Leopold II of Belgium



Leopold Lodewijk Philip Maria Victor (Brussels, April 9, 1835 – Laeken, December 17, 1909), Prince of Belgium, Duke of Saxony, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Brabant and Senator of Belgium, was the second King of the Belgians. He was the second but eldest surviving son of Belgium's first king Leopold I of Belgium and Queen Louise Marie of Orléans. He succeeded his father to the throne on December 17, 1865 and remained king until his death in 1909. Leopold II was also the founder and King sovereign of the Congo Free State, which he obtained through the Berlin Conference.

Quotes



 * Young trees need stakes to support them, but the stakes must be removed once the trees begin to grow, precisely so not to hinder their growth.
 * Leopold II, King of the Belgians in a letter to his minister, [[w:Charles_Woeste|Charles Woeste], dated June 9, 1901.]


 * I have only one goal and one desire, namely to give myself a practical instruction, to get to know the world and its inhabitants. There will come times when this knowledge will be of use to me.
 * Prince Leopold II on his second wedding trip in a letter to his father [[w:Leopold I of Belgium|Leopold I of Belgium] in 1854.]


 * I sleep poorly. This long abstinence is destroying me. My nature needs frequent contacts with the beautiful gender. I don't understand how priests can live like this.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Prince Leopold II in a letter to his father Leopold I on may 1861 when recovering from a cold on vacation in villa Solitude in Austria complaining how he misses female company.


 * Excuse me, dear niece, for this letter, which is really just a health bulletin. Especially concerned with a health so dear to me, I am almost unable to speak of anything else.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 King Leopold II In a letter to his niece Queen Victoria about the critical condition of his sick son Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant.


 * Whoever has a cold is stupid, because he just had to avoid catching a cold.
 * Did you know: Leopold II was a hypochondriac.


 * I am very satisfied with my invention. With this pocket, the rain can fall, and i'm not afraid: my beard will stay dry. You laugh, but you don't laugh when a woman, after washing her hair, dries it and wraps it in a towel. You are not laughing, and yet it is the same. Women drying their hair, and I guaranteeing my beard from the rain, we are only keeping us from colds!
 * Did you know: Leopold II was a hypochondriac.


 * Nothing is more difficult than arriving at a court where nobody knows anyone in the world, add to that the Austrian Etiquette, and you can imagine what kind of evening I had to endure.
 * Leopold II - Het Hele Verhaal (Aflevering 1) Prince Leopold in a letter to his brother Prince Philippe and sister Princess Carlota, on being received by the Austrian court to meet his future bride 'Marie Henriette of Austria'.


 * You just have to dare to succeed.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), Preface:A historiographical picture of Leopold II (1835-1909) Parliamentary Annals of Belgium. Legislative session of 1855-1856. Senate. Brussel, n.d., 67.


 * A Prince must not speak the language of the tribunes and proclaim absolute principles in terms which are likely to deeply offend those who are of another opinion than his own.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 5. A prospectus by the military Chazal and Brialmont, The Importance of General Chazal in Colonial Politics. KMLKG, Papiers Chazal, 65/1, Chazal aan de hertog van Brabant, 28 juni 1859.


 * A battle with the Netherlands must be a surprise on our part, we must suddenly present ourselves there with weapons, disrupt the order, and keep the provinces that want to join, let the others go free as they please.
 * Plans of Prince Leopold II for an attack on the Netherlands.


 * One aim of the hostilities is a reunification of Catholics under one crown, with the rivers as the northern boundary, to reach that goal we must launch a decisive attack on Amsterdam, depose the king, and at the very least let the people decide which government it prefers.
 * Plans of Prince Leopold II for an attack on the Netherlands.


 * France need not to extend its own borders, that would only have a counterproductive effect, however, it should surround itself with allies and friends whom it must make more powerful, and whom in turn make France itself more powerful, such an approach will not disturb anyone, free and without In this way, France can fence itself with reliable allies, it goes without saying that 6 or 7 million Piedmontese, 3 million Swiss, 8 million Belgians and 37 million French can provide the French emperor with a larger, better organized and more complete armed forces than those possessed by the Empire of 50 million people, all the emperor has to do is give us permission to invade the Netherlands, thanks in part to his prestige a quick and easy victory awaits us.
 * Leopold II, The Whole Story


 * I want it to be and it will be.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), Emile Banning (1836-1898): The Don Quichotte of the ‘liberal civilization’ in Congo Banning had a final private meeting with the king, which, according to the anecdotal press, culminated in this bitter altercation. WALRAET, M. Emile Banning. Un grand Belge, 54.

Quotes related to Belgium

 * I have no other desire than to leave Belgium bigger, stronger and more beautiful.
 * Pierre Vercauteren: A king unjustly maligned. (Page 18) Leopold II on the evening of his accession in 1865 confided to the baron Lambermont. Léopold II, Count Louis de Lichtervelde (p.55).


 * If God gives me a long life and allows me to carry out my task, then Brussels will become a city of exceptional category.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094


 * It is not the first time that Belgium has had to undergo a dangerous ordeal. But never has the situation been more serious than today! … Freedom, honor, the very existence of the fatherland is at stake.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 King Leopold II In a 1870 speech to the Belgian Parliament as a reaction to the growing threat of war between Prussia and France.


 * You speak of my popularity, but it is out of the question now, and in doing so, my dear Prime Minister, I declare that I will not doubt between my duty and my love: a popularity based on deceiving a country about its true interests would weigh heavily on my conscience and that is a burden that I do not want to bear.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Leopold II in a 1870 letter to Belgian Prime Minister Jules d'Anethan after his negative reaction to Leopold's propositions to mandate Conscription and increased Military spending in the context of the Franco-Prussian war.


 * I am generous and about to make a multi-million dollar sacrifice to beautify my capital. It will cost me three to four years of wages, but I wish my life here on earth to leave many traces.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Leopold II in 1865 when accending to the throne.


 * We must put an end to anarchy and its continuing preaching.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Leopold II in 1885 about the protests and Social unrest due to extreme poverty among the many farmers in Belgium.


 * Dear Minister, please let me know how many men are actually available in Hainaut, Ghent and Brussels, please also inform me of any measures that will allow you to remain in control of the situation if necessary, I wish you the assurance, dear minister, of my total devotion, Leopold.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Leopold II in a letter to his prime minister, requesting a military inventory, in view of possible protests due to the social unrests in the country, partly stirred up by the BSP (Belgian Socialist Party).


