In the king incorporated, neal ascherson recounts king leopolds exploitation of the congolese he enslaved. In the early twentieth century, the worldwide rubber boom led british enterpreneur lord leverhulme to the belgian congo. A defense of his congo rule king leopold s soliloquy. Essay on forced labor in king leopolds ghost 54 words. How king leopold ii of belgium killed 10 million africans in. King leopold s soliloquy is a 1905 pamphlet by mark twain. May 30, 20 the stories were too many and too consistent to the false so they helped morel spread his findings in europe. Leopold ii, king of the belgians from 1865 to 1909. King leopold s ghost is the book that reexposed the atrocities leopold committed against the congo between 1880 and 1910 atrocities that sank out of sight after they were finally stopped. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Jul 05, 2017 today, we will talk about leopold ii, the belgian king, who killed millions of congolese. Apr 04, 2011 king leopold ii of belgium was responsible for the deaths and mutilation of 10 million congolese africans during the late 1800s. Letter from king leopold ii of belgium to colonial missionaries, 1883 2 convert always the blacks by using the whip. Of all the western imperialists and their colonial governments, none was as terrifying as king leopold ii of belgium, and none was as brutal as his african colony, the socalled congo free state.
For over twenty years, king leopold ii of belgium enslaved the people of the congo for the rubber trade. But unlike a venture capitalist, leopold had his own private army, which he used to protect his territory and consolidate his control over the. As adam hochschild tells in his fascinating book about the congos terrible. Most of us might first think of those who put their lives on the line in defense of an ideal. Warmly welcomed by the murderous regime of king leopold ii, leverhulme set up a private kingdom reliant on the horrific belgian system of forced labor, a program that reduced the population of congo by half and accounted for more deaths than the nazi holocaust. Hochschilds short book is simply one of the most powerful indictments of mass murder ever written, as well as a testament to how much influence even a single person acting. Google defines colonialism as an exploitation by a stronger. King of the congo punishment king of belgium, leopold the second was responsible for the deaths and cruelty of millions due to his harsh leadership over the congo free state. Very few know about this, but leopold ii should be known as a hitler, or even worse than hitler, but then again, that is if people consider congolese black people as people.
King leopold s african colony in the congo gave him access to 1 million square miles and 20 million people he could use for labor. King leopold iis rule over the congo met fierce resistance. The reign of king leopold ii ran from 1865, when he succeeded his father as king of the belgians, to his death in 1909. Leopold s ghost king leopold s ghost is a novel which reflects on the historical colonization of the congo region and the subjugation of its people. Neal aschersons 1963 book the king incorporated narrates just how the king of the belgians achieved this feat. He forced congolese into hard labor, so hard that some. In the 1880s, as the european powers were carving up africa. King leopold ii and the congo free state 655 words. In 1870 roughly 80 percent of africa south of the sahara desert was governed by indigenous kings, chiefs, and other rulers. Keep their women in nine months of submission to work freely for us. Why king leopold ii should be remembered alongside hitler. King leopolds ghost was a finalist for the national book critics circle award, as was to end all wars. Houston chronicle adam hochschilds awardwinning, hearthaunting account of the brutal plunder of the congo by leopold ii of belgium presents a megalomaniac of monstrous proportions, a. A chilling foreshadowing of other horrors to darken the 20th century.
In the 1880s, as the european powers were carving up africa, king leopold ii of belgium seized for himself the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding. King leopold ii and the congolese genocide african heritage. Of all the african countries, the democratic republic of congo has been placed in a category of its own due to its especially violent colonial experience under king leopold ii. With great power and compassion, king leopold s ghost will brand the tragedy of the congo too. Although much of the material in king leopolds ghost is secondhand the author has drawn heavily from jules marchals scholarly fourvolume history of turnofthecentury congo and from the. King leopold ii and the congo free state 663 words 123. Forced labor would be nonexistence or be very minimal if it wasnt for colonialism. King leopold iis reign of terror welcome to the congo. As adam hochschilds disturbing new book on the belgian congo. King leopold s ghost by adam hochschild 1999 hochschild struggles against the great forgetting of belgiums exploitation of the congo with this corrective history of leopold iis bloody empire.
The poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolver, heart of darkness by joseph conrad, king leopold s ghost by adam hochschild, congo. A story of greed, terror, and heroism in colonial africa kindle. An estimated ten million congolese died during that time. Arthur conan doyle, author of sherlock holmes, in 1909 penned the crime of the congo to expose leopold s. King leopold ii of belgium propagated the least talked about mass murder in history. Force them to pay you in sign of recognitiongoats, chicken or eggsevery time you visit their villages. In his recent study of the congo, king leopold s ghost, the historian adam hochschild estimates that during the period of leopold s pillage of the congo, the population dropped by ten million people. I picked up this book because i have always wanted to know what really went on in the congo with patrice lumumba back in the 50s, and why he was assassinatd in 1960. The spoils of modern day belgium owes much to the people of the. King leopold and the belgian congo it is widely debated why exactly king leopold decided to conquer the congo, but the general consensus seems to be that it was out of the belief that the highlands of the congo may be as rich in gold as the mountains of the western slope of the american continent stead. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Although much of the material in king leopold s ghost is secondhand the author has drawn heavily from jules marchals scholarly fourvolume history of turnofthecentury congo and from the scramble for africa, thomas pakenhams wideranging 1991 study of the european conquest of the continent hochschild has stitched it together into. The congo free state, leopolds private colony, was a unique political construct that opened the door to the savage exploitation of the congos natural and human resources by international corporations.
Sir robert casement wrote a report in 1903 about the atrocities in congo, helped to sway the british parliament to use its influence against the congo free state and king leopold. The european colonization of africa was one of the greatest and swiftest conquests in human history. What are the best books about the belgian congo and king. Adam hochschilds king leopolds ghost is a gripping account of a murder mystery a mystery made all the more horrific because it involves an estimated 10 million victims. May 20, 2019 king leopold ii ruled over belgium from 1865 to 1909. King leopold s ghost isnt just a book about the belgian occupation of the congo in the late 19th century. This colony alone made him one of the wealthiest people on earth as the need for rubber. With great power and compassion, king leopold s ghost will brand the tragedy of the congo too long forgottenonto the conscience of. A few accounts mentioned that the people were paid pennies for their labor, but it was soon stopped, and then they were forced to work for 20 days in a month without pay.
On this day in 1885, king leopold ii of belgium established the congo as a personal possession. The villa les cedres in saintjeancapferrat, france, will lay claim to. The greed for resources and christian souls was a lesson in brutal european colonialism in this case belgian king leopold ii. In between those dates was the ravaging of what was known as the congo free. As many as three million subjects lived under a king, who greeted the portuguese warmly. Book design by melodie wertelet map by barbara jackson, meridian mapping, oakland, california. In the king incorporated, neal ascherson recounts king leopolds exploitation of the congolese he enslaved, tortured, terrorized, and eventually. A work of political satire harshly condemnatory of his actions, it ostensibly recounts a fiction monologue of leopold ii speaking in his own defense. How king leopold ii of belgium killed 10 million africans. This large area is in the modern day democratic republic of the congo and at the time was rich in rubber. Learn king leopold ii and the belgian congo with free interactive flashcards. Dec 11, 2014 this book discusses the colonization of the congo free state and exploitation of its resources. During the period that the european powers were carving up africa, king leopold ii of belgium seized for himself the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding the congo.
In history classes, each generation is taught that he was a humanitarian who brought christianity and the wonders of civilization to the congo free state. A story of greed, terror, and heroism in colonial africa adam hochschild, 1998 houghton mifflin harcourt 400 pp. Cao soon discovered that there were people living in the congo. Sailing into the middle of the story was a young congo river steamboat officer named joseph conrad. King leopolds ghost quotes showing of 145 most striking about the traditional societies of the congo was their remarkable artwork. To gain the churchs support, king leopold claimed that he was trying to spread the word and to do this he needed money to build roads, buildings and railroads. Mark twain sardonically ridiculed the belgian monarch in king leopold s soliloquy. The book mainly chronicles the efforts of king leopold ii of belgium which is to make the congo into a colonial empire. Hochschild ties the death of patrice lumumba in the twentieth century to a history of often violent western intervention abroad that stretches back centuries. As hochschilds brilliant book demonstrates, the great congo scandal. Bell brings fiction into the service of truth while still telling a. In 1904, morel founded the congo reform association then published his book red rubber in 1906 all in an effort to bring to light issues in the congo. Largest genocide before world war 2 king leopolds ghost book.
