1. The Congo
"I do not want to risk...losing a fine chance to secure for ourselves a slice of this magnificent African cake.”--Leopold II
Belgian Congo

2. 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. 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
Kevin P. Dincher

5. Leopold II 1855: Became member of senate 1865: Became king
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
Kevin P. Dincher

6. Leopold II and Marie Henriette
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
Kevin P. Dincher

7. Leopold II 1876-1878: International African Association (AIA)
Association Internationale Africaine
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
Kevin P. Dincher

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

9. 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
Kevin P. Dincher

10. 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?
Kevin P. Dincher

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

12. 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
Kevin P. Dincher

13. 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
Kevin P. Dincher

14. Leopold II 1884-1885: Berlin Conference
*Recognized the International Association of the Congo (IAC) as sovereign government
Belgium*
Britain
France
Germany
Italy
Portugal
Spain
Independent
Kevin P. Dincher

15. 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)
Kevin P. Dincher

16. 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)
"I do not want to miss a good chance of getting us a slice of this magnificent African cake."
King Leopold II
Kevin P. Dincher

17. 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
"I do not want to miss a good chance of getting us a slice of this magnificent African cake."
King Leopold II
Kevin P. Dincher

18. Initial Occupation
1885 The Berlin Conference approves King Leopold’s claim to “The Congo Free State” as his personal colony until 1908.
International investors supported his claim to Congo.
He established rule with his personal army and he also expected the Belgian army to assist.
Info Source: ("Congo Free State,").
Picture: hbw2000.com

19. Benefits To The Imperial Power
Ivory and rubber were the main exports. Both were collected through a system of slave labor controlled by Leopold’s agents.
The forest elephant population was depleted and the focused changed to rubber collection
Pneumatic tires drastically increases the demand for rubber.
Picture: vietnambusiness.asia
Info Source: ("Congo- the Brutal," n.d.).

20. 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
Kevin P. Dincher

21. Leopold II
Kevin P. Dincher

22. Treatment Of Indigenous People
8-10 million people died as a result of Leopold’s policies.
They were enslaved
Families were kidnapped to force people to produce rubber.
Cut off peoples hands if they did not produce enough rubber.
Info Source: ("Congo- the Brutal," n.d.).
Picture: en.wikipedia.org

23. "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)
Kevin P. Dincher

24. Leopold waged a skillful public relations campaign to promote his “Congo Free State” as an effort to stop the Arabs from running a slave trade in Africa. This, of course, was a ruse.
Slave raids such as this one carried out by the kingdom of Dahomey in return for European muskets and money provided Leopold II with his “humanitarian” excuse for going into the Congo.

25. The Congo Free State : “The Profit Imperative”
Leopold drove slave traders out and portrayed it as humanitarian act.
Reality: he did it to gain control of region.
Leopold paid his ‘agents’ in the Congo a percentage of profits, encouraging them to make the trade more and more profitable.
Also authorized the use of as much force as was deemed necessary.

26. Role of Stanley in Congo
Leopold sent the famous explorer of Africa, Henry Morton Stanley, to negotiate treaties with the natives.
Native chiefs were offered trinkets or cloth if they would place an X on a document in foreign tongue.
In 1877, Henry Morton Stanley called attention to the Congo region and was sent there by the association, the expense being defrayed by Leopold.[1] Through corrupt treaties with native chiefs, rights were acquired to a great area along the Congo, and military posts were established. The treaties were extremely one-sided in favor of Leopold. In some cases chiefs not only handed over their lands, but also promised to help provide workers for forced labor.

27. Role of Stanley in Congo
Stanley began to sign treaties with over 450 native chiefs from the Congo
As a result, Leopold gained rule of these lands given up by the chiefs
In 1885, after the Berlin Conference, Leopold was given personal rule over the newly declared Congo Free State
Leopold had what he wanted because other European powers recognized his hold over Congo

28. Chiefs of Ngombi & Mafela, in return for "one piece of cloth per month to each of the undersigned chiefs, besides present of cloth in hand," they promised to "freely of their own accord, for themselves and their heirs and successors for ever...give up to the said Association the sovereignty and all sovereign and governing rights to all their territories...and to assist by labour or otherwise, any works, improvements or expeditions which the said Association shall cause at any time to be carried out in any part of these territories....All roads and waterways running through this country, the right of collecting tolls on the same, and all game, fishing, mining and forest rights, are to be the absolute property of the said Association.”
--Treaty handing over land to Leopold II

29. Harvesting Rubber

30. The Congo Free State : “The Profit Imperative”
Colony not profitable in first few years.
Soon the idea of free trade was abandoned; natives could only trade with Leopold’s representatives, with 50% of profits going to Leopold himself.
Profit required cheap labor (gathering rubber is very labor intensive).