 * I will instruct the minister of war to strengthen the Gendarmerie in Brussels, to recognize the addresses and customs of the demagogues and to try to find out what is coming up, I am told that the demonstrations which are only intended as intimidation and as preparation in an unguarded moment are able to turn into something else, once they have everyone on the street they will attack the government, what measure have you taken to face such a surprise attack? Do the regiments have been ordered to march on their own accord to the Rue de la Loi and the Boulvard, where in the summer it is more difficult to summon soldiers, will they be more satisfied now, working in the open air is now impossible, if I were you I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to summon them, the responsibility is too great, you are not protected from an incident, and you will have to face a formidable riot, all yours leopold.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Leopold II in a letter to his prime minister, warning him for possible insurrections, as the Belgian Socialist Party demands the Universal right to vote for all workers.


 * Dear Minister, I particularly regret that the government, as I had expressly requested, did not make the royal referendum a sine qua non, three points in the program concern the crown directly, the possibility of expanding the territory, the referendum and the princely marriages, I would have liked to see this matter implemented, we have been clear about this during our discussions, we have taken a very moderate attitude with this at a time when the most democratic constitution in Europe is being even more democratized, a constitution drawn up during a revolution, and at a time when there was no monarch, your devotee, etc. Leopold.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 King Leopold II complains to his prime minister, because the Belgian government did not grant him the extra powers he had requested (One of which was to overrule laws instituted by democratic vote in parliament).


 * To the presidents of the chambers, the institutions of the country are on the eve of profound changes, various indications and circumstances have convinced me that it is desirable in the new situation, a new administration should take office, I request you on my behalf to inform the chambers of my abdication, with the highest and most special esteem, your affectionate King, Leopold.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 King Leopold II threatens to abdicate in the chaos of late 19th-century Belgium, when he fails to obtain the extra powers he had requested and, at the same time, in the first democratic elections in which non-citizens from the upper class are allowed to vote, the Christian Democrats and Socialists win the elections).


 * We are going to democratize the chamber and the senate, we also have to democratize the monarchy, give it the opportunity, when it feels the need to obtain direct advice, support from the changing electoral corps.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 King Leopold II explains on the back of a lettre in which he threatens to abdicate.


 * My dear General, the Belgian state, will shortly issue a government loan of fifty million, France is writing one of two and a half billion, please ask Lambert to inform you of the condition of the French operation, as for the Belgian loan, leave it to me to try and get information from the ministers, but don't say anything to Lambert, if the French government loan yields 5 or 6 percent I will invest a large sum in it, if the interest is lower then I won't subscribe to it, Leopold.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 King Leopold II in a letter to the treasurer of the Monarch's Private fortune: Auguste Goffinet.


 * Small country, small people.
 * King Leopold's Ghost Leopold II, Hair to the Belgian throne, 1866.


 * If I do not promise Belgium a splendid government like that which founded its independence, nor a great King like him whom we mourn, then at least i believe to be a Belgian King in heart and soul, whose whole life belongs to the country.
 * Bulletin Officiel de Congo Belge - Années 1908 et 1909, page 174. King Leopold II in a speech on 17 december 1865.


 * If instead of talking about neutrality, the Chamber took care of our trade, Belgium would become the richest in the world.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), Preface:A historiographical picture of Leopold II (1835-1909) Leopold to Edouard Blondeel, the Belgian Consul in Egypt, 1855.


 * On the occasion of my 65th birthday, I wish to hand over to the State my properties that contribute to the attractiveness and beauty of the places where they are located.
 * Immo Royal, In Belgium you can find more than 7,500 hectares of royal real estate. Journalists conducted an in-depth investigation into the patrimony of the Royal Donation for the first time in 90 years. King Leopold II in a letter to the Minister of Finance on April 9, 1900, in honor of his 65th birthday.


 * If the knowledge of foreign languages is particularly useful in our time, that of national languages is a necessity. It is necessary to have them taught to the youth simultaneously, and it is to be desired that their use should become more and more common to all Belgians.
 * J. Steur, Netherlands. Volume 63 Article from 1959. Quoted from J. Vuylsteke, "Flemish Belgium since 1830: Studies and sketches collected by the general board of the Willemsfonds on the occasion of the Jubilee Year 1905", Willemsfonds, 1905, p. 222. King Leopold II and the Queen are invited by the mayor of Brussels, Karel Buls, to attend the first performance in the renovated Flemish theatre, where he gives a speech in Flemish. This was followed by thunderous applause such as 'Long live our Flemish King!'

Quotes related to the Belgian Colonial Empire

 * Belgium should become the capital of the Belgian Empire, which, with the help of God, will consist of Borneo, islands in the Pacific, some places in Africa and America, and also areas of China and Japan. I am the only one pursuing this for now, but by over-exposing the national fever, I will find support and create apostles.
 * Leopold II as world traveller and builder (in Dutch). Leopold II's first trip is to Thuringia and Bavaria, where the dynasty originated. His attention turns to the castles and other sights in Coburg, Nuremberg, Regensburg and Munich. Leopold retains a good feeling from that trip: he sees a role model in Bavarian Ludwig I of Bavaria. Leopold wants to inspire a similar sense of national superiority.


 * Trading posts and colonies, gentlemen, have not only strengthened the commercial positions of the peoples concerned; these nations owe their greatness to these institutions.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Prince Leopold II in his function of Senator in the Senate of Belgium.


 * Santo Tomas was based on emigration and was therefore bound to fail, Belgians do not emigrate.
 * Tu ne verras pas Verapaz? (Documentary about former Belgian colony in Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala.)


 * A People which is content with its homeland and which shreds at even the shadow of a conflict lacks the characteristics of a superior race.
 * Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death (BBC Documentary based on Adam Hochschild's 'King Leopold's Ghost')


 * It is very curious to see how in China and Morocco the vanquished pay for the costs of the expedition that crushed them.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Prince Leopold II in a travel note after reading in the Spanish Archive "Archivo General de Indias" in Sevilla in 1862.


 * In the Far East, compulsory labor can work wonders, just like here... If only Belgium wanted to see that. This could create "inexhaustible resources and exploiting the soil and peoples of the Far East can only be brought to civilization and well-being in this way."
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Prince Leopold II in a 1863 travel note in admiration for Ferdinand de Lesseps when visiting Egypt and the digging sites of the Suez Canal by tens of thousands of cheap workers.


