Free Congo

[Aussey]

Ok. This is a TL which will result in a large, multicultural, first-world, democratic Congo. I've written the beginning, so please tell me what you think! Thanks!

-Aussey
____________________________________________
1820’s: Catholic Walloons in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands begin to move in small numbers to the basin of the Congo river in central Africa, hoping to establish there own state there- much like the Boers of southern Africa. At this time, there is no interest in the region, and as they are arriving in such small numbers, this is widely ignored. By 1827, there are about 1,100 Walloons. They established a settlement near a pool, a few miles inland from the ocean, and named it “Libreville.” In 1829, the first marriage between an African and a Walloon take place. The Walloons, who are mostly poor peasants from the Netherlands, declare slavery illegal in their settlement. Many die due to malaria, but the Walloons are determined to fight the disease and live in a free, Catholic, society.

1830’s: A prominent Walloon in Africa, Charles de Brouckère, travels to South America to learn from fellow Catholic European settlers how to curb malaria. He returns to the African settlements with three hundred cinchona trees, and plants them in Libreville. He instucts the settlers on how to use them. Thirty more settlers marry Catholic Africans, noticing that most of them were not infected with the disease. Charles de Brouckère returns to the Netherlands to bring more Wallonians to the Congo settlements. Dutch authorities widely ignore this, thinking the Wallonians are taking their fellow Catholics to British South Africa. De Brouckère establishes the “Société catholique d'Afrique,” to encourage oppressed Catholics to immigrate to what he discretely calls “L’Afrique catholique,” so as to not rouse the suspisions of any European powers. He returns to Libreville in 1836 with four hundred Wallonians, as wells as two hundred Dutch Catholics, and German Catholics. A second city is founded by the German and Dutch settlers on the opposite side of the River, which is named “Mariastad.” A Dutchman settler plants orange seeds in his farm in Maristad, which takes off quickly. A thriving citrus trade with the Africans, in exchange for other plantable foods begins. Bannana, cocoa, and coffee farms are soon established in the two settlements by Europeans and Africans alike. With more Walloons emmigrating to the Congo, there is no Catholic Netherlands revolt.

1840’s: At the beginning of this decade, the total Catholic population of the two settlements is over three-thousand. Many Africans are coming from the innerlands to receive treatment in European hospitals, and converting to Catholicism. The free society between the Europeans, who are mostly oppressed peasants and accept the Africans as fellows-in-oppression proves to be a success for the settlments, as the Europeans introduce technology, and the Africans know the area. In 1846, de Brouckère returns from Europea again, with a group of four-hundred Scandinavian Catholics. They establish a third settlement-region between Libreville and Maristad on a swampy island, which the Dutch help them drain. They build their settlements on the drained land, and name it “Kristushatt.” The leaders of the three settlments, as wells as prominent Catholic African leaders, meet in Libreville in 1848 to declare the settlements as the “Free Republic of the Congo.” To no one’s surprise, de Brouckère is elected president. In 1849, the “Société catholique d'Afrique,” which is the de facto legislature of the Republic, builds it’s own building in Libreville, and admits it’s first African director, Josef-Désiré Kubangi, a prominent leader of the Bakongo tribe in the region.

1850’s: The Republic and the Société catholique d'Afrique decide to find a European protector. Needing to be free of colonization and the slave trade, but remain Catholic and have support, they decide upon Spain. In exchange for weapons, ships, and recognition, the Republic grant’s Spain a monopoly over the thriving citrus trade to Europe. Aboard a three newly-purchased Spanish ship, members of the Société catholique d'Afrique sail to Brazil. They successfully aid over a thousdan runaway slaves and poor mestizos and Portugese in sending them to the Congo. This large influx of immigrants, which accounts for almost a third of the Congo’s population, sends a scare. The current settlements had been purchased or traded with the Republic from the Africans. Now, however, there may be problems in purchasing a large amount of good land. However the Africans in the surronding region gladly sell large parts of their land, in return for integration into the Congolese society, and a promise to become successful. The settlment of “Nova Lusitânia,” is established in the less desirable lands alongside Mariastad. However, many of the Brazilians know how to cultivate the jungle lands, and successfully plant sugarcane in the region, which begins a new trade in the area. More Africans in the region came into the new black-dominated settlement, in response to the success of sugarcane. With such a large population, and numerous sugarcane farms, Nova Lusitânia quickly become the largest settlment.

