Rwanda's Colonial History: German Colony to Belgian Mandate

Rwanda was not originally taken over by Belgium. The sequence:

1. 1899–1916: Part of German East Africa; administered indirectly through the Mwami (king).
2. 1916: Belgian forces (Force Publique) occupied Rwanda during WWI.
3. 1922: League of Nations granted Belgium a Class B Mandate over Ruanda-Urundi (Rwanda + Burundi).
4. 1946: Converted to UN Trust Territory under Belgian administration.
5. 1962: Independence as the Republic of Rwanda.

Belgian Impact

• Institutionalized ethnic identity cards (Hutu/Tutsi/Twa) in 1930s, rigidifying pre-existing social categories.
• Favored Tutsi chiefs initially, then switched support to Hutu majority before independence.
• Legacy of divisive governance contributed to post-colonial tensions.

Belgium administered, but did not originate, colonial rule in Rwanda.