 * India has never cost England one centime. it paid back What it cost. India provides a livelihood for all benjamins of English families.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Prince Leopold II In Singapore in a letter to his father King Leopold I expressing admiration for British colonialism.


 * Of all the outlets, the safest and most stable, both for products and for capital, is obviously that of a colony.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), Preface:A historiographical picture of Leopold II (1835-1909) STENGERS, J. “The place of Leopold II in the history of colonization.” The New Clio, I-II (1949-1950), 517.


 * I'm still working, but we have to start by putting forward a diplomatic arrangement. This point obtained, we would have a good chance of success. For the moment, the Belgian shipping word in China should not be used at any price.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 5. A prospectus by the military Chazal and Brialmont, The Importance of General Chazal in Colonial Politics. Minister Chazal, who had little ambition in an almost impossible Chinese adventure, Confronting the French practicalities and the British stubbornness of that expedition was most likely the last thing on his mind. Even the experienced king had already given up all hope. The enthusiastic young Leopold did not give up and started to advise the minister himself. KMLKG, Papiers Chazal, 111/13, the Duke of Brabant to Chazal, October 4, 1859.


 * At the moment, neither the Spanish, the Portuguese, nor the Dutch are willing to sell. I intend to discreetly inform myself if in Africa if there is nothing to do.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 6. Baron Auguste Lambermont (1819-1905), A key figure in the background of early Belgian colonialism Leopold II in a key letter to Baron Lambermont after the failed colonial efforts in the Philippines and Tonkin, On August 22, 1875. AMBuZa. Papiers Lambermont, volume V, section 9, Leopold II to Baron Lambermont, August 22, 1875. For publication and photographic reproduction: ROEYKENS, A. Les débuts de l'œuvre africaine de Léopold II, 1875-1879, 95-96.


 * I want the great effort which must permanently open Africa to civilization to take a date in Belgium.
 * Inculturation of Christian marriage in the Belgian Congo. 1919-1950. The Policy Making of the Mission Superiors on Polygamy; their directives to the missionaries and influence on the policy of the State. (Betty Eggermont) CHAPTER 3. THE COLONIZING GOVERNMENT. Leopold to Jean-Baptiste Nothomb in June 1876. cited in STENGERS (J.), op.cit., p.VII.


 * If there is some way to hasten the introduction of civilization to the only part of the world where it has not entered and to interest the public in the matter. I would be flattered if Brussels became the headquarters of this humanitarian and scientific movement which, if it succeeded in developing, would mark the end of the century with a good deed.
 * Inculturation of Christian marriage in the Belgian Congo. 1919-1950. The Policy Making of the Mission Superiors on Polygamy; their directives to the missionaries and influence on the policy of the State. (Betty Eggermont) CHAPTER 3. THE COLONIZING GOVERNMENT. ut supra.

Quotes related to the Congo Free State



 * The Congo Free State is unique in its kind. It has nothing to hide and no secrets and is not beholden to anyone except its founder.
 * Cited in Clive Foss, The Tyrants: 2500 Years of Absolute Power and Corruption, London: Quercus Publishing, 2006, ISBN 1905204965


 * I do not want to miss a good chance of getting us a slice of this magnificent African cake.
 * Cited in Thomas Pakenham The Scramble for Africa: White Man's Conquest of the Dark Continent From 1876 to 1912, New York: Avon Books, 1992, 22.


 * Do I still need to tell you that I am not guided by selfish motives? No gentlemen, although Belgium is small, it is happy and content with its fate. I have no ambition other than to serve it. In this century, our civilized society imparts unprecedented values to barbarian communities in other parts of the world.
 * Leopold II, King of the Belgians in a speech at the Brussels Geographic Conference on September 12, 1876. Quoted from the book Zaïre, Ketens van Koper (translated: Zaire, Chains of Copper) Chapter 2: "From Leopold II to Bwana Kitoko", p. 16. Leuven, Kritak Fonds, 1978. ISBN 9063030185


 * These expeditions respond to an extraordinarily civilizing Christian idea: to abolish slavery in Africa, to dispel the darkness that still reigns in part of the world, to get to know the resources that seem gigantic, in short, pouring out the treasures of civilization, that's it. purpose of this modern crusade worthy of our era.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Leopold II in a note to himself when reading Livingstone's reports.


 * We must ensure that it is not too clear that the Association of Congo and the African Association are two different businesses. The public doesn't understand that. It will assume that there are two phases, the first of which is no longer relevant.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Leopold II in a letter to one of his staff members.


 * It is not about Belgian colonies. It is about establishing a new state that is as large as possible and about its governance. It should be clear that in this project there can be no question of granting the Negroes the slightest form of political power. That would be ridiculous. The whites, who lead the posts, have all the power.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Leopold II in his instructions to Henry Morton Stanley just before the departure of Stanley's first expedition commissioned by himself.


 * To open to civilization the only part of the globe not yet explored, to penetrate the shadows that envelope its entire population; This is, I make bold to say a crusade worthy of this century of progress, and I am happy to note that public opinion is favorable to its undertaking.
 * Belgian Congo - American survey 1956-57 By Robert G.Mc Gregor, Consul General of the USA in the Belgian Congo. Leopold II describing the purpose of the International African Association


 * The terms of the treaties Stanley has made with native chiefs do not satisfy me. There must at least be an added article to the effect that they delegate to us their sovereign rights, the treaties must be as brief as possible and in a couple of articles must grant us everything.
 * Maurice, Albert (1957). H.M. Stanley Unpublished Letters. London. p. 161.


 * You don't have to worry in the least, because in Belgium you will be able to enjoy all the benefits with which I will shower you, choose your replacement carefully, and appoint him only with my approval, until then then you will remain on your post my faithful cloak. May God guide and support you in the missions I entrust to you for the sake of my subjects, I wish that all your duties have already been carried out, so that when you come to Belgium I can prove to you that I am a true friend my faithful cloak, I pray to God that he may protect you, Leopold.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 King Leopold II in a letter to 'Tippu Tip' (The once notorious slaver, who gave up the slave trade to became an administrator in Leopold's Congo Free State.)