1860’s: The Republic begins to train it’s own army, with the aid of the Spanish. Under the guide of President de Brouckère, the Congo’s productivity almost doubles, bringing into the fold many black Catholic Angolan refugees in the south. In 1864, the six-hundred strong Angolans establish their own settlement in the region, Nossaterra. Alarmed with the sudden increase in Portugese-speaking citizens, many of the Wallonians petition the Society to bring more Wallonians to the Congo. Eight hundred more Wallonians arrive in Libreville in 1868- however this time, many of them are merchants, and find the agricultural and laborous society of the Congo difficult to adjust to. They settle in Libreville, and begin plans to bring in a new group of people who strive for freedom and acceptance, and know the value of hardwork- the Freedmen of America. In 1868, de Brouckère dies. The Republican Convention of the same year, write the Constitution of the Republic, which is similar in many ways to the US Constitution and the French. Declaration of the Rights of Citizens. The office of President is made a ten-year term. In an amazing turn out, Josef-Désiré Kubangi becomes the first black-president of the Republic. Many vote for him, because of his successful dealings with local tribes. Not to mention, slightly over 50% of the citizens of the Congo are African as well. Libreville is made a city, and the capital of the Republic. A tricolor flag, with black, white, and green (representing the equality of the races, and a new life) is adopted as the Flag of the Republic.

1870’s: In 1873, Société catholique d’Afrique sails with five large Spanish ships to the United States. They offer any Freedmen wishing to convert to Catholicism, land, freedom, education, and absolute equality. Over three-thousdan Freedmen return with the Society in 1875. The radical-Republican controlled United States also recognizes the Free Republic of the Congo. The American Colonization Society teams up with the Société catholique d’Afrique, and begins to arrange not only for the Freedmen, but alos for many Catholics, and Hispanics to re-settle in the Congo. Not used to Europeans, or European language-speaking Africans, the Freedmen travel north of the main settlements, and integrate themselves with many Africans in the north, and establish a settlement they call “Promised Land.” Though many are Catholic, more, if not most, retain their Baptist faith from America. They settle on lands north of Libreville and on parts of the island that houses the Scandinavian settlement. However, the Dutch are unable to drain the land, and thus they expand into other regions as well. In 1879, Josef-Désiré Kubangi is re-elected President; And the Free Republic purchases the rest of the central island from the African tribes there. With most Europeans wishing to stay in their established farms and settlements, there Africans in the region begin building towns and farms with the help of their European co-citizens, and establish the Kongo settlements, as they are called.

 

[Nicksplace27]

Malaria would kill 90 to 95 percent of the Wallonians settling in those regions.

 

[Aussey]

Malaria would kill 90 to 95 percent of the Wallonians settling in those regions.

Ok. I added something to curb the malaria kill in the beginning. I know it won't work completely, but it'll slow it down. I figure with more knowledge in the region, malarial parasites and the differentiation of species, etc. could be discovered in the 1880s?!

 

[Aussey]

1880-1884: Thousands of Brazillian sons of slaves emmigrate to the Congo, many with runaway relatives. It is the Brazillians who know the jungle that begin to settle in the innerlands, and integrate with the native Africans, most of which in the area, are now Catholic. With more settlements in the inlands, the Provincial Convention of 1883 is held in Libreville dividing the Congo into three provinces, and two territories: Provinces of Haut-Congo, Moyen-Congo, and Bas-Congo; and the Territories of Pays du Riviere, and Kasongoland. The city of Belgique is founded on the Atlantic Ocean, and plans to build a man-made harbor are drafted.

1885: The most important year in early Congolese history- the Berlin Conference. France, Britain, Portugal, Germany, Congo, Spain, and Italy meet in Berlin to partion Africa, after border disputes errupt between European spheres of influences, and on the Angolan-Congolese border. Congo leaves with a territory almost ten-times larger than itself, and only distraught in not receiving the Portugese enclave of Cabinda. With the establishment of formal borders, many more cities are born, beginning as forts, and turning into communities. This year also saw the continuation of emmigration from Brazil and the United States, after slaves over 60 are freed in Brazil, and segregation is enforced in the American south. Belgique becomes the point-of-entrance for all arriving immigrants. The provinces of Niadie and Gabon congolaise are created.

