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The Dark Heart of King Leopold II of Belgium

The Dark Heart of King Leopold II of Belgium. Leopold II. Africa. Leopold II (1835 – 1909). King of the Belgians: 1865 – 1909 Family Connections Mother: Louise d ’ Orleans, Princess of France Wife: Marie Henriette Hapsburg, Archduchess of Austria

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The Dark Heart of King Leopold II of Belgium

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  1. The Dark Heart of King Leopold II of Belgium

  2. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II Africa

  3. Leopold II (1835 – 1909) • King of the Belgians: 1865 – 1909 • Family Connections • Mother: Louise d’Orleans, Princess of France • Wife: Marie Henriette Hapsburg, Archduchess of Austria • Sister: Carlota of Mexico, Empress of Mexico • 1st cousin: Queen Victoria Leopold, 1844

  4. Kevin P. Dincher Belgium • October 4, 1830: Belgian Revolution • Southern provinces declared independence from the Netherlands • Catholic, officially French-speaking and neutral • Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy • 1831: Leopold I • Elected “King of the Belgians” • House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

  5. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II 1855: Became member of senate • Immediately began urging establishing Belgian colonies • Overseas colonies were the key to a country's greatness 1865: Became king • 1866: first of three unsuccessful attempts to acquire the Philippines from Spain

  6. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II 1876: Convened the Brussels Geographic Conference • Proposed an international benevolent committee • “Propagation civilization among the peoples of Central Africa” (Congo) • Multi-national • Scientific • Humanitarian Leopold II and Marie Henriette

  7. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II 1876-1878: International African Association (AIA) • Association InternationaleAfricaine • Private holding company disguised as an international scientific and philanthropic association • Leopold served as chairman twice • Primary Achievement • Convincing Belgian people and European countries that his interests in Africa were altruistic and humanitarian

  8. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II 1878: Study Committee of the Upper Congo • Comité d'Études du Haut-Congo • Exploration • Scientifc • Humanitarian • Commercial

  9. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II • 1879: International Association of the Congo (IAC) • Association Internationale du Congo • International Congo Society • Humanitarian/philanthropic • Scientific • Commercial/economic • Official Stockholders • British/Dutch businessmen • Belgian Banker

  10. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II • 1879: International Association of the Congo (IAC) • Henry Morton Stanley • Five-year contract • Establish bases in the Congo • Secure trade route for ivory market • Rubber and minerals Dr. Livingston, I presume?

  11. Kevin P. Dincher Henry Stanley … …a fearless newspaper reporter ready to do whatever it takes to get a story, regardless of any danger to his life!

  12. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II 1881 – 1914: • Scramble for Africa • Race for Africa • Partition of Africa • 1870 • Europeans occupied about 10% of the continent • 1914: • only Ethiopia and Liberia were independent

  13. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II • 1884-1885: Berlin Conference • Portuguese initiative • British support • Bismark’s work • Austria-Hungary • Belgium • Denmark • France • United Kingdom • Italy • Netherlands • Portugal • Russia • Spain • Sweden-Norway • Ottoman Empire • United States

  14. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II • 1884-1885: Berlin Conference *Recognized the International Association of the Congo (IAC) as sovereign government

  15. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II • 1884-1885: Berlin Conference • “Spheres of Influence” • Region over which a state or organization has a level of cultural, economic, military, or political exclusivity • An international prohibition of the slave trade throughout their respected spheres • "International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs" (Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness)

  16. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II "I do not want to miss a good chance of getting us a slice of this magnificent African cake." King Leopold II 1885 • Resolution passed in Belgian Parliament • Transferred the IAC charter to “Congo Free State” • État indépendant du Congo • Leopold: Roi-Souverain • Person property - private colony • Established Force Publique (FP)

  17. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II "I do not want to miss a good chance of getting us a slice of this magnificent African cake." King Leopold II 1885: Congo Free State • Leopold pledge to uphold Berlin Conference • Suppress East African slave trade • Promote humanitarian policies • Guarantee free trade within the colony • Impose no import duties for 20 yrs. • Encourage philanthropic and scientific enterprises

  18. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II • Exploitation of resources • Ivory, Rubber, Minerals • One of the greatest international scandals of the early 20th century • Forced/slave labor • Starvation • Disease • Torture/mutilation • Directly and indirectly eliminated 20% of the population • 10 to 13 million people A 1906 Punch cartoon depicting Leopold II as a rubber vine entangling a Congolese man

  19. Kevin P. Dincher Leopold II

  20. Kevin P. Dincher "I have just returned from a journey inland to the village of Insongo Mboyo. The abject misery and utter abandon is positively indescribable. I was so moved, Your Excellency, by the people's stories that I took the liberty of promising them that in future you will only kill them for crimes they commit.“ John Harris (Missionary)

  21. Kevin P. Dincher Hochschild: Great Forgetting Royal Museum for Central Africa • Large collection of colonial artifacts Blankenberge, Belgium • Monument shows a colonialist bringing "civilization" to the black child at his feet Oostend, Belgium • Monument to Leopold II with grateful Oostend fishermen and Congolese. • The gratitude of the Congolese to Leopold II for having liberated them from slavery under the Arabs.

  22. Kevin P. Dincher I have undertaken the work in Congo in the interest of civilization and for the good of Belgium.“ Monument, Arlon, Belgium

  23. Kevin P. Dincher

  24. Kevin P. Dincher 1. Everything’s related! 2. When we learn about other people, times and places, we learn about ourselves.

  25. Kevin P. Dincher The Dark Heart of King Leopold II Adam Hochschild King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa • Lecturer, Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley • Other Works: • To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918 • Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves • The Mirror at Midnight: A South African Journey • The Unquiet Ghost: Russians Remember Stalin

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