 * You should purchase as much land as you will be able to obtain without losing one minute from all the chiefs from the mouth of the Congo to Stanley falls, I will send you more people and raw materials, and perhaps Chinese couriers.
 * King Leopold's Ghost Letter to Henry Morton Stanley, 1881.


 * The Congo state is certainly not a business, if it gathers ivory on some of it's lands, that is only to lessen its deficits.
 * King Leopold's Ghost Letter to the Belgian Prime minister: Auguste Beernaert, 1891.


 * In dealing with a race composed of cannibals for thousands of years, it is necessary to use methods which will best shape their idleness, and make them realize the sanctity of work.
 * King Leopold's Ghost Newspaper interview, 1906.


 * I believe we must set up three children's colonies, the aim of these colonies is above all to furnish us with soldiers.
 * King Leopold's Ghost Leopold II in a letter to the Congo Governor General: Camille Janssen, 1890.


 * I will give them my Congo, but they have no right to know what I did there.
 * King Leopold's Ghost King Leopold Ii in Letter to aid, 1908.


 * Hopefully they won't mess up my Congo!
 * Mémoires du Congo - Shame or Pride


 * The soldiers of the State are necessarily recruited among the natives. They don't immediately shed habits blood thirsty handed down from generation to generation. The example of white officers, discipline military, will inspire them with the horror of human trophies of which they are ready to be proud. It's in their leaders that they must see the living demonstration of this higher principle that the exercise of authority is not to be confused with cruelty: the second ruins the first. I like to think that our agents, almost all volunteers from the ranks of the Belgian army, are always present atmind the rules of the honorary career in which they are engaged.
 * Pierre Vercauteren: A king unjustly maligned. (Page 11) On June 16, 1897, in a letter addressed to Mr. Cerkel and other great EIC clerks.


 * Our only programme is the work of moral and material re-generation.
 * CONGO FREE STATE. HC Deb 20 May 1903 vol 122 cc1289-332


 * I would like to do something in Africa; I've been thinking about this for a few days now and would like you to help me. Here are my first impressions, think about it. I know your talent and your sagacious and devoted mind; I know that the day you get down to it, I will be able to count on you. peaceful and humanitarianism is my only concern.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 6. Baron Auguste Lambermont (1819-1905), A key figure in the background of early Belgian colonialism The memoirs of one of Leopold II's wing adjutants at the time, Baron Lieutenant General Guillaume, clearly hint that King Leopold II explicitly asked Lambermont to help him during the colonial quest in Africa. GUILLAUME, C. “Intimate memories. How King Leopold intervened in the Congo. In: Belgian Independence, 2 May 1918.


 * It's my ruin you stipulate and you can't want it.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), Emile Banning (1836-1898): The Don Quichotte of the ‘liberal civilization’ in Congo Belgian Diplomat Banning supported the financing of the necessary railways inside the Congo to be funded by the more internationalized AIC, Leopold II, who preferred to take out a private loan himself and wanted to leave the AIC as it was, Leopold II opted for more financial security, as the monarch himself had already invested a lot of personal fortune in the whole enterprise, so he led banning know. BANNING, E. Mémoires politiques et diplomatiques, 25-26.


 * I am overwhelmed by your letter yesterday, and I hope with all my heart and for you and for the patriotic work that we are pursuing that you do not persevere in your desire to leave the administration of the Congo. Please come and see me in Brussels on Saturday at a quarter past one.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 9. Boycott! The story of Edmond Stanislas van Eetvelde (1852-1925) AKP. Archives relatives au développement extérieur de la Belgique sous le regne de Léopold II. Correspondance générale, “Edmond van Eetvelde”, 108/22 bis (25/9/1890). After that meeting, the archive remained empty until the end of November 1890, which means that it can be assumed that the ever-convincing Leopold II worked out a compromise and gave van Eetvelde just under two months' leave.


 * You would remember that when I decided that the state would exploit its domain and that any vacant land would be claimed by it as its own, you found me absolutely absolute. You have nevertheless very vigorously and very skillfully supported me. For the Nile, I also ask you to follow my instructions faithfully. I will not lead you to the shipwreck, I promise you. For the time being, I want to be as powerful as possible on the Nile.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 9. Boycott! The story of Edmond Stanislas van Eetvelde (1852-1925) A chaotic and multifaceted colonial career after 1890 Although he did not always belong to that department, van Eetvelde always continued to play a leading role in the foreign relations of the Congo Free State. He often found it difficult to hide his horror, and mentioned to the British ambassador, among other things, that the expeditions of Leopold II could in fact be classified very close to complete madness ("a little short of insanity"). and that the king gradually let himself be guided only by his imagination. Perhaps the stubborn Sovereign knew his Secretary of State's reservations. In any case, the king answered his servant in April 1897: STENGERS, J. “Eetvelde (Van), Edmond”, o.c., 342.


 * The mission which the agents of the State in Congo must fulfill is noble and of high purpose. Their task is to develop the work of civilization. They must gradually contain the primitive wildness, the bloodthirsty habits of thousands of years. They must subject the population to new laws. among which the most urgent and the most beneficial is undoubtedly that of labour.
 * Inculturation of Christian marriage in the Belgian Congo. 1919-1950. The Policy Making of the Mission Superiors on Polygamy; their directives to the missionaries and influence on the policy of the State. (Betty Eggermont) CHAPTER 3. THE COLONIZING GOVERNMENT. NECKERS (J.) and FOUTRY (V.), Like a world so big where your flag is planted. Congo 1885-1960., Brussels, BRT-Instructional Broadcasting Service, 1986, p.39.


 * If you yield so much as an inch of the Congo, your old King will rise from his grave to blame you.
 * "Belgian Congo at War" by the Belgian Information Center King Leopold II a few hours before his death, at the last audience he gave to his prime minister.


 * My rights to the Congo are not for sharing; they are the fruits of my labours and my expenditures . . . The adversaries of the Congo are pressing for immediate annexation. These persons no doubt hope that a change of regime would sabotage the work now in progress and would enable them to reap some rich booty.
 * EWANS, supra note 50, at 224 (emphasis added); see also PAKENHAM, supra note 42, at 655 (quoting a “royal letter” issued by King Leopold on June 3, 1906).

Quotes about Leopold II

 * The Duke of Brabant (Leopold II) takes me for a statistical office.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 5. A prospectus by the military Chazal and Brialmont, The military centipede Henri-Alexis Brialmont (1821-1893) Brialmont was happy to study the overseas expansion of Belgium together with Leopold II, whereupon Leopold must have involved him in his studies. young Leopold overwhelmed his new comrade in arms with study proposals and encouragement for a new brochure on the necessity of Belgian colonialism. DAYE, P. Leopold II, 83.


 * The young Prince Leopold has the nose of a fairytale prince who has been enchanted by an evil witch.
 * Leopold II, The Whole Story Benjamin Disraeli about the King Leopold II of Belgium.


 * He claims all successes and attributes the failures to others, he accepts no more criticism and he demands unquestioning obedience to his commands, his judgment must be the judgment of all, his logic must be that of his co-workers, his conscience must be the conscience of others, he is so accustomed to crushing any opposition or sensitivity in his associates that he dares to ask them anything.
 * Leopold II, Het hele Verhaal, Johan Op De Beeck Horizon, 2020 ISBN 9789463962094 Belgian businessman and close associate of Leopold II, Albert Thys about King Leopold II.


 * 'Leopold II was a true visionary for his time, a hero.
 * Millions of Congolese died under his rule, yet Louis Michel says: 'Leopold II was a hero with ambition'


 * I am a great admirer of Leopold II, although I think that he should be destroyed in the memory of mankind and reduced to the state in which I presented him in my play, namely a dirty goblin who as soon as he does something of any interest must be raised in order to become a fully-fledged human being.
 * Hugo Claus about "the white devil" in a television contribution for the Belgian public broadcaster


 * Papers from Count Jules Greindl, who was the main collaborator of Leopold II in this curious affair, the author has drawn a very precise account, supplemented by documents. To take advantage of the financial ruin of Spain to make the Philippines a kingdom of its own, distinct from Belgium and then to form a company which would exploit the islands in the name of Spain, such were the successive ideas of Leopold. They failed both for lack of capital and for the reaction of Spanish pride. But they show, in Leopold II, the progress of the colonial idea with all the aspects that will then be found in the Congolese affair. When Stanley discovered the Congo, Leopold was ready.
 * Léopold Greindl, In search of an independent state, Leopold II and the Filipinos 1869-1875. Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences, Brussels, 1960, p.375 H. Deschamps.


 * Leopold II has always been a bit of an obsession for me. In 1955 I was appointed to the order named after him, I didn't quite know what to do with it, I defiantly walked around with the ribbon in the hope that some colonel would say: "Vlerk, what are you doing with that?" It never happened unfortunately. I've read 42 books about him, documented thoroughly about the interest rate in 1882, and you can't help but feel admiration for that man. He has been the last great king, a kind of dinosaur. When he said or wrote 'we', you don't know whether he's talking about himself, his family, his country or his dynasty.
 * Schaevers 2004: 217


 * The King isolates himself and becomes less and less accessible to our advice.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), Emile Banning (1836-1898): The Don Quichotte of the ‘liberal civilization’ in Congo, Emile Banning's Colonial Career. BANNING, E. Political and Diplomatic Memoirs, 308.


 * The King is no longer the same; the change of character and spirit observed in him for two or three years is accentuated and makes fear of a catastrophe, at a time when he had only to let it go to be a remarkable King, perhaps to become a large figure.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), Emile Banning (1836-1898): The Don Quichotte of the ‘liberal civilization’ in Congo, A romantic associate of Leopold II. WILLEQUET, J. Le baron Lambermont, 103.


 * He is August the tyrant.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), Emile Banning (1836-1898): The Don Quichotte of the ‘liberal civilization’ in Congo, A romantic associate of Leopold II. LE FEBVE DE VIVY, L. Documents of Belgian pre-colonial history (1861-1865). Brussel, 1955, 12.


 * The King was very ignorant… he lacked education. ... He was ignorant of geography, the teachings of history and the science of international law
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 8. The Short Colonial Careers of Jules Greindl, Eugène père Beyens, Eugène Napoléon Beyens and Maximilien Strauch, Maximilien Strauch (1829-1911) ROEYKENS, A. Les débuts de l'oeuvre africaine de Léopold II, o.c., 414-415. Roeykens, who never hesitated to applaud Leopold II for his colonial «genius», felt uncomfortable quoting and paraphrasing this letter. Roeykens consequently questioned Wauters' objectivity, critical spirit and serenity in harsh terms.


 * Leopold had a very strong personality. His tenacity and stubbornness discouraged not only individuals but also entire governments. Indeed, to serve his prodigious energy, he needed men who could work for him tirelessly and at his own pace. His juvenile and somewhat awkward air disappeared and he soon exercised a singular power of seduction. There are many testimonies of men faced with tasks they considered exorbitant, if not impossible, and who left their desks, boiling with enthusiasm to carry out their plans.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 10. The shadow of Leopold II weighs heavily, Political, social and psychological profile. EMERSON, B. Léopold II, 65.


 * Every Belgian heart beats in unison with our hearts, and their voices unite with our voices; and there shall echo from one end of Belgium to the other the cries, a thousand times repeated, Vive King Leopold II! Vive the Queen! Vive the royal family!
 * Speech by Mr. Rolin Jacquemyns, Minister of the Interior, at the National Exhibition on June 16th, Addressed to the King and Queen


 * This wise prince, the true head of a nation of freemen, did more than deserve the love and admiration of his subjects. He rendered a distinguished service to the cause of popular liberty.
 * Speech by Mr. Rolin Jacquemyns, Minister of the Interior, at the National Exhibition on June 16th, Addressed to the King and Queen

Quotes about Leopold II Related to Belgium

 * I well knew your present King’s father and pious mother. I was often admitted to the friendly intimacy of the royal family, and I have held the little Leopold, Duke of Brabant, in my arms. I remember that good Christian, Queen Marie Louise, asking me to give my benediction to her eldest son, then eight or nine years old, so that he might become a good king.
 * Pope Leo XIII: His Life And Work, Julien De Narfon, 1923 As King Leopold I belonged to the Protestant religion, the influence acquired by Mgr. Pecci over his Majesty was all the more remarkable. As for Queen Marie Louise, who was a fervent Catholic, she admired the Prelate’s virtues still more than his diplomatic skill.


 * He wanted to transform his little Belgians into an imperial nation capable of dominating and enlightening others.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 5. A prospectus by the military Chazal and Brialmont, The military centipede Henri-Alexis Brialmont (1821-1893) CROKAERT, P. BRIALMONT, A. Brialmont, Eloge et mémoires, 422.


 * The more the Belgians know about the struggles that Leopold II supported to develop his work and ensure it a place in the family of nations, the more they will appreciate their heritage. Each year the debt they owed to their second king becomes more priceless to them, and each year further highlights the sagacity and patriotism of Leopold II. While their large African colony has greatly enhanced the power of the metropolis, it will continue to increase the wealth of the whole world in the future.
 * Mr. Robert Stanley Thomson (history teacher) in '“La Fondation de l’Etat Indépendant du Congo' 1933, Quoted from "Glance at the Past, Page 40, MÉMOIRES DU CONGO Asbl, Chaleroi


 * Every Belgian heart beats in unison with our hearts, and their voices unite with our voices; and there shall echo from one end of Belgium to the other the cries, a thousand times repeated, Vive King Leopold II! Vive the Queen! Vive the royal family!
 * The 50th anniversary of Belgian Independance ceremonies opened by an address by Mr. Rolin Jacquemyns, minister of the interior, to the King and Queen. Brussels, July 26, 1880.


 * Leopold II was a hero with ambition for a small country like Belgium.
 * Millions of Congolese died under his rule, yet Louis Michel says: 'Leopold II was a hero with ambition'


 * He desires a strong Belgium so that his wealth ceases to arouse envy among his neighbors; he also desires her to be strong, so that she can increase her heritage, float her flag on the seas, settle on distant beaches.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 5. A prospectus by the military Chazal and Brialmont, The military centipede Henri-Alexis Brialmont (1821-1893) LOMBAERDE, P. Leopold II. King-Builder. Ghent, 1995.


 * We can say that in terms of town planning - before the letter - he was a precursor. If there is an area where its reputation is guaranteed to survive for a long time to come, this is it. Belgium found itself since the end of his reign at the forefront of architectural movements and we can still see today in the Brussels landscape, and almost everywhere in the country, the mark of the king-builder.
 * Pierre Vercauteren: A king unjustly maligned. (Page 16) English historian, Barbara Emerson. Op. Cit. p 269.


 * He has done many good things for our country. He had parks built in Brussels and many other things, Leopold II himself has never been to Congo. But the people who worked for the king. And they really abused it. But I don't see how the monarch would make the people there suffer. It is important that this is also said.
 * Leopold II opens Pandora's box for King Philip from his grave


 * Leopold II, the Leopold II who appears to us in the light of the texts we know today, was indeed one of the most foreign men to the spirit of profit as it is usually understood. But his great thoughts, when he wielded money as an instrument, were more often than not for himself, but for his country. The Congo, no matter what Morel thought, brought him nothing personally. He drew money from the Congo, but he used it almost exclusively to enrich the national heritage, through real estate acquisitions, monumental constructions, and urban planning. His dread was not his own fortune but the “beautification” of his country.
 * Mr. Jean Stengers (history teacher) in 'Congo - Mythes et Réalités' ISBN:9782873865177 2007, Quoted from "Glance at the Past, Page 41, MÉMOIRES DU CONGO Asbl, Chaleroi

Quotes about Leopold II Related to the Belgian Colonial Empire

 * After 1869, the desire for territorial expansion, which he had cherished throughout his youth, became his one and only ambition, even his obsession.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), Preface:A historiographical picture of Leopold II (1835-1909) EMERSON, B. Léopold II: le royaume et l’empire, 59.


 * As early as 1855, the thought of the Duke of Brabant (Leopold II) seemed to be fixed on the subject of the initial form that any expansionist or Belgian colonial attempt must take: that of an international commercial company.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), Preface:A historiographical picture of Leopold II (1835-1909) ROEYKENS, A. Le dessein africaine de Leopold II: nouvelles recherches sur sa genèse et sa nature (1875-1876). Bruxelles, 1956, 10.


 * The Portuguese and Belgian colonial regimes were the most brazen in directly rounding up Africans to go and work for private capitalists under conditions equivalent to slavery. In Congo, brutal and extensive forced labor started under King Leopold II in the last century. So many Congolese were killed and maimed by Leopold’s officials and police that this earned European disapproval even in the midst of the general pattern of colonial outrages. When Leopold handed over the “Congo Free State” to the Belgian government in 1908, he had already made a huge fortune; and the Belgian government hardly relaxed the intensity of exploitation in Congo.
 * Walter Rodney,


 * The colonial system was wrong. It was an exploitation of the natural resources at the expense of the local population. In Belgium there is still a taboo on that subject, the place of Leopold II is in the museum, provided with the necessary explanation.
 * Princess Esmeralda: Leopold II belongs in the museum


 * The colonial past has never been discussed in a transparent and systematic manner in Belgium. Many historians have certainly studied the subject, but at the political level the theme has been very little addressed, if not avoided. And the biggest gap is in education. Our 21st century multicultural society needs to know the facts, not the myths passed down from generation to generation. The detachment of the statues of Leopold II is part of a desire to purge a past partisan by the settlers, without regard for the colonized population and their suffering.
 * Princess Esmeralda: Leopold II belongs in the museum


 * The economic crisis which weighs on Europe since the industry took such a big development, carries the nations towards the colonial companies. Belgium could not remain a stranger to this movement without seriously compromising its material interests; our King (Leopold II) understood this, and this is what determined him to substitute his individual initiative for the persistent inaction of the government and the nation.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 5. A prospectus by the military Chazal and Brialmont, The military centipede Henri-Alexis Brialmont (1821-1893) LECONTE, L. “Brialmont, Henri.”, 216-221.


 * The form of colonization he had championed, in fact, did not seem to him to be affected by these criticisms and it is in fact that it was not very much.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 6. Baron Auguste Lambermont (1819-1905), A key figure in the background of early Belgian colonialism STENGERS, J. "Liberal anti-colonialism of the 19th century in its influence in Belgium", 503.


 * When Leopold had an idea in his head, it was impossible to make him quit.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 6. Baron Auguste Lambermont (1819-1905), A key figure in the background of early Belgian colonialism WILLEQUET, J. Le baron Lambermont, 60.