1886-1890: Congolese scientists discovere that malaria is carried by mosquitos, after isolating the parasite. The Congo implements the “Programme Anti-Paludisme.” The program is designed to eliminate the mosquitos by a process. All pools within 200 yards of all villages and 100 yards of all individual houses were drained. Subsoil drainage was preferred followed by concrete ditches. Lastly, open ditches were constructed. Paid inspectors made sure ditches remained free of obstructions. All brush and grass was cut and maintained at less than one foot high within 200 yards of villages and 100 yards of individual houses. The rationale was that mosquitoes would not cross open areas over 100 yards. When drainage was not possible along the grassy edges of ponds and swamps, oil was added to kill mosquito larvae. When oiling was not sufficient, larvaciding was done. At the time, there were no commercial insecticides. Congolese scientists also developed a larvacide mixture of carbolic acid, resin and caustic soda that was spread in great quantity. Quinine was provided freely to all workers along the construction line at 21 dispensaries. In addition, quinine dispensers were on all hotel and mess tables. On average, half of the work force to habitilizing the Inner Congo took a prophylactic dose of quinine each day. Following the great success in the Republic-proper, all governmental buildings and quarters were screened against mosquitoes. Because the mosquitoes usually stayed in the tent or the house after feeding, collectors were hired to gather the adult mosquitoes that remained in the houses during the daytime. This proved to be very effective. Mosquitoes that were collect in tents were examined the Chief of the Board of Health Laboratory. This process was soon implemented by territorial governments set up throughout the western and southern parts of Inner Congo.

1887-1890: These years saw rapid growth in the Congo. Many poor Italians begin the journey to the Congo, after Italy’s plans of colonizing Libya and Eritrea proove to be too dificult. Seeing fellow Europeans immigrating to Africa, causes over four-thousand Poles to begin their immigration to the Congo. Fearing a possible racial disbalance with new Europeans who do not understand completely the equality in the Congo, the Société catholique d’Afrique, begins establishing hundreds of missions in the Inner Congo- outside the Republic proper. Within it’s first four years- over three thousand Africans immigrate from the jungles of Inner Congo into the Republic itself.

1891: The Free Republic of the Congo annexes the territory west of the Congo River, east of French Gabon, and south of the Ikenge River to make room for the immigrants. This is the first area that had been rid of malaria. The Poles quickly begin settling in the area, and establish hospitals, farms, schools, etc. The provinces of N’Gango and Uguyai are created, as are the territories of Extreme-Nord-Ouest, Nouvelle-Wallonie, and the large Pays de l'Intérieur. With the eliminating of malaria by spraying, also brought the draining of many areas, creating more defined rivers, and even more defined coasts, and river islands. This land become even more fertile, and able to be cultivated. Especially in the Pays de l'Intérieur, where many Brazillian settlers set up large sugar-cane plantations.

1892: The Convention of the Republic was held in Libreville in 1892, to organize the government of the Republic. The process of creating provinces was established, and it was decided that, eventually, all of Inner Congo would be annexed into the Republic. The office of President was lowered to a re-electable six-year term, and the National Assembly was created as an actual legislature. The Société catholique d’Afrique organized the first political party, the Society Party, which won the majority of the seats in the Assembly. Guillaume-Louis Matthys, a Walloon, was elected President of the Republic.

1893-1895: The Congo Expedition is launched, designed to explore the Inner Congo, and meet tribal leaders, and mainly to map the vast territory. The Expedition traveled the large, navigable, rivers of the Congo, and came back with alliances, stories, plants, and animals no one had ever seen. In 1895, the Katangan king allowed Catholic missionaries into his country, though the Royal Family remained their native religions. Many immigrants opt to stay within the “Congolese main,” than move into the unknown jungles of Katanga. However, some do, and aid the Katangans in building and modernizing their resource-plentiful land.

