King Leopold s Ghost Response Paper - 1444 Words

Abel Habte HIS 323.001 Prof. Chakravartty 4/16/15 King Leopold’s Ghost Response Paper With an estimated death toll of ten million people, King Leopold’s conquest of the Congo is recognized as one of the bloodiest holocausts in human history. The sheer brutality of this gruesome process triggered the world’s first international human rights movement. However, unlike the holocaust of Jews committed by the Nazi regime in mid-twentieth century Germany, the Belgian extermination of the Congolese has gone largely forgotten. In King Leopold’s Ghost, Adam Hochschild seeks to revive the fervor and vehemence with which the world remembers this tragedy. Prior to reading this book, my own understanding of the genocide in the Congo was that of just†¦show more content†¦With several overtly expressed themes, one can clearly see the consequences of imperialism, racism, and capitalism which explicitly addressed in the book. In this paper, I’d like to draw attention to an underlying theme which played many pivotal roles throughout the course of the conquest of the Congo: technology. Technology was a key component in both constructing King Leopold’s empire in the Congo and in dismantling it through the efforts of the international human rights movement led by E.D Morel and Roger Casement. Different technological instruments make their appearance subtly throughout the book but three specific innovations had major impacts on the development and disintegration of the Belgian Congo: river steamers, the telegraph, and photography. Without these inventions, Leopold’s detailed orchestration of the Congo conquest would’ve been an impossible venture. These instruments brought about improvements in exploration and communication which made Leopold’s covert manipulation and Stanley’s navigation through the Congo feasible. The Congo river steamers differed in structure so as to navigate through narrow passages and tight turns. Another key difference was that they were made to sail as far as possible on the river until they reached an impasse at which point they could be take apartShow MoreRelatedGreed : The True Heart Of Darkness1882 Words   |  8 PagesStudent at Mat-Su College Abstract The aim of this essay is to discuss in detail the background of the Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness, and the atrocities that occurred. The whole idea of imperialism in the book is based on the rule of King Leopold II, and that the company is one of the many that he would use to extract the resources. The book also shows the maltreatment of the native Congolese in explicit detail, similar to how the true events would occur. The text also recognizes historicalRead MoreEssay about Horror and Tragedy in The Congo3980 Words   |  16 Pagesexploitative regime of King Leopold II of Belgium, and culminating with the downfall of one of Africa’s most influential figures, Patrice Lumumba. The Congo is but one example of the greater phenomenon of European occupation of Africa. The legacy of this period gives rise to persistent problems in the Congo and throughout Africa. Understanding the roots and causes of this event, as focused through the lense of the Congo, is the subject of this paper. Primarily this paper will investigate theRead MoreJola Initiation Ritual Essay5690 Words   |  23 Pagesseeking to penetrate into this subject one has an opportunity to: 1) better understand the subject of Identity from a universal perspective 2) notice the spectra of correspondence qualities that allow for genesis associations as experienced from responses from actual events in progress- as a point of focus to speculate on the larger question of African aesthetics and value systems 3) look at the subject of form and interaction dynamics (and what value a given formal state might have as for inquiringRead MoreNotes18856 Words   |  76 Pages10:30 AM  102 C ha p t e r 4â€Æ' Colonialism and the African Experience secured Tanganyika for his kaiser. Britain’s Cecil John Rhodes’ exploits yielded a huge chunk of central Africa for his king. Henry Morton Stanley’s expeditions to Africa paved the way for the Belgians’ King Leopold to acquire the Congo—which he ironically named â€Å"The Congo Free State.† And Portugal’s Prince Henry and others who followed founded an early Portuguese empire in the Indian Ocean, Estado da India, â€Å"theRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pages978-1-4399-0269-1 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4399-0270-7 (paper : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4399-0271-4 (electronic) 1. History, Modern—20th century. 2. Twentieth century. 3. Social history—20th century. 4. World politics—20th century. I. Adas, Michael, 1943– II. American Historical Association. D421.E77 2010 909.82—dc22 2009052961 The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials