How did Belgium rule in Rwanda contribute to genocide?
A. Belgium King Nicholas I ordered his army to execute Tutsis throughout Rwanda.
B. Belgium administrators created a two-class system that led to the mass killing of Hutus.
C. Belgium favoritism toward Tutsis led to resentment by the Hutus.
D. Belgium rule led to the mass killing of Rwandans through ethnic cleansing.
Is the answer C?
www.mtholyoke.edu/~marke22g/classweb/dw1/
Is the answer a?
Think its D
Yes, the answer is C. Belgium favoritism toward Tutsis led to resentment by the Hutus, and this contributed to the genocide in Rwanda.
To arrive at this answer, we can analyze the historical context of Belgium's rule in Rwanda. The colonization of Rwanda by Belgium started in 1916 during World War I. The Belgian colonizers practiced a policy of indirect rule, which means they ruled through existing indigenous leaders. However, they favored the Tutsis, who were traditionally seen as the upper class, over the Hutus, who were considered the lower class.
Belgium introduced identity cards that categorized people as either Tutsi or Hutu, further solidifying ethnic divisions and exacerbating tensions between the two groups. The Belgians supported Tutsis in positions of power, such as clergy, administration, and education, while marginalizing Hutus. This unequal treatment generated resentment and grievances among the Hutu majority.
Decades of Belgian influence helped create a legacy of division, discrimination, and social inequality based on ethnicity. When Belgium granted Rwanda independence in 1962, power dynamics were already heavily skewed. This historical animosity between the Tutsis and Hutus played a significant role in the events leading up to the genocide in 1994.
It is important to note that while Belgium's favoritism contributed to the tensions between the ethnic groups, the primary responsibility for the genocide lies with the Rwandan people and their own actions. The genocide was the result of complex social, political, and historical factors intertwined with international negligence and the failure of the international community to intervene effectively.