Page 231 - 4096-BOOK2

In the years following Young’s death, Leopold II became a rather
controversial figure as he sought to expand his country’s influence
on the global stage and his wealth and power through colonial
holdings. He formed the International African Society in 1876 and
claimed personal ownership of the “Congo Free State” with the aid of
the famous explorer Henry Stanley and ruled it with a private military
ostensibly to bring “civilization” to the Congo which had suffered
heavily from slave raiding. He amassed a considerable fortune via
exports primarily of rubber, but the wealth came at a tremendous
human cost as the native Congolese were heavily exploited through
forced labor, kidnapping, abuse, mutilation, executions, and even
cannibalism which ultimately led to the death of millions during
Leopold II’s rule, over half of the entire population by some estimates.
The situation gained international attention, including through
several of the era’s most prominent authors via Joseph Conrad’s
novella “Heart of Darkness”, Mark Twain’s “King Leopold’s Soliloquy”,
and Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Crime of the Congo.” With mounting
pressure, the king relinquished personal control of the Congo in 1908
and it became a colony of Belgium. He died the following year.
229