The historical interpretation of why sexual violence happens has come to prominence in the past ten years. The paper examines the literary work of historians and primary sources based in colonial and contemporary Congolese and Rwandan texts. Within these documents, books and memoirs, the paper identifies key words and experiences that correspond with the working hypothesis to show how sexual violence differed in the areas because of their contrasting experiences with colonization. My current working hypothesis argues earlier colonial control and post-colonial attitudes towards race and sexual violence influenced the mass violence seen in these conflicts and the varying characteristics of the acts. This topic is important because it shows in the future, we can identify stressors which will allow us to curtail and know how to handle populations with mass sexual trauma. Using these historical case studies reinforces the idea that sexual violence happens for a reason.