1896: Rubber farms are established in throughout the Inner Congo. This leads the National Assembly to pass the Inner Congo Territorial Act, forcing citizens of the Republic to acquire permission to settle in Inner Congo before leaving. This is the first bar on immigrating further into the Congo. The government begins funding for more Catholic missions to travel into Inner Congo. Meanwhile, a large number of Mondunga peoples from northern Inner Congo immigrate to the Republic-proper, leaving much of northern Congo uninhabited. Many citizens, however, illegally establish rubber plantations throughout Inner Congo, and send them to smaller, legal plantations in the Republic, so they appear to have been manufactured legally.

1897-1900: The second wave of Freedmen and American Hispanics arrive in Belgique. As with the first group, they too are un-used to the Euro-African fusion lifestyle lived in the big cities and populized areas of the Lower Congo. This group of over five thousand immigrate into the then-largely un-built areas of Kasongoland and Uguyai. These Americans tended not to integrate themselves with the Native Africans in this area, rather, they attempted to Americanize them. In 1898, the first Freedmen, and second Black, was elected President of the Republic- James Edwards. President Edwards was also the first non-Society member ever to run the government of the Congo. He began pushing for major Americanization programs, and his administration paid for many Anglophone Catholic missionaries to spread Catholicism in the Congo. His visit with President McKinley of the United States sparked great controversy in America- a former slave, now president of an industrialized and free society, being treated with equal status of the white American president. Inspired by his stories, thousands more Freedmen used all the money to their name to immigrate to the Congo. Upon his return to Libreville, President Edwards signed into existance the provinces of Nouvelle-Wallonie and Kassaia, and extended the borders of his native Kasongoland to the newly-deemed habitable regions south of Kassaia.

The Free Republic of the Congo in 1900: Note- most of the Republic is in OTL Congo-Brazzaville at this time, as the Republic recieved OTL Belgian Congo, and French Moyen-Congo​

 

[Aussey]

any comments so far?

 

[Agentdark]

Cool stuff, very cool stuff, (this the same state from ME?)

 

[Aussey]

Cool stuff, very cool stuff, (this the same state from ME?)

haha thanks!
(and no...)

 

[Aussey]

1901: The Republic purchases and incorporates Cabinda from Portugal. Many of the Portugese emmigrate to Portugal, disliking equality rule. The Portugese and Angolans are fully enfranchised, and made citizens. Some Portugese opt to stay, seeing the success in the Republic. The Provincial Reorganization Act of 1901 slightly alters provincial borders, creates the Province of Cabinda, and the the giant territory of Riverland. The Republic also organizes Congolese Tanganyanika Territory on Lake Tanganyanika, where Britain and Germany had begun to build up their colonies of Rhodesia and East Africa respectively. Nouveau-Brouckèreville is established on the Lake, and a second man-made harbor is built. A thriving tri-national trade of Congolese, Rhodesian, and East African goods begins. The Kristushatt-Nouveau-Brouckèreville Railway begins construction, as do many railways connecting virtually all of the Republic proper, and one connecting New Charleston and Katanga.

1902: The Yeke Kingdom of Katanga becomes an established state, becoming a protectorate of the Free Republic of the Congo. President Edwards hosts King Msiri in Libreville, where he sees how modern and large and cosmopolitan the Republic is. He returns to Katanga with many plans, and funds from his new protectors. Hearing of possible mineral wealth in Katanga, the Republic creates the “Société économique pour Katanga,” a special committee designed to teach the Katangans how to mine for gold and copper in their realm, while splitting the products with the Republic and their Kingdom respectively. The Second Katanga Act extends the Yeke Kingdom into the Congolese Rhodesia, giving it access to Lake Bangweolo. The Language Act of 1902 makes English, French, and Portugese the official languages of the Republic. Minority languages such as Bakongo, German, Norweigian, and other minor languages are protected and allowed to be taught in school.

