King Leopold's Ghost

King Leopold's Ghost

In King Leopold's Ghost slaves were taken from their territory. They faced several hardships and several of them died. King Leopold II of Belgium was a German prince. King Leopold was an ambitious and secretive person. His greed for wealth and money played a serious role throughout the story. He kept secrets from the government and his people because they did not agree and his people because they did not agree with his way of handling the region before he became ruler. He portrayed the image of having motives or ideas to develop Congo and formulate it to western civilization. After the price of rubber raised the Congolese were required to standards on rubber collective if the requirements were not met, their hands were cut off. This resulted in an extreme number of deaths. About two to fifteen million people. He used forced labor for 20 years along with rubber and ivory production. He was also a thief. King Leopold seeked personal use from the land and wealth from Congo.

The Belgians began to populate tremendously into the Congo region. Several slaves were taken from colonial plantations for diamonds, gold, and etc were brought over. King Leopold felt he needed recognition so he decided to rule the colony to make profit. Sir Henry Morton Stanley was his idea to opening the Congo territory in which he formulated the colony. He was sent to explore Congo, established connection to form this commercial monopoly and secure treaties. King Leopold began exploiting natural resources thereafter Leopold wanted riches. He had a thirst to make profit to bring civilization to Africa but the Europeans didn't view it as he did.

In 1877 Henry Morton Stanley made headlines by crossing Congo region. He valued weapons and he risked his life exploring Congo. He viewed Congo as a "major transportation network" for Europeans. Stanley was able to tell Leopold about the power transportation, no military threat and no central political state there. Leopold wanted Stanley's help in establishing bases in Congo. He also wanted Stanley to go on missions.

In 1888, King Leopold established the Force Publique. His state army was beyond powerful in Central Africa and was used to run the colony of Congo. They were a combination of Belgian soldiers and African mercenaries that formed this army. It expanded quickly going from one hundred eighty-three soldiers in 1900 to three hundred three soldiers in 1908. The expeditions they accomplished were called reconnaissances pacifiques. They formed connections with ethnic groups to destroy others. Brutality was also played in Congo. The Force Publique maintained control by starving them. They also died from shock and disease. Several were killed and wiped out but the army tried to cover up by cleaning up the remains.

In 1908, the Congo Reform Association was founded by Edmond