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EARLY BELGIAN COLONIAL EFFORTS - The University of Texas at ...

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investment. This also cre<strong>at</strong>ed a need for the emigr<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> its citizens as both<br />

Belgium and the Netherlands had the gre<strong>at</strong>est popul<strong>at</strong>ion density in Europe. Clearly<br />

capitalism and its expanding n<strong>at</strong>ure were behind this prescient phase <strong>of</strong> Belgian history.<br />

Industrially Belgium was far ahead <strong>of</strong> its time, to its distinct disadvantage.<br />

<strong>The</strong> difficulty lay in its inexperience as a capitalistic n<strong>at</strong>ion. It simply did not<br />

know how to go about cre<strong>at</strong>ing overseas markets and opportunities, with the possible<br />

exception <strong>of</strong> Rio Nunez, which came <strong>at</strong> the end <strong>of</strong> this period. Additionally, especially<br />

in the case <strong>of</strong> Rio Nunez, the country did not possess the ability to capitalize on its early<br />

successes along the Rio Nunez because <strong>of</strong> a lack <strong>of</strong> commercial backing and the<br />

inability <strong>of</strong> the Belgian government to provide the necessary power to support this<br />

colonial project.<br />

<strong>The</strong> fundamental failure <strong>of</strong> the Compagnie belge de Coloniz<strong>at</strong>ion and the<br />

Compagnie belge-brésilienne de Colonis<strong>at</strong>ion to adequ<strong>at</strong>ely finance these ventures in<br />

Gu<strong>at</strong>emala and Brazil, respectively, doomed them from the start. <strong>The</strong> Rio Nunez effort,<br />

after its initial success, failed from both an inconsistent governmental response and a<br />

fear by the backers and merchants in Belgium <strong>of</strong> additional risk. <strong>The</strong> Belgian economy<br />

was simply not sophistic<strong>at</strong>ed enough to overcome these overseas obstacles.<br />

Additionally, the various entrepreneurs and agents <strong>at</strong>tempting to either lure<br />

Belgian investment and colonists or become involved in this process from a Belgian<br />

perspective overestim<strong>at</strong>ed Leopold’s ability to produce results or influence the<br />

chambers and the Cabinet. Again, there was insufficient past history to rely on. It is not<br />

always best to be first.<br />

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