King Leopalds Ghost

A detailed Summary of King Leopalds Ghost

King Leopold of Belgium, writes historian Adam Hochschild in this grim history, did not much care for his native land or his subjects, all of which he dismissed as "small country, small people." Even so, he searched the globe to find a colony for Belgium, frantic that the scramble of other European powers for overseas dominions in Africa and Asia would leave nothing for himself or his people. When he eventually found a suitable location in what would become the Belgian Congo, later known as Zaire and now simply as Congo, Leopold set about establishing a rule of terror that would culminate in the deaths of 4 to 8 million indigenous people, "a death toll," Hochschild writes, "of Holocaust dimensions." Those who survived went to work mining ore or harvesting rubber, yielding a fortune for the Belgian king, who salted away billions of dollars in hidden bank accounts throughout the world. Hochschild's fine book of historical inquiry, which draws heavily on eyewitness accounts of the colonialists' savagery, brings this little-studied episode in European and African history into new light.

The Berlin Conference of 1884 established the ground rules amongst the Europeans for partitioning the resources of Africa. At this conference, King L

The Belgian Congo made many people extremely rich, especially King Leopold II, and it strengthened the European economy. Was it was worth 5-10 million innocent lives? The natives who did not die were most likely crippled by the experience. This was the first time in history that a population suffered such a tremendous death toll caused by the cruelty of other human beings. The amazing thing is that it was kept a secret for 19 years. 19 years of misery for some money. King Leopold had a brilliant mind, but used it the wrong way. He must have been a sociopath. Millions died and he did not think twice about their death if it meant a profit for him.

Leopold II, 1835-1909, was the king of the Belgians from (1865-1909). He was the son and successor of Leopold I. He was born in Brussels and originally named Louis Philippe Marie Victor. At an early age he entered the Belgian army, and in 1853 he married Maria Henrietta, daughter of Joseph, archduke of Austria. His nephew, Albert I, succeeded him.

E. D. Morel was hired by King Leopold II to oversee the shipments to and from the Congo. Morel noticed something very peculiar. The only goods coming into the Congo were guns and bullets, nothing else. The only goods being shipped out were rubber and ivory. After taking a closer look at the paperwork and over-hearing a drunken soldier babbling about killing five natives in one day, he knew what was going on in the Congo, and he didn't like it. The Congo was an impressive land grab for King Leopold II, since it is about the size of Europe without Russia. It is filled with jungle territory. The population contained several tribes, some of which were cannibalistic. In the 19th century, the Congo was as remote to the Europeans as Mars is to us now.

After Morel discovered the horrible secret of the Belgian Congo, the first thing he did was quit his job. He also set up a newsletter, the "West African Mail." Morel once said, "People don't seem to realize that - apart from everything else - I turn out a weekly paper." This paper was a full time job. It became known that if you had dirt on the Congo you sent it to Morel. Two missionaries, Reverend John Harris and his

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Approximate Word count = 1472
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History