S6 History – 2hr

1870-1914 – The Age of Imperialism 3

www.internationalschoolhistory.net Imperialism and beginnings of decolonisation

Congo Case Study – Document Work

From various parts, endeavors were already

being made to introduce European civilization
on the African soil… Nothing was wanting, it
seemed, but a powerful bond to unite all
efforts. It was the merit of Leopold II that he
perceived this necessity. He therefore took the
initiative of convening an International
Conference, to which were invited the
Presidents of the Geographical societies of
London, Paris, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Vienna
and Rome, as well as the most prominent
travelers and explorers, and many others who
had for some time been taking an interest in the
civilization of Dark Africa. The aim of the
Conference, which met at Brussels on
September 12th, 1876, was at once scientific,
commercial and humanitarian. Leopold
presided over the assembly, and in his
remarkable opening speech set forth the
program of proceedings which he intended to
follow and the questions that must be
considered and settled in order that this crusade
of science, humanity and progress, a crusade
worthy of the 19th century, might be brought to
a successful issue.

Source A - Photographs by Alice Seely Harris, an Source B - Leopold the Second, King of the
English missionary Belgians - Angelo S. Rappoport (1910)

“I'm sure if I quite openly charged Stanley with the task of taking possession in my name of some part of
Africa, the English will stop me. So I think I'll just give Stanley some job of exploration which would offend no
one, and will give us the bases and headquarters which we can take over later on."

Privately Léopold tells Stanley to "purchase as much land as you will be able to obtain, and ... place
successively under ... suzerainty ... as soon as possible and without losing one minute, all the chiefs from the
mouth of the Congo to the Stanley Falls."

Léopold also tells Stanley, "It is a question of creating a new state, as big as possible, and of running it. It is
clearly understood that in this project there is no question of granting the slightest political power to the
Negroes. That would be absurd."

Source C - Various private communications from Leopold II.

Unlike his Mesoamerican counterpart, the African native had little use for the material except as an adhesive to
fasten spear- and arrow- heads to their shafts. By 1888 it was still a small amount, representing about 10% in
value of all exports, rising to 25% by 1895, 50% in 1896, 70% in 1898, 85% in 1900 and peaking at 90% in
1901 but remaining in this area for the rest of Leopold’s ownership of the Congo. It has been estimated that
between 1898 and 1905, raw materials to the value of about £14,000,000 were exported from the Congo for the
benefit of Leopold and his collaborators whilst imports, mainly to support the ‘administrative’ regime, were
some £6,000,000. It was also estimated that Leopold’s ‘Domaine de la Couronne’ gave him a clear profit of
some £3,000,000 between 1896 and 1906 whilst the State’s rubber exports in its peak year of 1901 were
estimated to be some £2,000,000.

Source D - Leopold II of Belgium, E D Morel & the Congo

http://www.bouncing-balls.com/timeline/people/nr_leopoldmorel.htm

The kodak has been a sore calamity to us. The most powerful enemy that has confronted us, indeed. In the early
years we had no trouble in getting the press to "expose" the tales of the mutilations as slanders, lies, inventions
of busy-body American missionaries and exasperated foreigners who found the "open door" of the Berlin-Congo
charter closed against them when they innocently went out there to trade; and by the press's help we got the
Christian nations everywhere to turn an irritated and unbelieving ear to those tales and say hard things about the
tellers of them. Yes, all things went harmoniously and pleasantly in those good days, and I was looked up to as
the benefactor of a down-trodden and friendless people. Then all of a sudden came the crash! That is to say, the
incorruptible kodak -- and all the harmony went to hell! The only witness I have encountered in my long
experience that I couldn't bribe. Every Yankee missionary and every interrupted trader sent home and got one;
and now -- oh, well, the pictures get sneaked around everywhere, in spite of all we can do to ferret them out and
suppress them. Ten thousand pulpits and ten thousand presses are saying the good word for me all the time and
placidly and convincingly denying the mutilations. Then that trivial little kodak, that a child can carry in its
pocket, gets up, uttering never a word, and knocks them dumb!

Source E - Mark Twain - King Leopold's Soliloquy- A Defense of His Congo Rule – (1905) A work of political
satire recounts Leopold speaking in his own ‘defence.’

Questions

1. Study Source E

(a) What is meant by the phrase ‘incorruptible Kodak’? [2]

(b) What were the ‘tales of mutilations’? [2]
(c) Other than King Leopold II, who is Mark Twain criticizing in Source E? [2]

2. Compare and contrast the views given on the causes of Imperialism in Source B and Source D. [6]

3. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Source A and Source C as evidence about imperialism in the
Congo. [8]

RJ-N 240910