Why Did King Leopold Conquer The Congo?

The Congo was taken over in 1885 by King of Belgium, Leopold II . Leopold wanted to conquer the Congo due to him believing overseas colonies were the key to a country’s greatness. Leopold gained control of the Congo by sending explorer Henry Stanley to claim land in the Congo. At the Berlin conference of 1884-1885 they recognized Leopold as the sovereign ruler of the Congo. The country was treated as a brutal business investment by Leopold who was viewed by the world as a noble king. But in reality he was a cunning and self-engrossed scoundrel, that caused the death of 10 million people in the Congo (Approximately 50% of the population). The Congo was ceded by King Leopold to Belgium in 1908 due to the growing criticism from the Catholic and
the Labor party. Although the Congo was ceded by Leopold in 1908 they did not gain their independence until 1960. Political Parties in the Congo gained support due to their mother country in Europe suffering devastating losses during WWII. There are many lasting effects from imperialism seen today in the Congo, these include:
● Brought formal education to the Congo
● Had greatly improved healthcare when it became Belgian Congo and improved throughout that time.
● Population began to grow once they gained freedom from Belgium in 1960
● Job opportunities for the Congolese
● Cotton production increased from 23,000 in 1932 to 127,000 in 1939
● Once the Congo gained independence they gained control of their own government, education and resources.