1903: The Pope grants Libreville a cardinal of it’s own. The Roman Catholic Church in the Congo is now no-longer under the care of Spain. The year also sees over ten thousand Angolans begin to immigrate to Cabinda, making it the second most population-dense province after Haut-Congo. The railways connecting Kristushatt and Nouveau-Brouckèreville are completed, as are the ones connecting New Charleston and Katanga. Multiple cities, rubber plantantions, fruit farms, and even cattle farms are erected alongside these railways, almost doubling the gross domestic product of the Congo by years end. The celebrate, the Republic declares the day of completion, May 17th, as a national holdiay, Unity Day. The Republic officially adopts its motto, “Unity in Diversity.” Largley unnoticed due to the large influx of Angolans, over seven-hundred Hispanic Americans immigrate to the Congo, and are responsible for the creation of the cattle business in lower-central Congo, especially along the railways.

1904: Adding to the population boom, twenty thousand Maronite Catholics and Coptic Catholics arrive from the Ottoman Empire, entering the Catholic Land of Freedom. These strangely dressed, strangely speaking immigrants receive much attention, as the many view them as the pinnacle of oppressed Catholics. Unlike previous immigrants, most of them come from well-to-do families, with much money, knowledge, and experience, and ties to Europe. Almost immediatley, the Maronites begin constructing a large cathedral in Libreville. With Maronite money, along with government funding, and many donations, the project gets underway soon. Most of the Maronites travel across the Congo to Nouveau-Brouckèreville, where they and there large families quickly become the majority. The Mayor of Nova Lusitânia, André Rebouças, becomes the first multiracial, and first Lusophone president of the Republic. In the same year, President Rebouças’ Administration begins funding the newly-created the “Société pour la Promotion de Métissage,” granting mulatto Congolese, and multi-racial couples and families more benefits, and offerring them discounted, drained lands in Inner Congo- land widely sought after.

1905: The Republic admits the territories of Flussland and Congolese Tanganyanika as as provinces- the later under the name Brouckèrie. The second port city in eastern Congo, Ville-du-Port-de-l’Est, is built on Lake Tangyanika. Many German colonists in western East Africa, seeking more prosperity, being to travel across the Lake daily to the Congo. The German-Congolese and Maronites successfully upstart the Province of Brouckèrie.

1906: The Société catholique d’Afrique establishes three new offices- in Louisbourg, Canada; Goa, India; and Manilla, the Phillippines. Catholic Canadians, Indians, and Filipinos are offerred free land and supplies, in return for loyalty to the Republic, and helping in the establishment of territories in Inner Congo. By the end of the year, thousands of Acadians, Lusophone Indians, Mestizo Filipinos, and Tagalogophone Filipinos begin arriving in Belgique. Like other newer immigrants, they tend to travel eastward, to Flussland, Inner Congo railway cities, and Brouckèrie. The National Assembly begins debating whether or not to begin to allow non-Catholic immigration. The Republic begins the “disinfecting,” of the lands north and east of the Interior province.

1907: The “Reformist League,” is formed as the Protestant response to the Société catholique d’Afrique, and the sole Society Party. Chiefly a union of protestant Anglophone Africans, it quickly gains the majority of seats in the National Assembly, promising govermental reform, as many Congolese were beginning to dislike the monarchial-like powers of the President of the Republic. The new National Assembly, now dominated by Reformists, begin funding Anglican missions in Inner Congo as well. The Oxfordist Act of 1907 allows the first non-Roman Catholics to immigrate to the Congo- allowing Anglicans of the Catholic-esque Oxford Movement a safe haven in the partially Anglophone Congo. Over twenty-thousand Anglicans from Britain, Canada, America, and South Africa begin immigrating to the Congo.

1908-1909: Alarmed with the large amounts of Anglophone, Protestant settlers, the Société catholique d’Afrique establishes another office in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Being more funded than the Reformist League, the Society offers war-torn Haitians free voyages, free land, free supplies, and free education, in return for immigrating to the Congo. Being a largely African, Francophone, and Catholic people, the Haitians eagerly take up the Society’s proposal. By the end of 1909, over one hundred thousand Haitians immigrate into Inner Congo. The territories of Bassa-du-Nord, Bas-Bassa, and Bassongo-West are created.

1910: The Republic begins the flooding of river-islands in upper Inner Congo, expanding the River, and draining the swampy banks on either side. The river is now almost four-times larger than it was originally in the area, however, this also causes the land to prove more fertile. As most of this area is the uninhabited land of the Mundanga before their move to the Republic, the area becomes the center of large-scale lumber production. In order to keep the industry and save the land, while lumber is harvested, a great many forests are planted, and many trees transplanted, so as to equalize the harvests. William van der Voode is elected President of the Republic.

