European Atrocity, African Catastrophe: Leopold II, the Congo Free State and Its Aftermath

ISBN-13: 9781138867260 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015

Sir Martin Ewans

Opis

There is a broad consensus among those who are concerned with Africa that the plight of the continent is approaching the catastrophic. Partly the roots of the problem are historical, stemming from the exploitation and colonisation of the continent by European powers. An appreciation of the history of the relationship between Europe and Africa, a major episode of which this book examines, is indispensable to an understanding of the continent's present predicament. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries King Leopold II of the Belgians established a colony in Africa, which, as the Congo Free State, became a byword for unremitting exploitation and widespread atrocities. This book describes the creation, the development and the collapse both of this regime and of the Belgian colony that replaced it. Conclusions are drawn about the nature of European colonialism in Africa and the consequences for Europe itself.

Recenzje

'Offers an informed, readable account.' - Journal of Contemporary European Studies

Spis treści

Introduction Part I. Antecedents, Belgium and Africa 1. Belgium, the Coburgs and the Search for Colonies 2. Europe and Africa Part II. Foundations 3. Cameron's Journey Across Africa 4. The Brussels Geographical Conference 5. Henry Morton Stanley 6. The Comite d'Etudes du Haut-Congo 7. Stanley and de Brazza Part III. Acquisition 8. The Anglo-Portuguese Treaty 9. The Campaign for Recognition 10. The Berlin West Africa Conference 11. The Creation of the Free State Part IV. Consolidation and Expansion 12. The Early Years 13. The Drive to the Nile 1. The 'Rescue of Amin Pasha 14. Katanga and the Arabs 15. The Drive to the Nile 2. Leopold's 'Fashoda' Part V. Nemesis 16. The Domainal System 17. E.D. Morel 18. The Casement Report 19. The Losing Battle Part VI. Consequences 21. Belgian Colonialism 22. Africa's Legacy Chronology Notes Bibliography Index

O autorze

Sir Martin Ewans is a former diplomat and the author of Afghanistan - A New History (Curzon, 2001)