Belgium: Colonization
In 1877, the European country Belgium and King Leopold colonized the Democratic Republic of Congo. They colonized Congo because the needed its resources like rubber to manufacture goods. They could also cheaply receive slaves and ivory and sell it at a very high price making a huge profit. So Belgium only colonized Congo to serve their own interest while brutally treating the natives.
To collect resources that were physically difficult to gather, such as rubber, King Leopold would send out his soldiers to kidnap the Congolese men’s wives and daughters. The ransom the Congolese men would have to pay was to collect a certain amount of kilograms of rubber and goats. From this plan, Leopold made tons of money collecting the goods the Congolese men were forced to produce then trading them away. The Congolese could not resist the Belgian orders because the Belgian soldiers had guns (Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction) far too superior for the people of Congo to resist the forced labor with only knives and swords (Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction). King Leopold also had collected slaves and ivory to trade away to other countries and further enhance his profit. (Terrorism: Essential Primary Sources) King Leopold and Belgium treatment of the people of Congo was brutal. The soldiers would raid towns and burn them if the orders given to the people of the town weren’t carried out. Also, every bullet used by a, the government requested a right human hand. Sometimes the soldiers would waste their bullets by killing an animal. So to stay out of trouble, the soldiers cut off the right hands of the living people of Congo (Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity).
In conclusion, the forced labor and horrible treatment of the people of Congo lead to the deaths of half of the population as 10 million people had died (Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity). Many Congolese were sold into slavery or their right hands would be cut off while they were still alive. King Leopold in his soldiers greatly mistreated the natives while the only thought about the profits they were making. The colonization of Belgium was only for Belgium’s and King Leopold’s interest and the people of Congo were treated as material objects and dehumanized.
To collect resources that were physically difficult to gather, such as rubber, King Leopold would send out his soldiers to kidnap the Congolese men’s wives and daughters. The ransom the Congolese men would have to pay was to collect a certain amount of kilograms of rubber and goats. From this plan, Leopold made tons of money collecting the goods the Congolese men were forced to produce then trading them away. The Congolese could not resist the Belgian orders because the Belgian soldiers had guns (Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction) far too superior for the people of Congo to resist the forced labor with only knives and swords (Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction). King Leopold also had collected slaves and ivory to trade away to other countries and further enhance his profit. (Terrorism: Essential Primary Sources) King Leopold and Belgium treatment of the people of Congo was brutal. The soldiers would raid towns and burn them if the orders given to the people of the town weren’t carried out. Also, every bullet used by a, the government requested a right human hand. Sometimes the soldiers would waste their bullets by killing an animal. So to stay out of trouble, the soldiers cut off the right hands of the living people of Congo (Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity).
In conclusion, the forced labor and horrible treatment of the people of Congo lead to the deaths of half of the population as 10 million people had died (Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity). Many Congolese were sold into slavery or their right hands would be cut off while they were still alive. King Leopold in his soldiers greatly mistreated the natives while the only thought about the profits they were making. The colonization of Belgium was only for Belgium’s and King Leopold’s interest and the people of Congo were treated as material objects and dehumanized.
Statue of King Leopold II
Statue of King Leopold II
This statue was placed in the Democratic Republic of Congo to remind Congolese the horrors of the Belgian colonization.
This statue was placed in the Democratic Republic of Congo to remind Congolese the horrors of the Belgian colonization.
Bibliography
Hochschild, Adam. "King Leopold II and the Congo." Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity. Ed. Dinah Shelton. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 617-622. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL - District 203. 5 May. 2009
Good source gave me a good amount of information but a little too long.
"Leopold III (1901–1983)." Encyclopedia of Modern Europe: Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction. Vol. 3. 1650-1652. 5 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL - District 203. 5 May. 2009
Good source but some information was repeated.
Scheyven, Louis. ""We Did Not Wish to Wage a Colonial War"." Terrorism: Essential Primary Sources. Eds. K. Lerner and Brenda Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 126-128. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL - District 203. 5 May. 2009. Ok source, didnt provide alot of interesting and useful facts but it did provide some facts.
Good source gave me a good amount of information but a little too long.
"Leopold III (1901–1983)." Encyclopedia of Modern Europe: Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction. Vol. 3. 1650-1652. 5 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL - District 203. 5 May. 2009
Good source but some information was repeated.
Scheyven, Louis. ""We Did Not Wish to Wage a Colonial War"." Terrorism: Essential Primary Sources. Eds. K. Lerner and Brenda Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 126-128. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL - District 203. 5 May. 2009. Ok source, didnt provide alot of interesting and useful facts but it did provide some facts.
Last updated May 21st 2009 by Christian Barron
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