King Leopold’s Ghost Literary Analysis Essay Example

In the book King Leopold’s Ghost written by Adam Hochschild, is a story narrating the recapturing effects of European imperialism in the Congo. The author Hochschild’s tells the story of King Leopold II of Belgium exploitation of the Congo Free State by from and exposes the atrocities committed on the during King Leopold’s rule.  Belgium’s colonization of the Congo resulted in a massive amount a bloodshed among the Congolese people. It's estimated that between 10 to 23 million Congolese people die because of King Leopold’s rule from 1885 to 1908. Many Congolese deaths were cause by direct physical violence all through many deaths were caused by starvation and work exhaustion during Leopold’s rule. Leopold's reign was responsible for millions of deaths, land loss, the formation of a new nation with no respect for prior indigenous practices/religions, language, and cultural identities of the Congolese people. Exploiting the Congo's immense and valuable natural resources was a major factor for Leopold's colonization efforts. 

The attempt to establish 'proper' civilization in the Congo through their forced labor drove to European violence in the Congo. In 1883, King Leopold delivered a speech to Catholic missionaries preparing to engage with the Congo's indigenous population. King Leopold’s racist ideology and imperialist greed, Leopold’s instructs missionaries to intentionally interpret their Scripture religious teachings in a way that purports the justify the persecution and exploitation of the Congolese indigenous population.  During the Berlin Conference, King Leopold II's sovereignty over the Congo was solidified, as he reassured European countries of the importance of Belgium's involvement in the Congo. 

Through controlling natural resources such like rubber and ivory for Belgian’s economic benefits. Leopold’s constructing a major trade network extending to the north to south regions across the nation, and exploiting the indigenous populations for slave labor, all of which wreaked havoc on the country and killed millions of Congolese people. Leopold's harsh reign over the Congo and the mining of the country's natural resources provided the Belgians prosperity well beyond their expectations.