Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Touring the Belgian Congo was, once upon a time, not stark raving mad. As witness this souvenir sheet promoting the national parks.
The toll of colonialism, in particular King Leopold II's (Belgium) peculiar brand of torture and pillage during the Scramble for Africa, set the stage for continued chaos and cupidity that continues to present. In 1960, when Belgian Congo received independence, the first democratic leader Patrice Lumumba took over. He seemed inclined to take care of the people, but his politics were also inclined to look to the Soviet Union for help -- not the West. This did not go down well with Belgium, the US, or the UK -- they had financial interests as well as Cold War politics holding sway, and he was assassinated in 1961.
His successor, Mobutu Sese Seko, supported by the US and Belgium, assumed power and took corruption and evil to new heights (or lows if you prefer) amassing 4 to 15 billion dollars of personal wealth before he was forcibly removed. Which did not leave much left on the bone for anyone else.
Belgian Congo stamps are amazing and beautiful. The history is fascinating, but disturbing. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, as it is called now, has great beauty and vast natural resources. Most of which is locked up because of so many greedy people tripping over themselves trying to get at it.
King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild is educational. I am also enjoying The Last Expedition by Daniel Liebowitz and Charles Pearson.
An amazing place.
PS.. Purchased the souvenir sheet for 39.00 usd on eBay.
Cheers!
Eric
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Nice summary of Belgian Congo's history, Winedrinker. Leopold's Ghost is an amazing book. Some points I recall:
-- The Congo was the only country ever owned outright and privately by a single person, Leopold II, who never set foot in the country.
-- The country's rubber tree forest were destroyed. The trees were "tapped" for rubber sap by girdling them and thus killing them.
-- Village men were forced to harvest the rubber sap. If a particular village failed to meet its quota, the hands of its men were cut off. I understand that there is a "monument" to this practice in Brussels, featuring a sculpture of an amputated hand.
-- During a world's fair in the U.S. (not sure which one), Congo Pygmies were displayed in cages like animals.
-- Mark Twain brought the plight of Congo's people to the world's attention by a pamphlet titled "King Leopold's Soliloquy".
-- Tens of thousands of Congolese forced labourers died during the construction of the railway that follows the Congo River. Some of the early Congo stamps picture that railroad, as I recall.
All in all, I'm not sure the world has changed all that much!
Bob
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"The Congo was the only country ever owned outright and privately by a single person, Leopold II, who never set foot in the country."
Indeed, and the way he got to do this was by claiming to take control of the area to rid it of slavery. Quite the opposite occurred of course. Finally enough people relayed the truth to the world of what was going on, including Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness), that he was stripped of ownership of the Congo Free State by the Belgium government (1908). Congo Free State became Belgian Congo.
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If anyone is interested in reading more about the Belgian Congo specifically or the colonial Africa era generally, I agree with Bob's recommendation for King Leopold's Ghost.
More general reading choices include:
Empires by Michael W. Doyle, ©1986 (372 pages, no maps!)
Divide and Rule: The Partition of Africa 1880-1914 by H. L. Wesseling, ©1996 (English edition) (435 pages, very few maps)
The Scramble for Africa: White Man's Conquest of the Dark Continent from 1876 to 1912 by Thomas Pakenham, ©1991 (680 pages, several maps, and a lengthy detailed chronology in the back)
All are paperback, with "The Scramble" being my favorite. I love maps, and the chronology is good too.
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Listen to the yell of Leopold's ghost
Burning in Hell for his hand-maimed host
Hear how the demons chuckle and yell
Cutting his hands off down in Hell
Vachel Lindsay, The Congo
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Dark history aside, that's a great souvenir sheet!
WB
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Touring the Belgian Congo was, once upon a time, not stark raving mad. As witness this souvenir sheet promoting the national parks.
The toll of colonialism, in particular King Leopold II's (Belgium) peculiar brand of torture and pillage during the Scramble for Africa, set the stage for continued chaos and cupidity that continues to present. In 1960, when Belgian Congo received independence, the first democratic leader Patrice Lumumba took over. He seemed inclined to take care of the people, but his politics were also inclined to look to the Soviet Union for help -- not the West. This did not go down well with Belgium, the US, or the UK -- they had financial interests as well as Cold War politics holding sway, and he was assassinated in 1961.
His successor, Mobutu Sese Seko, supported by the US and Belgium, assumed power and took corruption and evil to new heights (or lows if you prefer) amassing 4 to 15 billion dollars of personal wealth before he was forcibly removed. Which did not leave much left on the bone for anyone else.
Belgian Congo stamps are amazing and beautiful. The history is fascinating, but disturbing. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, as it is called now, has great beauty and vast natural resources. Most of which is locked up because of so many greedy people tripping over themselves trying to get at it.
King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild is educational. I am also enjoying The Last Expedition by Daniel Liebowitz and Charles Pearson.
An amazing place.
PS.. Purchased the souvenir sheet for 39.00 usd on eBay.
Cheers!
Eric
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re: Belgian Congo 1938 tourist promotion
Nice summary of Belgian Congo's history, Winedrinker. Leopold's Ghost is an amazing book. Some points I recall:
-- The Congo was the only country ever owned outright and privately by a single person, Leopold II, who never set foot in the country.
-- The country's rubber tree forest were destroyed. The trees were "tapped" for rubber sap by girdling them and thus killing them.
-- Village men were forced to harvest the rubber sap. If a particular village failed to meet its quota, the hands of its men were cut off. I understand that there is a "monument" to this practice in Brussels, featuring a sculpture of an amputated hand.
-- During a world's fair in the U.S. (not sure which one), Congo Pygmies were displayed in cages like animals.
-- Mark Twain brought the plight of Congo's people to the world's attention by a pamphlet titled "King Leopold's Soliloquy".
-- Tens of thousands of Congolese forced labourers died during the construction of the railway that follows the Congo River. Some of the early Congo stamps picture that railroad, as I recall.
All in all, I'm not sure the world has changed all that much!
Bob
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re: Belgian Congo 1938 tourist promotion
"The Congo was the only country ever owned outright and privately by a single person, Leopold II, who never set foot in the country."
Indeed, and the way he got to do this was by claiming to take control of the area to rid it of slavery. Quite the opposite occurred of course. Finally enough people relayed the truth to the world of what was going on, including Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness), that he was stripped of ownership of the Congo Free State by the Belgium government (1908). Congo Free State became Belgian Congo.
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re: Belgian Congo 1938 tourist promotion
If anyone is interested in reading more about the Belgian Congo specifically or the colonial Africa era generally, I agree with Bob's recommendation for King Leopold's Ghost.
More general reading choices include:
Empires by Michael W. Doyle, ©1986 (372 pages, no maps!)
Divide and Rule: The Partition of Africa 1880-1914 by H. L. Wesseling, ©1996 (English edition) (435 pages, very few maps)
The Scramble for Africa: White Man's Conquest of the Dark Continent from 1876 to 1912 by Thomas Pakenham, ©1991 (680 pages, several maps, and a lengthy detailed chronology in the back)
All are paperback, with "The Scramble" being my favorite. I love maps, and the chronology is good too.
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02:35:03pm
re: Belgian Congo 1938 tourist promotion
Listen to the yell of Leopold's ghost
Burning in Hell for his hand-maimed host
Hear how the demons chuckle and yell
Cutting his hands off down in Hell
Vachel Lindsay, The Congo
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re: Belgian Congo 1938 tourist promotion
Dark history aside, that's a great souvenir sheet!
WB
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