 * Nothing that impressed Africa was foreign to him. Without needing to go and look there, he knew the dark continent, as if he had been its explorer, and he followed step by step the discoveries, which he noted in his prodigious memory and on the maps displayed on it. Table.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 8. The Short Colonial Careers of Jules Greindl, Eugène père Beyens, Eugène Napoléon Beyens and Maximilien Strauch, Eugène Napoléon Beyens (1855-1934) Son Beyens could not hide his admiration for the perseverance and zeal of Leopold II. BEYENS, E. “Souvenirs sur Léopold II and the court of Belgium.”, 542.

Quotes about Leopold II Related to the Congo Free State



 * Never before had an individual, whether king or commoner, created such an entity and it was all done without the classic assistance of armed conquest, royal marriage, or assassinations.
 * Tom Marvel (American journalist) In “The New Congo”, 1949, Quoted from "Glance at the Past, Page1, MÉMOIRES DU CONGO Asbl, Chaleroi


 * The Congo was a sovereign State before the Berlin Conference was thought of. The first official acknowledgment of the new State came from the United States in the spring of 1884. It was afterwards formally recognised by other nations, and it entered the Berlin Conference on equality with the other Powers. It has never placed itself under the guardianship of any Power or collection of Powers. It has no connection with Belgium except that King Leopold II happens to be king of each of them.
 * Mr. James G. Whiteley (member of the Institute of International Law) Quoted from "Glance at the Past, Page19, MÉMOIRES DU CONGO Asbl, Chaleroi


 * There have been cases in which the natives have been maltreated by minor officials, but these are isolated cases, and are severely punished by the authorities. Such cases have occurred in all public services where an attempt has been made to govern inferior races. Such things have happened in the Philippines, in British Africa, and in India. No colonising nation can cast a stone at King Leopold on that score. Among a large number of officials scattered over a vast territory there will often be one or two wicked stewards who despitefully use the natives. All that any State can do is to keep vigilant watch and to punish the wrongdoers, and this the Congo State has done. It has even established a Commission for the protection of the natives. By the decree of 1896, this Commission consisted of seven members, three being Catholic priests and four Protestant missionaries.
 * Mr. James G. Whiteley (member of the Institute of International Law) Quoted from "Glance at the Past, Page20, MÉMOIRES DU CONGO Asbl, Chaleroi


 * The committee is to travel throughout the country into all the districts covered by Mr Casement in his recent tour of inspection, besides visiting many places Mr Casement never saw. In brief, the committee is to hold inquiry wherever evidence can be obtained. Where native witnesses give evidence of a nature prejudicial to white men, the committee will see that such witnesses are protected from the possibility of suffering at the hands of officials against whom they may bear witness. The Government of the Congo holds itself responsible for the safety and well-being of such witnesses. On the latter point King Leopold has expressed himself in the strongest possible terms.
 * Mr. Henry Wellington Wack (American attorney) in 'The Story of the Congo Free State' 1905, Quoted from "Glance at the Past, Page32, MÉMOIRES DU CONGO Asbl, Chaleroi


 * There were severed hands in the Congo, at the time of the Independent State... by the Officers of the Force Publique, to prevent the waste of ammunition to which their soldiers willingly let go, demanded that they provide proof that they had used their cartridges correctly. The proof was the severed hand of the killed enemy ... Severed hands, it will be noted, never constituted a form of punishment. ... By emphasizing, as they did, on the theme of severed hands - a theme which, we realize, easily provoked emotion -, Morel and his friends gave birth to the ambiguity which finally spread and lasted until our days: the idea that Leopold II had his hands cut off in the Congo, that it was a question of torture inflicted on the population, and even of torture most characteristic of the regime.
 * Mr. Jean Stengers (history teacher) in 'Congo - Mythes et Réalités' ISBN:9782873865177 2007, Quoted from "Glance at the Past, Page 41, MÉMOIRES DU CONGO Asbl, Chaleroi


 * I did not fail to refer to the "abuses and other undeniable deficiencies that this report rightly stigmatizes. Leopold II, of course, also carefully read this report. He reacted to it very quickly, with an honesty, insight and efficiency worthy of this visionary King. Despite the damning conclusions, he did not hesitate to have it published - in extenso - in the Official Journal of the EIC (Independent State of Congo). He had the perpetrators of the abuses prosecuted and, above all, taken a series of radical measures to put an end to them, by issuing no less than 24 Decrees to this effect.
 * Mr. André de MAERE d’AERTRYCKE (former Territory Administrator) Quoted from "Glance at the Past, Page 44, MÉMOIRES DU CONGO Asbl, Chaleroi


 * Seldom has such a character assassination been committed in Belgium, seldom has the press reached such lows as in the time of Leopold II.
 * Prof. Idesbald Goddeeris in a review of the new biography of Leopold II. Johan op de Beeck describes the biased manner of reporting by the Belgian press about the various reports accusing King Leopold II of abuses in the Congo Free State in the early 20th century.


 * I accuse Leopold's officials of tyranny, i accuse Leopold's government of excessive cruelty, ox chains eaten to the necks of prisoners and produce sores about which flies circle, the courts are aborted unjust and delinquent, not one state official knows the language of the natives, your majesties' government is engaged in slave trade, wholesale and retail.
 * King Leopold's Ghost George Washington Williams, Open letter to H.M.S. King Leopold II, 1890.


 * Leopold's Congo state is guilty of crimes against humanity.
 * King Leopold's Ghost George Washington Williams, Open letter to U.S secretary of state James G. Blaine, 1890


 * Several of the little girls were so sickly on their arrival that our good sisters wouldn't save them, but all had the happiness of receiving holy baptism, they are now little angels in heaven who are praying for our great king.
 * King Leopold's Ghost Mother Superior, letter to Congo Official, 1895


 * The Belgians built the railways, schools and hospitals there and boosted economic growth. Whether Leopold II also turned Congo into a gigantic labor camp? Not really. At the time, that was just the way of doing things.
 * Millions of Congolese died under his rule, yet Louis Michel says: 'Leopold II was a hero with ambition'


 * We are easily tempted to exaggerate when it comes to Congo. It is quite lewd and simple to now posthumously condemn Leopold II. I instinctively feel that he was a hero, a hero with ambition for a small country like Belgium.
 * Millions of Congolese died under his rule, yet Louis Michel says: 'Leopold II was a hero with ambition'


 * Using the word genocide in Congo is absolutely unacceptable, nor appropriate! Colonization was not a silly undertaking. And yes, it was perhaps rather dominate, discovery and even acquire pure power. But at a certain point civilization did come.
 * Millions of Congolese died under his rule, yet Louis Michel says: 'Leopold II was a hero with ambition'


 * Call Leopold II a great visionary? You can't do that. What happened there then is shameful. If we took into account the standards of the 21st century, there is a good chance that Leopold II should now have appeared before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
 * Millions of Congolese died under his rule, yet Louis Michel says: 'Leopold II was a hero with ambition'


 * Hitler, Stalin, Men who need no introduction. King Leopold of Belgium, that's right Everyone thinks he's so great Well, he owned the Congo, He tore it up too, Took the diamonds, Took the silver, Took the gold, You know what he left 'em with? Malaria.
 * [http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0041-476X2009000100011 Randy Newman: 2008.


