why was the congo free state not able to make a profit in the early years?
read the Economic paragraph here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_Free_State
Summary: The Belgians were idiots when it came to building an economic enterprise.
I am not sure it ever really made a profit.
The Europeans desire for profit affected the people of Congo by taking away their freedom, forcing them into slavery, taking away their customs, affected the economy etc.
The Congo Free State, which existed from 1885 to 1908, was a private colony established and run by King Leopold II of Belgium. Its primary goal was to generate profits for Leopold and the various European companies operating in the Congo. However, there are several reasons why the Congo Free State struggled to make a profit in its early years:
1. Mismanagement: The colonial administration was characterized by corruption, inefficiency, and mismanagement. King Leopold and his representatives in the Congo prioritized extracting as much profit as possible without considering sustainable economic practices or the welfare of the Congolese people. This led to wasteful spending, inadequate resource allocation, and the exploitation of the population.
2. Lack of Infrastructure: The Congo had minimal infrastructure, such as roads, railways, and ports. These were essential for efficient transportation of goods and establishing profitable trade routes. The lack of infrastructure made it difficult to extract and transport valuable resources like rubber, ivory, and minerals from the interior regions to the coast.
3. Resistance from Local Communities: The Congolese people, who were subjected to forced labor and brutal treatment, often resisted the exploitative practices of the European colonizers. Local communities would sometimes sabotage infrastructure, refuse to work, or engage in armed uprisings. These resistance efforts disrupted economic activities and hampered the profitability of the colonial enterprise.
4. Disease Outbreaks: The Congo Free State was also plagued by frequent disease outbreaks, including malaria, sleeping sickness, and other tropical diseases. These epidemics greatly affected the labor force, leading to high mortality rates among both Congolese workers and European administrators. The constant need to recruit and train new workers due to disease-related deaths further drained the colony's financial resources.
Overall, the combination of mismanagement, lack of infrastructure, resistance from local communities, and disease outbreaks prevented the Congo Free State from making a significant profit during its early years. The colony primarily served as a means for King Leopold II and the European companies to exploit the Congo's resources for their own financial gain rather than promoting sustainable economic development.