Largest genocide before world war 2 king leopolds ghost. It has been suggested that the king at the time, nzinga mbemba affonso, welcomed caos expedition because he wanted cao to help him subdue a rebellion in his kingdom. White king, red rubber, black death a 2003 documentary by peter bate on leopold ii and the congo the crime of the congo, 1909, sir arthur conan doyle, grant, kevin 2001. King leopolds ghost, adam hochschild 9781509882205. Last year i blogged about my travels around the congo the big, bad congo drc although i also hopped across the border the congo river to congo brazzaville. Though he is credited as a builder king of the congo who commissioned many buildings and urban projects, leopold remains a controversial figure in presentday democratic republic of congo. King leopolds ghost made me embarrassed to be human. In 1908, the area was annexed by belgium as a colony known as the belgian congo. Sep 16, 2016 but there was a time, at the peak of european imperialism in africa, when belgiums king leopold ii ran a personal empire so vast and cruel, it rivaled and even exceeded the crimes of even the worst 20th century dictators. It overwhelmed me in the way heart of darkness did when i first read itand for precisely the same reasons. The book tells the story of king leopold and his selfish attempt to essentially make belgium bigger starting with the congu this was all done under an elaborate philanthropic public relations curtain deceiving many countries along with the united states the first to sign on in leopold s claim of the congo. King leopold iis exploitation of the congo from 1885 to 1908. Sep 09, 2001 in the period after becoming king leopold ii of belgium in 1865 he certainly led by example, acquiring and then exploiting the congo free state for all it was worth.
Belgium begins to face brutal colonial legacy of leopold. Journalistmemoirist hochschild finding the trapdoor, 1997, etc. The book gives a unique view on the characters involved, such as henry morton stanley, who has frequently been praised by western society. Take our free king leopold s ghost quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Letter from king leopold ii of belgium to colonial. By the 1890s, king leopold personally controlled all the land in the congo, thanks to stanley s intimidation policies in the previous decade. And looming above them all, the duplicitous billionaire king leopold ii. However, many of leopolds followers were present at the conference, including sanford acting as ambassador from america, and stanley. By then pressure had mounted against belgium and in 1908 the belgian parliament persuaded leopold to cede the congo free state to belgium. King leopold ii took ownership of twothirds of the congo land by force and mandated the real owners of the land to work for him as slaves. Adam hochschilds king leopold s ghost offers a substantial overview of the period from 1895 until 1908 when king leopold ii of belgium ruled the congo or at least the very large territory around the congo river basin that he claimed as his own. Adam hochschilds motivation in writing the book was to make people aware of what happened in the congo and what effects colonialism had on the african nation.
The congo free state, leopold s private colony, was a unique political construct that opened the door to the savage exploitation of the congo s natural and human resources by international corporations. King leopold ii of belgium takes the congo history channel. King leopold of belgiums exploits up the congo river in the 1880s were central to the european partitioning of the african continent. Today, the memory of his reign still lives on, and he is glorified with golden statues of his likeness in every major city in belgium. King leopolds soliloquy a defense of his congo rule 1905 author of the book.
In the 1880s, as the european powers were carving up africa, king leopold ii of belgium seized for himself the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding the congo river. Letter from king leopold ii of belgium to minister beernaert on the congo, july 3, 1890. This empire was known as the congo free state and leopold ii stood as its undisputed slave master. He was the unintimidating king of belgium, cousin of queen victoria of englanda wealthy, noble and philanthropic modern king. Without stepping foot into the congo, leopold would use his unchecked power to turn the. King leopold of belgium ruled the vast and resourcerich congo from 1885 to 1908, not as a colony of belgium but as a vast philanthropic project. Today, we will talk about leopold ii, the belgian king, who killed millions of congolese. Built to celebrate king leopold iis acquisition of the congo a century ago, the greenhouses stretch for more than half a mile and are among the most visible and grandiose remaining symbols of a. Leopold ii, king of the belgians, privately controlled and owned the congo free state from 1885 to 1908. The congo had just as much a civilization as most european countries during the 16. Leopold ii was king of the belgians ruled 18651909 and sovereign king of the congo free state, at the time 19th century the largest swath of african land under the control of a colonial power one million square miles.
