What country colonized Burundi?

As an expert in historical geography and colonialism, I can provide a detailed account of the colonization of Burundi, a small landlocked country in East Africa. The history of Burundi's colonization is intertwined with that of its neighbor Rwanda, and it is important to understand the broader context of European imperialism in Africa during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Step 1: English Answer In the late 19th century, the Scramble for Africa, a period during which European powers raced to establish control over the African continent, was in full swing. Prior to this period, both Burundi and Rwanda were independent kingdoms with their own political structures and social hierarchies. However, the arrival of European powers changed the course of their histories. Initially, it was Germany that established colonial control over the region, including what is now known as Burundi, towards the end of the 19th century. The German colonial empire sought to expand its influence and secure resources in Africa, and it did so by establishing protectorates and treaties with local chiefs. After the conclusion of World War I, the geopolitical landscape of Africa was significantly altered. The League of Nations, an international organization established after the war to maintain world peace, issued mandates to various victorious powers, assigning them the responsibility of administering certain territories. The mandate system was intended to be a form of international trusteeship, where the mandated power was expected to guide the territories towards self-governance and eventual independence. In the case of Burundi and Rwanda, the League of Nations mandated the territory of Ruanda-Urundi to Belgium. This mandate was formalized in 1923, and it marked the beginning of Belgian colonial rule over the region. Belgium, already possessing the neighboring colony of the Congo, was given the mandate with the expectation that it would prepare the territories for self-government. Under Belgian rule, the colonial administration leveraged the existing social structures of the region, particularly the hierarchical system of the Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa ethnic groups. The Tutsi were the ruling class, and the Belgians ruled through them, reinforcing and exacerbating the social divisions that existed. This policy had long-lasting effects on the region, contributing to the tensions and conflicts that would later emerge. The Belgian colonial period was characterized by forced labor, economic exploitation, and the implementation of racial policies that favored the Tutsi over the Hutu majority. The legacy of Belgian colonialism in Burundi and Rwanda is a complex and contentious issue, with some arguing that it laid the groundwork for the genocide that occurred in Rwanda in 1994. In summary, while Germany was the first European power to colonize Burundi, it was Belgium that had the most significant and lasting impact on the region through its mandate from the League of Nations. The Belgian colonial policies and the manipulation of the region's social structures have had profound and lasting effects on the political and social landscape of Burundi. **

At the end of the 19th century Burundi and Rwanda were colonised by Germany, but after WWI the League of Nations mandated Rwanda-Urundi to Belgium. Taking advantage of the status quo, the Belgians ruled through the Tutsi chiefs and princes.