31. Belgian soldiers enforcing rubber sap quotas

32. Leopold’s Abuse of the Congo
Agents ‘encouraged’ young men to work by holding their wives and children captive until each man’s quota was met.
Many who resisted were killed on the spot.
Others were beaten with whips made from dried hippo hide with sharp edges.
20 lashes resulted in unconsciousness
100 lashes resulted in death.

33. Women kept hostage to force their husbands to go and gather rubber
Women kept hostage to force their husbands to go and gather rubber. Rubber was harvested by climbing the rubber tree, tapping into it and letting the sap run all over the slave’s body, where it would congeal. Later he would peel the rubber off his body, taking any body hair with it. Rubber harvesters were given impossible quotas to fill each month. In addition to enduring the hardships of gathering rubber in the jungle, many of them were killed by wild animals.
Belgian Congo

34. -- Stanislas Lefranc, Belgian prosecutor
"The station chief selects the victims....Trembling, haggard, they lie face down on the ground...two of their companions, sometimes four, seize them by the feet and hands, and remove their cotton drawers....Each time that the torturer lifts up the chicotte, a reddish stripe appears on the skin of the pitiful victims, who, however firmly held, gasp in frightful contortions....At the first blows the unhappy victims let out horrible cries which soon become faint groans....In a refinement of evil, some officers, and I've witnessed this, demand that when the sufferer gets up, panting, he must graciously give the military salute.”
-- Stanislas Lefranc, Belgian prosecutor
The chicotte, a particularly vicious type of whip made from rhinoceros hide.
Belgian Congo

35. Punishing “Lazy” Workers

36. Two victims (l.) who lost their hands, one because his wrists were tied too tightly, the other because company militia cut it off to claim him as killed and get a reward. Below, a father looks at the severed hand and foot of his daughter
Belgian Congo

37. Mutilated People in the Congo Free State

38. The men in this photo are holding human hands.
Brutalities were brought to the attention of the world by the many Catholic missionaries who had moved to the region, along with various explorers. Reports included appointed officials outright murdering those who could not pay their taxes and then cutting off and drying their right hands to keep a tally of those who could not pay. Our people were forced to turn to cannibalism and murder to survive. The only food to be found was that off of our brothers' bodies, the only solace for our barbarity was hope that one day, Leopold would pay for his crimes. Finally, the Belgian Government decided to do something about these atrocities and turn the Congo Free State into a protectorate of the Belgian Government. It will soon be renamed the Belgian Congo and be remanded into the hands of parliament.
sun.menloschool.org

39. Investigation
Brutalities were brought to the attention of the world by the many Catholic missionaries who had moved to the region, along with various explorers.
Reports included appointed officials outright murdering those who could not pay their taxes and then cutting off and drying their right hands to keep a tally of those who could not pay.
Our people were forced to turn to cannibalism and murder to survive.

40. Investigation
The only food to be found was that off of our brothers' bodies, the only solace for our barbarity was hope that one day, Leopold would pay for his crimes.
Finally, the Belgian Government decided to do something about these atrocities and turn the Congo Free State into a protectorate of the Belgian Government. It will soon be renamed the Belgian Congo and be remanded into the hands of parliament.

41. 5-8 Million Victims! (50% of Popul.)
It is blood-curdling to see them (the soldiers) returning with the hands of the slain, and to find the hands of young children amongst the bigger ones evidencing their bravery...The rubber from this district has cost hundreds of lives, and the scenes I have witnessed, while unable to help the oppressed, have been almost enough to make me wish I were dead... This rubber traffic is steeped in blood, and if the natives were to rise and sweep every white person on the Upper Congo into eternity, there would still be left a fearful balance to their credit Belgian Official

42. Leopold’s Abuse of the Congo
Revolt broke out. Leopold sent troops into villages to exterminate the young men.
To make sure bullets weren’t wasted, soldiers were expected to return with the severed right hands of those they killed.
Soldiers who couldn’t meet quotas or spent bullets hunting would cut hands off of living women and children.
Between an estimated 8-10 million people died due to murder, mistreatment and starvation.

43. The “Hand” Tax
Hands cut off as proof of killing or punishment: received payment for hands and “proved” that supervisors were not “wasting” bullets on game hunting

44. Leopold’s men then proceeded to rape the land of its riches, especially ivory and rubber, ruthlessly using forced labor to get the job done.
"It was most interesting, lying in the bush, watching the natives quietly at their day's work. Some women ...were making banana flour by pounding up dried bananas. Men we could see building huts and engaged in other work, boys & girls running about, singing.... I opened the game by shooting one chap through the chest. He fell like a stone....Immediately a volley was poured into the village.” "Six shots & four deaths were sufficient to quiet the mocking.”--Henry Stanley

45. Belgium’s Stranglehold on the Congo

46. Leopold’s Conscience??

47. Negative press about what the Belgians were doing in the Congo
The Belgian King Leopold II says to the USA " I'll give you enough rubber to make you an elastic conscience" 

