King Leopold's Ghost

King Leopold II of Belgium played a pivotal role in Central Africa from roughly 1878 to 1908, but his actions resonate far beyond the Congo Free State’s end in 1908.

In King Leopold’s Ghost (1998), Adam Hochschild sets the scene leading to King Leopold’s African exploration; more importantly, he describes the events during and following Leopold’s involvement in Africa, as well as how the crimes came to an end. Primarily, the key issue following Leopold’s role in the Congo is the “Great Forgetting,” in which the memory of his wickedness is glossed over; subsequently, history overlooks the effects and the victims of Africa. Incidentally, Hochschild stresses Heart of Darkness (1899) by Joseph Conrad has a very real grounding in Leopold’s

Despite the “Great Forgetting,” a increasingly global society managed to unite to end King Leopold’s prolonged abuse of freedom in Central Africa. In 1865 after Leopold I’s death, Leopold II ascended the Belgian throne, which had only existed independently for thirty-five years. Leopold I was chosen as King of the Belgians due to his status as a German prince and uncle of Britain’s Queen Victoria, but he was never close with his son, and eventual heir. In his youth, Leopold II was interested in geography, military training, and little else. He never even learned Flemish, the language of the majority of Belgium's population. He was subtle, sly, and awkward, yet he remained largely unaware of the advantages of calculating his actions for much of his youth. In 1853, Leopold was married to Archduchess Marie-Henriette, whom would bear him a son and three daughters; still, the marriage was loveless, much like his parent’s. Even before claiming the throne, Leopold was disappointed in the minute area of his territory, so he quickly began his

Failure to purchase land elsewhere shifted Leopold focus shifted to Africa because other countries had already claimed every other appealing location, and they did not wish to sell. Plus, Central Africa offered little military threat, the peoples were extremely disjointed, and the land rich with ivory, so it appeared to be a prime location to conquer. Furthermore, Leopold was rather vocal that colonies where for profit, later his intentions masquerade as philanthropy. By the mid 1870s, Leopold’s awareness began to show and his youthful awkwardness began to fade as he claimed Africa needed protection, as he researched the continent, and Leopold’s Geographic Conference of 1876 brought his “intentions” to the public, as he tricked experts into planning aspects of his domination. Guests of the conference voted to create the International African Association, backed by powerful Europeans before its quick demise (39-45). Finally in 1878, Henry Morton Stanley became available to be the prefect tool to achieve Leopold’s desires, due to his drive and previous