A story of greed, terror and heroism in colonial africa 1998 is a bestselling popular history book by adam hochschild that explores the. King leopolds ghost is a remarkable achievement, hugely satisfying on many levels. Under the reign of terror instituted by king leopold ii of belgium who ran. King leopolds legacy of dr congo violence bbc news. The roots of the current congo conflict of the past twenty years began with leopold s theft of the congo for the rubber and ivory trade. The book also addresses the years leading up to leopold s acquisition of the congo and those. Letter from king leopold ii of belgium to colonial missionaries, 1883 3 it quickly dawned on them that a fifth column loyal to rome and controlled by the priests of a foreign religion was a clear and present danger to the sovereignty of a newly unified japan. Carefully researched and vigorously told, king leopolds ghost does what good history always does expands the memory of the human race. Disease, starvation, a low birth rate, and outright murder all combined to turn the congo into what heart of darkness later portrayed as a. His tactic was so successful that king leopold used those money to secure his place in congo and even funded a. In 1999 hochschild published king leopolds ghost, a book detailing the atrocities committed during the free state existence. Over time, king leopolds men managed to enslave the entire population of the congo.
In the last years of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th, king leopold ii of belgium ruled the congo free state with a tyranny that was peculiarly brutal even by the cruel and deeply racist. King leopold made about 231 million euros in profit from the crown domain alone. King leopold ii of belgium takes the congo history. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam.
Plus i read the best book to read about the belgian colonial horror story king leopold s ghost. King leopolds ghost last week beat several excellent books to win the lionel. King leopold ii left arguably the largest and most horrid legacy while the great powers competed for territory elsewhere, the king of one of europes smallest countries carved his own private colony out of 100km2 of central african rainforest. As a result, leopold acted as a kind of venture capitalist, leasing out his property to private companies. Choose from 22 different sets of king leopold ii and the belgian congo flashcards on quizlet. Hellbent on building grandiose state monuments and palaces and on swelling royal coffers, leopold. State troops pursued them, trapping mulume niama and his soldiers in a large cave. Keen on establishing belgium as an imperial power, he led the first european efforts to develop the congo river basin, making possible the formation in 1885 of the. Mar 16, 2014 king leopold in the congo maggiohanoverpark. Carrying out a genocidal plundering of the congo, he looted its rubber, brutalized its people, and ultimately slashed its population by ten millionall the while shrewdly cultivating his reputation as a great. King leopold did not attend the conference, because, officially, the congo was under the control of the iac, which was a private society. About heart of darkness cliffsnotes study guides book.
King leopold and his cronies, when they finally admitted that savage violence took place, they claimed it was because of the barbarity of the blacks in the congo. He led the first european efforts to develop the congo river basin. His rule in belgium and the congo see other formats. The new york times king leopolds ghost is a remarkable achievement, hugely satisfying on many levels.
In the far south, for example, a chief named mulume niama led warriors of the sanga people in a rebellion that killed one of the king s officers. Until the 1870s, few europeans had ventured into the congo. Even though he had promised that the rest of the world could visit the congo whenever they wanted, king leopold ii became very nervous when he learned that arabian merchants were coming to gather some rubber for themselves. A story of greed, terror and heroism in colonial africa 1998 is a bestselling popular history book by adam hochschild that explores the exploitation of the congo free state by king leopold ii of belgium between 1885 and 1908, as well as the largescale atrocities committed during that period. Its subject is king leopold s rule over the congo free state. Although he played a significant role in the development of the modern belgian state, he was also responsible for widespread atrocities committed under his rule against his colonial subjects. Oct 22, 20 king leopold and his cronies, when they finally admitted that savage violence took place, they claimed it was because of the barbarity of the blacks in the congo army they administered could not. Patrice lumumba, just released from prison, showing his injured wrists what does it mean to have courage. The book became a bestseller in belgium, but aroused criticism from former belgian colonialists and some academics as exaggerating the extent of the atrocities and population decline. King leopold and the belgian congo essay 610 words bartleby. Forced labor in king leopolds ghost in king leopolds ghost by adam hochschild, forced labor seems to be a recurring theme throughout the book.
Luckily, james bell has just published his 4th novel, crisis in the congo. As adam hochschild, in his book king leopolds ghost, one of the most seminal studies on the congo, states. In the 1880s, as the european powers were carving up africa, king leopold ii of. For decades, most europeans mistakenly believed that king leopold spent his considerable fortune funding public works in the congo and stopping slavery in east africa. Sep 14, 2019 king leopold ii took ownership of twothirds of the congo land by force and mandated the real owners of the land to work for him as slaves. The king leopolds ghost community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you.
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