Lieutenant-General Baron Théophile Wahis (; 27 April 1844–26 January 1921) was a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

soldier and colonial civil servant who served as Governor-General of the Congo Free State and, subsequently, the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colo ...

for two terms between 1891 and 1912. He was the longest ruling of Belgian colonial governors.

Career

Théophile Wahis was born in

Menen Menen (; french: Menin ; vls, Mêenn or ) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Menen proper and the towns of Lauwe and Rekkem. The city is situated on the French/Be ...

West Flanders ) , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of West Flanders.svg , flag_size = , image_shield = Wapen van West-Vlaanderen.svg , shield_size = , image_map ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, on 27 April 1844 to a military family. He entered the

Belgian Army The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérard. ...

and studied at the Royal Military Academy in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

. During the Franco-Mexican War (1864–67), Wahis volunteered for service in the

Belgian Legion Several military units have been known as the Belgian Legion. The term "Belgian Legion" can refer to Belgian volunteers who served in the French Revolutionary Wars, Napoleonic Wars, Revolutions of 1848 and, more commonly, the Mexico Expedition ...

sent to Mexico to fight alongside French and Imperial Mexican Forces. Wahis served with distinction in Mexico, returning to the Belgian military in 1867 but was frustrated by the lack of promotion. Through General Alfred van der Smissen, the former commander of the Belgian Legion in Mexico, Wahis was introduced to

King Leopold II * german: link=no, Leopold Ludwig Philipp Maria Viktor , house = Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , father = Leopold I of Belgium , mother = Louise of Orléans , birth_date = , birth_place = Brussels, Belgium , death_date = ...

as a possible candidate for the King's private venture in the Congo Free State. Proclamation on the founding of the Belgian Congo

In 1890-91, Wahis was posted to Boma as a senior civil servant in the Free State administration. His success in the role led to rapid promotion and, in 1892, he was designated the state's next

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...

, replacing

Camille Janssen Camille Janssen (5 December 1837–18 April 1926) was a Belgium, Belgian colonial civil servant and lawyer who held the position of Governor-General of the Congo Free State, Governor-General of the Congo Free State from 1886 to 1892. His son, Geor ...

. Wahis' military background had a strong influence on governance in the Free State and contributed to its increasingly harsh policies of rule. He clashed particularly with more liberal colonial figures, such as Félix Fuchs and Félicien Cattier, whose own backgrounds were as civilian lawyers. According to historians Lewis H. Gann and Peter Duignan, Wahis' appointment "symbolized the increasingly exploitative nature of the Free State's administration" and the growing "Belgianization" of the colony's administration. Wahis was a strong defender of the Free State's public record in the international press. For his services to the state, he received the honorary rank of Lieutenant General and the title of Baron in 1901. After Belgium was forced by international pressure to annex the Free State in 1908, Wahis continued as Governor-General of the new

. He resigned in 1912 and was succeeded by Fuchs. Retiring from colonial administration, Baron Wahis became a businessman with a position in a company in the Dutch East Indies and in the Congo's ''

Compagnie du Katanga The Compagnie du Katanga was a concession company of the Congo Free State that engaged in mining in the Katanga Province. History The company was founded by Leopold II in 1891 to occupy part of the Free State in order to dissuade a British clai ...

''. He died in January 1921. A street in Brussels and a street in Menen are named after him.Théophile Wahis

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Career

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