King Leopold II and the Congo Free State (5 Feb 1885 Jahr – 1 Jan 1908 Jahr)

Beschreibung:

King Leopold II was a Belgian King who took over a large portion of the Kongo Kingdom on February 5, 1885. Under his rule, the territory became known as the Congo Free State. A unique aspect of his reign is the fact that he did not control the Congo as a colony. Instead, he claimed to privately own the region, ruling it and its people as if they were all his own property. Despite the difference, the people of the Congo were robbed of their freedom, land, and resources just as colonized people were. Under his administration, resources like rubber were exploited.

Leopold's apparent goal was to "bring civilization to the people of the Congo". He borrowed money from the Belgian government in order to finance development projects, but acted in a way that was far from civilized. His reign became infamous for its brutality towards the Congo people, with half of the population dying due to punishment, malnutrition, and disease. Many of the survivors were left with missing hands and feet. There were numerous attempted revolts by the Congo people, but none were successful.

News of the brutalities inflicted upon the people of the Congo by King Leopold eventually reached Europe. When Europeans found out about these horrors, they began speaking out against the Belgian king, sparking international outrage. In response to this, the Belgian parliament seized the territory from Leopold in 1908, establishing the Belgian Congo as a colony.


Sue, Caryl. “Belgian King Establishes Congo Free State”.
National Geographic, October 26, 2013.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/feb5/belgian-king-establishes-congo-free-state/


(IMAGE)
King Leopold II
Leopold II of Belgium was honored with Great Britain's most prestigious title, a member of the Order of the Garter, in 1916. Here, Leopold poses with his honorary sash.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY WIKIMEDIA

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/feb5/belgian-king-establishes-congo-free-state/

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