1911: The Immigration Reform Act releases the ban on immigration of non-Catholics in restricted numbers of less than one hundred thousand per year. Catholics are offerred more incentives to immigrate to the Congo, now including three-hundred acres of prime land in the areas of drained river country. The first group to take advantage of this are the Jews of Germany, the Netherlands, and France- ninety-thousand immigrating in 1911 alone. They establish farms throughout the upper Inner Congo. Unlike the former immigrants, however, no Catholic missions are established in this region. Alarmed at such a large area being quickly populated, the Société catholique d’Afrique sends over fourty-thousand more Haitians, giving them double the land granted to the Jews, and a sum of ten-thousand US dollars per family to jumpstart their plantations. Haitians from other parts of the Congo immigrate to newly-created territory of Upper Congo. The first racial riots break-out between the Jews and the Haitian settlers. The Congolese Army puts down the riots, however, for the first time in ninety-years, some begin to wonder how long the bliss can last in the Congo.

1912-1913: The Society Party re-emerges as the major party in the National Assembly. In response to the treatment of Catholics in Upper Congo, the Public Worship Act is passed by the Assembly, forbidding the building of “non-Christian houses of worship throughout the Republic.” With little complaint from their opponents, the Reformists, the act is passed and implemented. Though sufferring a major blow to their freedoms, the Jews stay, and many more immigrate- they are still much more prosperous in the Congo than elsewhere. Swahili-speaking Muslims from European-dominated East Africa begin arriving in Ville-du-Port-de-l’Est, in eastern Congo. Many of them settle north of the province, or into Katanga, where their missionary zeal is widely welcomed, as oppose to what the Katangans view as a “European,” religion. When a ship full of Afrikanners arrive form South Africa in 1912, they are denied entry into the Republic. They are the first group denied immigration into the Congo. The Republic declares “The Congo has no need for the nonequality, nontolerance, and extreme Protestantism of the Afrikanner peoples and the Dutch Reformed Church.” The United Kingdom of the Netherlands takes this to heart, ending diplomatic and economic ties with the Congo, and banning any of it’s citizens from emmigrating there.

1914: The Société catholique d’Afrique, with the aid of the French government, establishes an office in Calais- with the sole purpose of smuggling Catholic Walloons into France, and then off to the Congo. Meanwhile, in the Republic, more and more Indians and Filipinos are arriving daily in Belgique. Many of them are Muslims, as well as Catholics. Unlike previous immigrants, these Muslim East Asians settle within the established cities of western Congo, and begin to take the less-desireable city jobs- forcing many lower-class Euro-Congolese and Afro-Congolese to, for the first time, immigrate eastward. At the same time, more and more Haitians and Jews are arriving, and travelling to settle in Upper Congo. In the Provincial elections, the Society Party wins slightly over its opponents, and passes the Provincial Linguistics Law, banning the use of non Gallo-African languages The Jewish citizens object to this, and take the issue to the Supreme Court. The Court rules in favor of the Catholics stating that “in a Catholic Republic, in a Catholic Province, where Catholics are the majority- any law banning the use of non-Catholic languages or non-majority languages is fully acceptable.”

1915: Germannic-Congolese and Jewish-Congolese march in Libreville, demanding the overturn of the Province of Upper Congo’s ban on non Gallo-African languages. As the speaking of German is very low, aside from the Jewish Upper Congo, the government ignores the marchers. Meanwhile, the Reformists again form the majority in the National Assembly, and pass the Governmental Reorganization Act, making the presidency a ceremonial position, and establishing the office of Prime Minister after the next year’s election. More Haitians, and now other French-Caribbean peoples, and Jews from Europe continu to arrive, despite the discrimination against each other in Upper Congo.