48. The First Modern Genocide?
From the Congolese population declines by one-half to 10 million due to
1) murder
2) starvation/exhaustion
3) disease
4) low birth rate
An estimated 10 million people died during this time

49. Effect on the Congo: The Human Rights Movement
Public pressure eventually forced Leopold to sell the Congo Free State to the Belgian government. It became The Belgian Congo in 1908
The Belgian Government ended the worst of the atrocities, but still controlled the fate of the African natives “For their own good.”
The African natives were never consulted about their future

50. Imperial Power Removed In Congo
In 1908 the Congo was surrendered by King Leopold II to Belgium.
It was renamed the Belgium Congo.
Working conditions were harsh but the Belgium rule improved them significantly.
People began to demand self rule.
The Belgium government agreed to give their political power to the people because they were so confident that they would later regain control.
The Belgium Government was wrong, on June 30,1960, Congo gained their independence.
Joseph Kasavubu and Patrick Lumumba were the new president and prime minister of the Belgium Congo.

51. Belgian Congo Money
Picture: coins.ha.com

52. The Congo Free State Map
Picture: gutenberg.org

53. Belgian Congo Map
Picture: Culturegrams.com

54. The Democratic Republic of Congo
Picture: lonelyplanet.com

55. Indigenous perspective
King Leopold II and his army took over power in Congo.
King Leopold II and the Force Publique terrorized the Congolese by kidnapping the families of the workers and cutting off hands if they didn’t produce enough rubber
In 1908 Congo was taken from Leopold and turned into a Conley ruled but the Belgians
The worst abuses were eliminated because the Belgians still wanted the copper, oil, diamonds and other minerals
(Congo).

56. Benefits and modernization
The Belgian modernized the colony
The Belgians built railroads and automobiles
They brought over electricity and telephones
("Encyclopedia Britannica,“).

57. Cultural imperialism
The Belgians forced many different Congo tribes to live together
The Belgians set up Belgian style schools
The Congolese lost their native language and way of religion
The Belgians brought a new system of law
(Everything Culture," ).

58. Resistance and independence movements
Congo rebelled from beginning
The first Congolese party started in whose name was Congo nation movement
In 1959 riots broke out and Congo people demanded independence
Congo became an independent republic on June 30, 1960
("Encyclopedia Britannica," ).

59. The Congo free state flag

60. The Democratic Republic of Congo
Red for people's blood
Yellow for prosperity
Blue for hope
Star for unity
(“Democratic republic of Congo”).

61. Consequences on the Occupied Region
When the Belgians left the country was unstable
The Congo lost a lot of its resources
Most people live in poverty
Government corruption has caused civil wars
picture:mydailyclarity.com
(Democratic Republic of the Congo, n.d.).

62. Modern Status Congo Belgium GDP-$37,900 per year Literacy rate-99%
HDI-.867 (rank 18)
GDP-$300 per year
Literacy rate-67.2%
HDI-.239 (rank 168)
seputarforex.com
(The World Factbook, n.d.).

63. Compensation
when people realized the Belgians were treating the Congolese horribly the international community forced King Leopold to end his rule and give control of the country to Belgium
Most of the worst abuses stopped: kidnapping of families, mutilation, and slavery.
Belgium apologized for killing the Congolese president Lumumba.
(Lumumba Apology: Congo's, n.d.)
blackhistoryheroes.blogspot.com

64. Mobutu took control of Congo in 1965
-made all political parties illegal because they were causing problems in the country
1967 he made one political party mandatory it was called the (MPR) Popular Movement of the Revolution.
Made Congo a policy of Africanisation country, he made a new flag, new national anthem, and changed the name of the country to Zaire.
Mobutu also changed the capital name from Leopoldville to Kinshasa.
The people of Congo even had to get African names, if they didn’t have one.
He bribed any of his rivals with money to keep them happy.
Nationalized foreign owned business and made Western investors leave (Zaire).
1990 had to unban the rule against political parties and then in 1997 he was over powered and fled the
country with his family.
Congo was in debt billions of dollars by the 1980’s because of him but he didn’t care because he was billions of dollars wealthier
( Mobutu of Zaire, )
fxcuisine.com

65. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Congo Free State. (2011). Retrieved February 14, 2011, from In Encyclopædia Britannica website:
Democratic Republic of the Congo. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2011, from
International Human Development Indicators. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2011, from UN website: profiles/‌Bel.html
Lumumba Apology: Congo’s mixed feelings . (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2011, from BBC website:
The World Factbook. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2011, from
Congo. (n.d.). Retrieved 2011, from Encyclopædia Britannica database.
Encyclopædia Britannica. (n.d.). Belgian Congo . Retrieved from
everything culture. (n.d.). Democratic Republic of the Congo . Retrieved 2011, from