Colonial Period: 1880 - 1962
The relationship between the Hutu and Tutsi identities took a new turn when the European colonisers arrived in Rwanda at the end of the 19th century. At the 1885 Berlin Conference which carved up Africa between the European empires, Rwanda was assigned to Germany. The first German explorer, Count von Gotzen, arrived in Rwanda in 1894, and from 1899 Germany administered the country from Berlin. After Germany's defeat in the First World War, Rwanda was transferred to Belgian control in 1919.
Both the Germans and the Belgians found it convenient to rule the country through the existing Tutsi elite. To justify their support of this section of the population, they put forward the idea that the Tutsis were more similar to Europeans. The reality was that some wealthy cattle-owners who did no work were well groomed and tended to look elegant, tall and clean, compared to clients who worked hard on farms and developed strong muscles. The 'difference' between the two groups became more marked when clients started to work on European farms for long hours under harsh conditions set by the colonial masters and administered by the Tutsi ruling class. But it suited the Europeans to exaggerate the physical distinction between Hutu and Tutsi to support their argument of the latter's ethnic superiority.
In due course the Belgians introduced identity cards, classifying Rwandans according to their physical appearance, wealth and social status into Hutu, Tutsi and Twa. In return for their cooperation in imposing the writ of the European rulers, the Tutsi overlords were given extensive powers over the majority Hutus. European anthropologists, travellers and colonial agents furthered the idea that Rwandans were divided in terms of their origin, physical appearance and economic status, although they shared the same language, culture, religion and habitation. During the years of Belgian rule, indigenous social and political structures disintegrated. While traditionally, the pre-colonial patron-client relationship was flexible and contained an element of reciprocity, the Belgian colonizers did away with mutual obligation, introducing forced labour instead. This only eepened the socioeconomic divisions among Rwandans.
The widespread discontent engendered by these divisions eventually resulted in a revolt in 1959. Political parties were established along ethnic lines. As the inevitability of independence loomed, the Belgian colonizers changed their policy. Realizing that if democracy came, power would pass to the majority Parmehutu party, they abandoned their policy of indirect rule and shifted support from the minority Umwami party to the majority Parmehutu party led by Grégoire Kayibanda. It was Kayibanda who eventually led Rwanda to independence in 1962.
For centuries, Rwanda had not experienced ethnic divisions or any other sectarian tendencies. It was only with the arrival of European colonialism that a racial/ethnic ideology was introduced and discrimination was endorsed. The official consolidation of sharp divides between social groups and measures such as the introduction of identity cards specifying ethnic identity laid the groundwork for Rwanda to become a theatre of violence.