1916: Prominent Walloon army leader, General Léon Kauffman, is elected President mainly because of his promise to stabilize the situation in Upper Congo, and solve the Immigration Question. Throughout the newer territories of Inner Congo, there was conflict between Protestant settlers, and the Catholic settlers and Catholic Africans. However, this conflict was set aside when the First Congolese War erupted. West of the province of Flussland lay the lands of two tribes- the Bakuba and the Bakebe. The Bakuba kingdom had been Catholic since the 1890’s; the Bakebe had recently begun to be baptized as Baptists by illegal Freedmen missionaries. In 1916, the Bakuba kingdom began the mass killing of the Bakebe kingdom, and it’s killings were fast. The Bakuba were much more stronger than the Bakebe. The Republic faced a crisis- support the Catholic kingdom, or disallow the killing of an entire people. President Kauffman declared a State-of-Emergency, and annexed all the land south of the Sankurua, and north of the Lulua-Kallauyi rivers, so that his orders could be fulfilled. Within weeks, the Congolese Army had completely occupied the region. However, the anti-malarial program hadn’t started to “disinfect,” the region, and many Europeans and Mulattos began to catch the disease. Under the Presiden’ts orders, the European and Mulatto forces were ordered back to the Republic for treatment, and more African soldiers were sent to the region, along with anti-malarial teams. The land began to be drained in areas, the rivers extended in others, and the repellant sprayed everywhere. As the region was “disinfecting,” the soldiers captured the Bakuba and Bakebe kings, and ended the fighting on both sides, by drawing an armstice line. For the first time in Congolese history, one group of peoples were not allowed in an area: The Bakuba and Bakebe were ordered to be separated. The War ended, however, more and more were wondering how the future of the Congo was going to look.

1917: Coffers full of Katangan copper and gold, the Congo offers the British four-million pounds for the region surronding Lado in southeastern Sudan. The British offer six million. The Congolese accept, and begin building in the area. As the British have been modernizing and colonizing the Sudan, the Nile had become one of the largest trade-ways in all of the world. Now the Congo had a port on the Nile- Nejaf. The Congo’s northeastern border was now the Nile. The area was quickly incorporated as the Province of the Nile, as it’s population was well over half-a-million. Many Anglophone and Anglican Congolese moved into the area, makig it’s population over a million by the end of 1920. Meanwhile, in Upper Congo, the Haitians and Jews begin building factories, beginning to make the North the industrial part of the Republic, while most plantations are farms are found in the center, around the railways.

 

[Max Sinister]

I don't know whether this is fully realistic, but it's good.

 

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

I'd have to disagree it's a little fantastic, but it's definitely an excellent TL, well-thought out and very interesting.

I think the two biggest issues are malaria, which is still a problem, and that the climate is horrible to the point of suicide for any white settlers - also American freedmen.

I particularly like the thought you put into names - it's very authentic sounding.

 

[Nicksplace27]

Ok. I added something to curb the malaria kill in the beginning. I know it won't work completely, but it'll slow it down. I figure with more knowledge in the region, malarial parasites and the differentiation of species, etc. could be discovered in the 1880s?!

Malaria develops resistance and no one, not even today are finding a cheap viable vaccine. I have an afro-centric TL based on South Africa being bigger and moving north, but it will be stopped because white settlement cannot be realistically viable above Zambia because of Malaria.

Also the berlin conference would be completely different, and livingstone's travels would be completely different as would be Leopold's interest in the congo.

Besides that a great TL.

 

[Gonzaga]

Really nice Aussey, it's good to see some action in Africa! Just a nitpick: if you want the Catholic Church in Congo independent from Spain, you don't need a cardinal, but just a bishop. The Holy See was always slow to concede the cardinalate to someone outside Europe. For example, the first Latin American cardinal was only indicated in 1906, despite the fact the region have bishops since the XVI century.

 

[Baradas]

This is interesting, so is Congo pretty much taking all the Catholic immigrants that the USA would normally have gotten?

 

[Aussey]

Really nice Aussey, it's good to see some action in Africa! Just a nitpick: if you want the Catholic Church in Congo independent from Spain, you don't need a cardinal, but just a bishop. The Holy See was always slow to concede the cardinalate to someone outside Europe. For example, the first Latin American cardinal was only indicated in 1906, despite the fact the region have bishops since the XVI century.

thanks! ok. i didnt know....

 

[Aussey]

This is interesting, so is Congo pretty much taking all the Catholic immigrants that the USA would normally have gotten?

haha...thank you!
yes...but i forgot to add the Irish coming during the famine...perhaps I'll add that in? Or is that too much...what do you all think?

