Leopold saying "we all win" with a Congolese man rolling his eyes in he background is perfect

[mightymario]

Belgium really just pulled a pro gamer move on France and England

[josephcola]

1:07

The one guy with the sign that says "Anyone but France" has me cracking up.

[Evzone]

(Whispers)

0:09 *“they never got e t h i o p i a.”*

[thomasturner]

Nah Belgium didn't have an empire it had the Congo *free* state

Like North Korea isn't bad it's called the Democratic Republic of Korea

[jamiengo]

Everyone: We want it
Britain (I think): Anyone but France
Sounds about right for us

[ravenwilder]

The shot of the Belgian guy holding up a "We All Win" sign while the native stands there with narrowed eyes is just great.

[sparrow]

Can't you do a 10 minute special episode here and there?

[saiiif]

Congo: exists

King leopold: it's free real estate