History
The Twa, Hutu and Tutsi are the three ethnic groups who inhabit Rwanda. The Twa, who are less than 1% percent of the population, preferred living in the forests where they hunted and gathered.
The origins of the Hutu is not clear; probably arriving in Rwanda and Burundi from the 5th to the 11th century. The Twa gave way when the Hutu arrived in the region and moved deeper into the forests.
The Tutsi first migrated into the area around the 14th century. It was probably not one large, sudden invasion but a slow process that was peaceful. The Tutsi used their ownership of cattle, and advanced combat skills to achieve economic, political, and social control over the Hutu. Eventually, land ownership was taken away from the Hutu and became the property of the Tutsi
Several European explorers came close to Rwanda in the 19th century, but none settled into Rwanda.
The 1885 Conference of Berlin declared the area that later became Rwanda and Burundi would be under German control. It was 9 years after this conference that the first European traveled into Rwanda. This was the German Count von Götzen who later became the governor of German East Africa.
Rwanda and Burundi were located at the middle of three empires and became the object of a fight for possession. The Belgians, the Germans, and the British wanted possession of the land. However, by 1910, and agreement handed control of Rwanda and Burundi to the Germans.
In the 1910s and 1920s the Germans ordered extensive coffee planting; they began to collect tax. At his time the first missionaries also arrived in Rwanda.
During World War I, the Belgians gained control of Rwanda and Burundi. After the war, on August 23, 1923,the League of Nations put Rwanda and Burundi under Belgian supervision.
