Pre-Colonial Rwanda
What was the name of the Tutsi king who ruled Rwanda before European arrival?
Mwami
Which two European countries colonized Rwanda before independence?
Germany and Belgium
When did Rwanda gain independence?
1962
What was the spark that triggered the Rwandan Genocide?
The plane crash killing President Habyarimana.
Who became president after the genocide?
Paul Kagame
What was the patron-client relationship between Hutu and Tutsi called?
Ubuhake
What year did Rwanda become a League of Nations protectorate under Belgium?
1918
Who became Rwanda’s first president?
Grégoire Kayibanda
How many days did the genocide last?
100 days
What year did the RPF invade South Kivu Province to pursue genocidaires?
1998–2003
Which group were the original hunter-gatherers of Rwanda?
The Twa
What did the 1926 identity card system do?
It labeled people as Hutu, Tutsi, or Twa based on cattle ownership.
What 1957 document called Tutsis a “foreign race”?
The Hutu Manifesto
What was the extremist Hutu militia called?
The Interahamwe
What year did the M23 attacks occur in South Kivu and Goma Provinces?
2010+
Around what centuries did the Tutsi migrate into Rwanda and establish dominance?
15th–16th centuries
How did Belgian colonization change class relations between Hutu and Tutsi?
It turned traditional differences into rigid racial hierarchies favoring Tutsis.
What happened in the 1959 “Hutu Revolution”?
Thousands of Tutsis were killed or exiled; monarchy was overthrown.
Which rebel group led by Paul Kagame ended the genocide?
The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF)
How did Rwanda work to rebuild unity after the genocide?
Through gacaca courts and national reconciliation programs.
How was power connected to agriculture and land in early Hutu society?
Hutus were agriculturalists; “bahinza” means “those who cause things to grow,” showing political power came from the land.
What false science did the Belgians use to justify Tutsi superiority?
Pseudoscience (racial measurements and colorism).
What major shift did Belgium make in its alliances before independence?
They switched support from Tutsi elites to the Hutu majority.
About how many Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed during the genocide?
Around 800,000 people
Which two countries often hosted Rwandan refugees?
Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo