Among the various issues down for consideration at the Paris PeaceConference (January-June 1919) was the destiny of the former Germancolonies. Belgium held part of German East Africa under military occupationin order to enforce its bargaining power. The ultimate goal wasan enlargement at the Western border of the Congo colony, but at theclose of the conference the region Ruanda-Urundi at the Eastern borderwas mandated to Belgium by the League of Nations. This article considershow this peculiar transaction was concluded with one key question:why did Belgium finally administer as a mandate a territory that it neverwanted?
