Facts about Leopold
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King Leopold II of Belgium
Hyperlinked encyclopedia entryKing Leopold II
The BBC recounts his rotten legacy in the CongoConan Doyle and the Belgian Congo
Turns out Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was critical of LeopoldKing Leopold II
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Leopold II Biography
King Leopold II is known today as one of the most brutal colonial rulers of the 19th century for his policies in central Africa. He succeeded his father to the throne in 1865 and early on made a reputation as a philanthropist. In 1876 Leopold formed the African International Association and financed an expedition by explorer Henry Morton Stanley to the Congo (1879-84). At a European conference in 1885 Leopold was named sovereign over the Congo Free State (later renamed Zaire and now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo). He then used slave labor and torture to extract raw materials (mostly rubber) and build his personal fortune. By 1908 criticism of his rule forced his withdrawal as sovereign and the region was annexed to Belgium.
Extra credit
Leopold’s critics included Joseph Conrad, Mark Twain and Booker T. Washington. An English shipping employee named Edmund Dene Morel is credited with exposing Leopold’s crimes and organizing world opinion against him.