CZM Rewind: Part One: King Leopold II: The First Modern Bastard
Nov 21, 2023
auto_awesome
Andrew Ti, Co-host of Yo, Is This Racist?, joins the podcast to discuss King Leopold II of Belgium. They dive into his early life, personality traits, and his plan to establish a colony in the Congo. The podcast explores King Leopold's exploitation of the Congolese people, his manipulation of media, and his estrangement from his family. They also highlight his strange habits and hypochondria. Stay tuned for part two!
King Leopold II exploited the Congo Free State for personal gain by imposing forced labor and extracting rubber.
The Congo Free State was a site of extreme exploitation, with thousands of people brutally killed and enslaved.
King Leopold II used deceptive tactics and front organizations to attract international aid and profit from the rubber industry while avoiding direct involvement.
Deep dives
Leopold II's Vision for the Congo
Leopold II of Belgium, driven by his desire for wealth, sets his sights on establishing a colony in Africa. He sends explorers, including Henry Morton Stanley, to the Congo to secure treaties and claim the land. Leopold manipulates public opinion through showy expeditions and gains recognition from the US President, Chester A. Arthur. He convinces Europe that the Congo Free State will be a prosperous nation and promises a free trade zone. Ultimately, Leopold II's goal is to exploit the Congo's vast resources, particularly rubber, and earn massive profits.
The Congo Free State, King Leopold's Personal Empire
Leopold II establishes the Congo Free State, making himself absolute ruler of a nation 20 times the size of Belgium. Though an independent state on paper, Leopold runs it as a money-making scheme. The primary focus is exploiting rubber, a highly sought-after commodity of the time. The Congo Free State becomes a rubber factory, with Leopold imposing taxes in the form of forced labor to meet the insatiable global demand for rubber. He ruthlessly exploits the Congolese people, disregarding their rights and well-being in pursuit of profit.
Leopold II's Exploitation and Brutality
Under Leopold II's rule, the Congo Free State becomes a site of extreme exploitation and brutality. The forced labor system and harsh treatment of the Congolese people lead to immense suffering. Thousands of people are brutally killed and enslaved, while villages are burned down as Leopold's forces extract rubber. Leopold's relentless pursuit of wealth transforms him into a soulless, sociopathic ruler, willing to commit atrocities in his quest for profits. The realities of the Congo Free State stand in stark contrast to Leopold's carefully constructed facade of progress and civilization.
Leopold's Ruthless Exploitation of the Congo
King Leopold of Belgium devised a complex and exploitative plan to establish the Congo Free State, claiming it was a philanthropic effort. He formed various organizations as fronts to attract international aid and capital, while retaining ownership of a significant portion of the profits. His plan involved forcing African villagers to provide rubber and cutting off their hands if they didn't meet quotas. Leopold also used conscripted African soldiers to enforce these rules. He privatized the rubber industry to avoid direct involvement, profiting from the work of others. His greed and cruelty knew no bounds, and he even engaged in scandalous personal affairs while running his horrific operation.
Leopold's Family Neglect and Hypochondria
King Leopold of Belgium displayed a shocking lack of care and affection for his family, including his wife and daughters. His daughters were neglected, and Leopold was furious when he found out one of them had stolen a peach from his garden. Leopold's personal life was riddled with scandals, including being named as a client of a brothel and exhibiting extreme hypochondria. He became obsessed with germs and required his tablecloths to be boiled daily. Leopold's personal issues stood in stark contrast to the immense wealth and power he accumulated through his ruthless exploitation of the Congo.
Have you ever heard of King Leopold II? In Episode 7, Robert is joined by Andrew Ti (Yo, Is This Racist?) and they discuss the King of Belgium, who was the first world leader to be crappy in the true modern sense of the word. His life’s work was the blueprint for being the kind of terrible that we recognize in modern leaders like Dick Cheney or Vladimir Putin. He pioneered screwing over tens of millions of people for petty personal gain
