King Leopold II and the Congo Free State

Overview

• King Leopold II ruled the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.
• He had total control over the state and its resources.
• Infamous for brutal exploitation for ivory and rubber.

Background

• Leopold II succeeded his father as King of Belgium in 1865.
• Belgium was a young nation, created after the 1830 revolutions.
• Leopold was a constitutional monarch with no real power in Belgium.
• Sought a colony for historical significance, economic potential, and personal power.

Strategy for Acquisition

• Developed a strategy to acquire Congo despite lack of government support.
• Organized a geographical conference in 1876 in Brussels.
• Created a holding company: Association Internationale Africaine, later Comite d'études du Haut Congo, and finally Association Internationale du Congo.
• Aimed to suppress slave trade and ensure free trade.

Collaboration with Henry Morton Stanley

• Hired Stanley, a journalist and explorer, in 1878.
• Stanley surveyed the Congo River area and made treaties with over 500 chiefs.
• Chiefs received minimal compensation for signing away rights to their land.

International Context: The Scramble for Africa

• Leopold skillfully navigated international politics to gain control of the Congo River Basin.
• Renamed territory the Congo Free State.

Exploitation and Atrocities

• Enforced labor for rubber collection under brutal conditions.
• "Force Publique" army enforced quotas and suppressed uprisings.
• Soldiers severed hands as proof of killings or quota enforcement.
• Leon Rom headed "Force Publique," notorious for extreme brutality.

Economic Interests

• Leopold amassed a personal fortune but needed more investment.
• Borrowed money from the Belgian government in exchange for potential annexation in 1901.
• Government deferred annexation, allowing continued exploitation.

International Condemnation

• George Washington Williams condemned abuses in 1890.
• Public outrage grew after 1904 press revelations.
• Prominent figures like Arthur Conan Doyle and Mark Twain criticized Leopold.
• Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" was inspired by the Congo atrocities.

End of Leopold's Rule

• An estimated 10 million Congolese died under Leopold's rule.
• In 1908, the Belgian government forced Leopold to cede the Congo Free State to Belgium as a colony.

Conclusion

• The Congo Free State's history remains a stark example of colonial exploitation and cruelty.