 

[Aussey]

Malaria develops resistance and no one, not even today are finding a cheap viable vaccine. I have an afro-centric TL based on South Africa being bigger and moving north, but it will be stopped because white settlement cannot be realistically viable above Zambia because of Malaria.

Also the berlin conference would be completely different, and livingstone's travels would be completely different as would be Leopold's interest in the congo.

Besides that a great TL.

Ok. So, I know African-Americans, who are part African, have some sickle cells and some regular cells. Correct me if I'm wrong, but sickle cells- they make one immune to malaria? So what if more and more Africans and Whites mix, making an African-American-type people in the Congo...malaria would be less of an issue to the majority of the population?

How does malaria spread? If no one gets it, cant the white people just live there if its quarantined off or something?

Also, with Livingstone not going to the Congo, because there is a Boer-type republic there, we wouldnt need his travels, and what would Leopold want with a malaria-infested land-locked region? Basically, the Congo before the Berlin Conference is like a Catholic Boer republic.

 

[Bill Cameron]

Ok. So, I know African-Americans, who are part African, have some sickle cells and some regular cells. Correct me if I'm wrong, but sickle cells- they make one immune to malaria? So what if more and more Africans and Whites mix, making an African-American-type people in the Congo...malaria would be less of an issue to the majority of the population?

Aussey,

It worked the other way around. As the genotypes mixed, the descendents were more susceptible to malaria. Check out Liberia's history, even first generation 'African-Americans' - that is individuals who had an purely African parent, rather than grandparent or great-grandparent - died like flies in a relatively much more benign disease enviroment than the Congo.

It's a very nice timeline and you evidently put quite a bit of thought into it. As Abdul points out, the names a very good. However, the disease angle ruins the whole thing.

That's the reason places like the Congo were colonized relatively late or not colonized at all.


Bill

 

[Aussey]

ADDITION:
World War I
1914-1915: The Great War erupts in Europe. The Congo takes the sides of the Allies, and assists the French in taking Kamerun; a campaign which will last into 1915. Remaining German troops escape to neutral Spanish Rio (as in OTL) Meanwhile, the Allies take loans and place orders for equiptment from the Congo- who offers its services and supplies cheaper than the United States would have. The USA still gets good business anyways. The War-time boom is great on the Congolese economy.

1916-1918: Unable to fight in the disease infested lands of German East Africa, Afro-Congolese troops invade Tanganyanika from eastern Congo. Many Africans in wester Tanganyanika join the Congolese troops, and the Germans are pushes to the coasts and coastal-lands. Unlike in OTL, the Germans are defeated by 1917 due to a more powerful and malaria-resistant Afro-Congolese Army, and the rebellions of Native Africans. From the coasts, the British ended the German East African presence, and executed all of the remaining German East African army.

1918: The Congo declines the League of Nation's offer of Mandate over western Tanganyanika and inner Kamerun. The Tutsi and Hutu lands become part of the British mandate of Tanganyanika.

 

[Aussey]

Aussey,

It worked the other way around. As the genotypes mixed, the descendents were more susceptible to malaria. Check out Liberia's history, even first generation 'African-Americans' - that is individuals who had an purely African parent, rather than grandparent or great-grandparent - died like flies in a relatively much more benign disease enviroment than the Congo.

It's a very nice timeline and you evidently put quite a bit of thought into it. As Abdul points out, the names a very good. However, the disease angle ruins the whole thing.

That's the reason places like the Congo were colonized relatively late or not colonized at all.


Bill

but how is it SPREAD?
cant it be somewhat controlled?

and shouldnt it be less of an issue if theyve had programs like the US had in panama for fifty or so years? i know thats bad for the ozone...but shouldnt that fix the malaria problem? or help it a lot?

thanks for your help!

 

[Baradas]

haha...thank you!
yes...but i forgot to add the Irish coming during the famine...perhaps I'll add that in? Or is that too much...what do you all think?

Well, since A LOT of Irish immigrated, maybe have most still go to the US, but a decent chunk went to the Congo? Maybe the Irish had heard a rumor about malaria and most of them were scared off.