world war involvement modern day democratic republic world war began german invasion belgium despite belgium surrender remained conflict allied administered belgian government exile provided needed raw materials notably gold britain united_states troops force fought alongside british forces east african campaign medical unit served madagascar burma campaign formations acted garrisons egypt nigeria palestine increasing demands placed population colonial authorities war provoked strikes riots forms resistance particularly indigenous violently belgian colonial authorities comparative prosperity conflict led wave post war immigration belgium bringing white population period continued 1950s role played hostilities caused country interest soviet_union cold war background following world war belgium possessed colonies africa controlled annexation german colony mandated belgium belgian colonial military numbered soldiers making largest standing colonial armies africa time belgian government followed policy neutrality interwar years nazi_germany invaded days fighting belgium surrendered occupied german forces king surrendered germans kept prisoner rest war fall belgium government including minister fled france london formed official belgian government exile october governor general decided day belgium surrender colony remain loyal allies stark contrast french colonies later pledged allegiance pro german government administered london belgian government exile war despite assurance disruption broke city eastern white population future colony threat italian invasion economic contribution soon arrival belgian government exile london negotiations began british role play allied war effort british determined fall axis hands planned invade occupy colony come arrangement particularly fall dutch british colonies far_east japan allies desperate raw materials like rubber produce abundance eventually parties came arrangement virtually british demands accepted including percent official agreement declaration support allies economy particular production important raw materials placed disposal belgium allies particularly britain united_states increasingly economically great depression 1930s belgian government encouraged production cotton value international market greatest economic demands related raw materials number workers employed mines rose cope increased demand order increase production war effort colonial authorities increased hours speed workers european african expected work led increasing labour unrest colony discontent white population increased raising percent war tax high taxes price controls enforced limiting profit vast majority produced raw resources exported allied countries entire colony output copper palm oil industrial diamonds exported united_kingdom colony lumber sent south_africa exports united_states rose early tax revenue enabled belgian government exile fund unlike states exile operated subsidies donations sympathetic governments meant belgian gold reserves moved london needed fund war effort available end war possessed major deposits sources material available allies extracted disused owned southern instrumental development atomic bomb director secretly half stock new_york september sold united_states_army moved new_york directed operations rest war government sent soldiers restore improve transport links local port facilities americans acquired long tons ore newly reopened military involvement force public force combined police military force world war constituted bulk numbering men like colonial armies time force racially segregated led white officers comprised indigenous black force received modern equipment supplied war use outdated weapons equipment like mortar east african campaign brigades force sent alongside british forces fight italians june spite government exile reservations demonstrate allegiance allied cause retaliation deployment italian bombers bases channel coast occupied belgium belgian 1st operated area south west sector men force successfully cut retreat general italians highlands marching kilometres bases western troops suffered malaria tropical diseases successfully defeated italians number engagements subsequently accepted surrender italian troops number small engagements course campaign force received surrender italian generals high ranking officers italian colonial troops end forces suffered fatalities allied victory force moved british colony nigeria staging ground planned invasion controlled occur garrisoned troops force went egypt british mandatory palestine redesignated 1st medical support medical unit 10th belgian formed served alongside british forces invasion madagascar far_east burma campaign unit small body troops local defense station included black white personnel continued serve british life belgian start war population numbered approximately million black people whites colonial government segregated population racial lines little mixing colours white population highly capital lived quarter city separated black majority blacks city adhere education overwhelmingly controlled protestant catholic missions responsible providing limited medical welfare support rural food remained war sales tyres automobiles restricted government consequences economic war particularly black population significant indigenous population lived cities figure stood close colonial authorities arrested enemy aliens confiscated property unrest strikes demands colonial government workers war provoked strikes riots workforce whites colony allowed form trade unions time war demands better pay working conditions emulated black workers october white workers colony unsuccessfully attempted general strike colony december black workers sites including went strike demanding pay increased compensate rising living costs strike started december day workers downed tools sites affected december strike grievances colonial order segregation start colonial authorities attempted persuade disperse work refused fired shot dead military including leader invited negotiations town stadium offered concessions including pay rise workers refused governor shot killing governor ordered soldiers fire stadium killed protest official estimate miners returned work december numerous smaller strikes occurred later war scale strikes broke provoked conscription workers mines deteriorating working conditions riots strikes occurred black port city mutiny colonial government depended military maintain civil order depended loyalty native troops bulk force black non commissioned officers led veteran central province february trigger plan troops served soldiers unhappy demands placed treatment white officers broke base morning february white quarter town town inhabitants fled belgian officer white civilians killed attacked visible signs colonial authorities proclaimed desire independence dispersed home villages way failed spread insurrection neighbouring garrisons including executed insurrection legacy result comparative prosperity conflict post war period saw wave immigration country belgium whites living war highlighted nature colonial administration leading governor remark days years war colonial government underwent extensive reform black people granted significantly rights freedoms leading growth called evolved class following industrial unrest trade unions black workers instituted lacked power influence workers continued demand higher wages strikes common colony decade wages living conditions improved significantly years war war began second wave lasted right independence massacre theme art folklore later incorporated popular anti colonial narrative importance war caused soviet_union interested territory subsequently area soviet interest cold war
Belgian Congo in World War II