Belgium King American Imperialism

908 Words4 Pages

Leopold II

Leopold II committed indirectly, murders to get Belgium wealthier. Between 1885 and 1909 a lot of Congolese died because of what the officers did to them. There was never enough ivory, never enough rubber to please his highness. So people were exploited till death, in the purpose of acquiring valuable and luxurious goods for the Belgian Kingdom.
Leopold II wanted Congo to be a lucrative country. He directed all the Congolese action through officers. Everything he wanted was fulfilled. Despite the hard work and people exploited till death, the lands did not give enough wealth. Month after month, the King wanted more wealth but could not get it. But when John Dunlop, a Scottish vet, invented the tire, the demand of rubber rose instantly. …show more content…

He always raised the violence. If the black people working for him were unable to achieve the king’s goal, they were beaten to death. The Belgian king was part of an economic system that allowed him to consider Congo as his private property. In addition the King was a visionary, maybe he was not a good one but Congo gave a lot to the Belgian Kingdom and its economy. Belgium took advantage of its involvement in Central Africa. Thanks to the resources of Congo, Belgian economy developed pretty well and the nation, so the King got more powerful and wealthier. Leopold II was only concern about the rubber production getting bigger. To achieve his goal, his soldiers had to work hard. The Belgian State decided to give them gratuity to stimulate their zeal. More rubber was harvested, more the bonus for the soldiers rose. Everything was permitted to make the Congolese work. In fact, the Belgian state did not erase slavery; it just established a monopoly to put away the Arabic competition. It was said that it had to be a step towards the indigene’s emancipation. This was against what every country signed at the Berlin conference. By 1900, Leopold had to open the Congo to the international trade has said with the European Empires at the Berlin Conference. The Belgian King claimed Congo had open to competition and in that case required …show more content…

Without it, Africa would not be what it is today because European Empires brought economy and civilisation, which are luxury for this continent that was not civilised at all in the late XIXth century. As well as Africa made the European countries wealthier and bigger in terms of territories. Back then, it was a true luxury to possess as many territories as possible. Most of the African territories were resourceful in different ways, the resources of the lands made the nations wealthier. If a nation showed true wealth, it was recognised by their pairs. We can actually say that thanks to colonisations, all the nations grew in wealth and their economy developed well thanks to the resources of the