Book Review of King Leopold’s Ghost‚ by Adam Hochschild What some have considered to be the first international scandal of the modern era took place in the Congo from 1890 until 1910. King Leopold II of Belgium was at the head of this so-called scandal. Although Europe and the rest of the world seemed to have forgotten the victims of these crimes‚ there is a considerable amount of material to use when attempting to recreate the horror that took place in Leopold’s Congo. This
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Adam Hochschild’s riveting novel‚ King Leopold’s Ghost‚ delves the exploitation of the Congo Free State by King Leopold II of Belgium‚ as well as‚ the ample atrocities committed during the time period between 1885 and 1908. European interest I the African continent can be traced back to as early as the late 1400s‚ when an European explorer sailed the west coast and discovered the Congo River. The industrial Revolution sparked Europeans’ keen interest to explore Africa. Diamonds‚ gold‚ ivory‚ and
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Belgian King Leopold II’s activities in the Congo c. Henry Stanley’s explorations of the Nile d. Cecil Rhodes’ diamond and gold mining 9. Which country controlled much of northern and west-central Africa? a. Britain c. Germany b. France d. Belgium 10. Why was Ethiopia able to maintain its independence from Italy? a. It was high in the mountains. c. It was divided into domains. b. Menelik II had worked to d. The Italians were poor fighters. modernize it. © Pearson Education‚ Inc.‚ publishing
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“King Leopold II may we please go to Congo to conqueror them and use them as slaves so they can produce goods for us‚” asked a Belgian military soldier. The King of Belgium at the time was King Leopold II‚ answered by saying‚ “why yes! That would be such a great idea to spread imperialism around the world.” Imperialism was being spread by Western civilizations to foreign countries and they were bullying the foreign countries‚ because they were bigger and stronger than they were. The Western nations
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The causes of imperialism in Africa were partly due to the decolonization in America. The European powers were out political and economic gain by the United States gaining their independence. In 1876 European powers especially King Leopold II of Belgium‚ agreed in the Berlin Conference to split up the land in Africa‚ no longer invading to colonize but to gain political‚ military and economic power. The methods to imperialism of the African land were done differently‚ by each European power. The British
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was his. He connived‚ manipulated and conned his way into the land. He did not care who got hurt; he just wanted his dream to be fulfilled. In order to achieve his dream‚ King Leopold II wanted to be sure that no other country got in his way. Belgium was a small country and Leopold knew that his country posed no threat to others. If he started to conquer the Congo‚ other countries might follow suit and overcome him. To sidestep this landmine‚ "he began planning a step to establish his image
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colonization of the Congo. One would think that a newly formed country that was once under rule of many different countries would be content with what they have and not look to rule or seize another less developed country. King Leopold’s comment “Belgium does not exploit the world‚” (Hochschild 38) is the exact opposite of what he does to the Congo. While King Leopold was raping the Congo of its people‚ its ivory‚ and its rubber‚ he told Colonel Williams in a meeting that‚ “What I do there is done
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For Europeans‚ the African Congo was a land full of unsolved mysteries and intriguing economic prospects in the second half of the 19th century. It was the last region of Africa to be explored by Europeans; for over 400 years‚ Europeans had attempted time and time again to explore the region‚ and yet all had succumbed to unbearable hardships and impassible terrain. It is likely that this region would have remained unexplored until very recently if it were not for a man named Henry Morton Stanley
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The Misrepresentation of Africa The 19th century was one of the most important time periods that helped shape the world into what it is today. Western European powers‚ such as Great Britain‚ Germany‚ and France‚ strongly believed in the notion that in order to gain more dominant global power‚ they would have to conquer new lands across the globe and exploit the territories’ resources. Throughout the early and mid 1800s‚ the nations of Western Europe upheld imperialism‚ conquering and exploiting
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In Conrad’s 1902 novella Heart of Darkness‚ there are several ways of interpreting Marlow’s journey down the Congo River. Marlow’s journey is symbolic and metaphoric‚ and hence can be interpreted psychoanalytically‚ mythically and historically. A psychoanalytical reading involves examining Marlow’s journey in the light of Freud’s and Nietzsche’s understanding of humanity’s inner psyche. A mythical understanding reverberates on the plot‚ such that Marlow engages on a heroic quest to find his holy
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