 * Leopold, aware of the high responsibilities he had to bear towards Belgium and determined to liberate the African peoples from their crushing material and moral living conditions, wanted to bring civilization to the very heart of the black continent in order to put an end to to the shameful slave trade and the enslavement that resulted from it, to fight against the deadly plagues and to put an end to ignorance and lead the peoples to the good to which they were entitled.
 * Marc Reynebeau 1999: 17


 * When Leopold II began his great work, which today finds its culmination, he presented himself to you not as a conqueror but as a bringer of civilization.
 * Wesseling 2003: 50-51


 * 2008 commemorates the centenary of Congo becoming a colony in 1908. This colony ceased to exist in 1960. But as is well known, since 1885 there have been close ties between Congo and Belgium, in particular through the Belgian King Leopold II, who in 1885 after the Berlin Congress, in fact, acquired Congo as his "personal property".
 * Wesseling 1992


 * The history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is also that of the Belgian missionaries, officials and entrepreneurs who believed in King Leopold II's dream of building a State in the center of Africa. At this precise moment, we want to pay homage to the memory of all these pioneers. ''
 * Pierre Vercauteren: A king unjustly maligned. President Kabila, on April 10, 2004 during a reception offered to him by the Belgian Senate. (page 18)


 * The independence of the Congo is the crowning of the work conceived by the genius of King Leopold II undertaken by him with firm courage, and continued by Belgium with perseverance. Independence marks a decisive hour in the destinies not only of the Congo herself but- I don't hesitate to say-of the whole of Africa.
 * Marred M. Lumumba's offensive speech in King's presence


 * When the State of Congo was called to economic life by the King of the Belgians, trade was only possible on the ribs. Now, thanks to the activity of His Majesty, he is done safely above the cataracts. This is the result of the peace and order which were introduced by the King of the Belgians incountries where no white merchant could have shown himself before.
 * Pierre Vercauteren: A king unjustly maligned. Lord Wolseley in The Times, 1890.


 * I do not believe in the accusations made in England against King Leopold II, the Congo and I do not share the feelings of those who inspire them. No state would be willing to spend the money spent by the King of the Belgians and Belgium in the most dark places of darkest Africa. When I consider the few years that have passed since the Congo became a state, I believe that the work accomplished is a great honor to Belgium. You can be sure that the King of the Belgians is interested in every detail of his administration. I do not claim that he can monitor all the actions of each individual, what Government could? The stories of the atrocities that have been spread are almost all gossip. The English note of month of August is based on biased reports. I am convinced that Leopold II has been doing his best to prevent any crime in the Congo, he is not responsible for the crimes anymore that could be committed there than those that are sometimes committed in Belgium. The reason of all these slanders? Jealousy! The Congo is doing better than any other African state. Those stories of atrocities will not stop, they will persist with the little basis they had, this was never anything but pure invention.
 * Pierre Vercauteren: A king unjustly maligned. (Page 19) Sir Henry Morton Stanley in an interview given to  Petit Bleu  on November 13, 1903.


 * To my beginnings in colonial life, almost forty years ago, I found my first major lesson in studying the work of King Leopold II in the Congo: model of creation, practical organization and director, broad and liberal initiative, understanding the material, moral and social needs of natives, from whom all colonial works should be inspired and which, for so many years and over so many points, served as a guide.
 * Pierre Vercauteren: A king unjustly maligned. (Page 18) Marshal Lyautey, In a letter addressed to Count Carton de Wiart in 1930.


 * Tackling Leopold in Africa has set in motion a big movement – it must be a movement of human liberation all the world over.
 * Roger Casement remembered in London Roger Casement confided to Morel


 * The apology cult must stop. But that does not mean that the atrocities of the past should be denied. This applies to Leopold II, but also to other culprits. And certainly for crimes that continue to this day in certain areas of the world such as slavery.
 * Vlaams Belang 'restores' Congo monument in Cinquantenaire Park.


 * England would not have managed the Congo better than King Leopold has done if she had been mistress of it, as she might have become in 1877.
 * Brief of Henry I. Kowalsky, of the New York bar, attorney and counsellor to Leopold II.


 * I crossed Africa from East to West and from West to East, and I never saw any excesses committed. I do not think that from this point of view there is a single sovereign living who has done so much for humanity as Leopold II."
 * Brief of Henry I. Kowalsky, of the New York bar, attorney and counsellor to Leopold II.


 * The change which has occurred in the political condition of the African Coast, today calls for common action on the part of the Powers responsible for the control of that Coast. That action should tend to close all foreign slave markets and should also result in putting down slave hunting in the interior. The great work undertaken by the King of the Belgians, in the constitution of the Congo State, and the lively interest taken by His Majesty in all questions affecting the welfare of the African races, lead Her Majesty's Government to hope that Belgium will be disposed to take the initiative in inviting the Powers to meet in Conference at Brussels, in order to consider the best means of attaining the gradual suppression of the slave-trade on the Continent of Africa and the immediate closing of all the outside markets which the slave-trade daily continues to supply.
 * New Africa; an essay on government civilization in new countries, and on the foundation, organization and administration of the Congo Free State, THE BRUSSELS CONFERENCE, Page 141. British Minister to the Belgian Court On September 17, 1888.


 * The prevailing opinion at court was that the founding of a colony was beyond the strength of the Sovereign of a small state and that he would swallow up his private fortune, unable to create anything lasting. The King sought for the execution of his designs collaborators possessed of the faith which he himself had and which lifts mountains.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 8. The Short Colonial Careers of Jules Greindl, Eugène père Beyens, Eugène Napoléon Beyens and Maximilien Strauch, Eugène Napoléon Beyens (1855-1934) Eugène Napoléon Beyens himself had a modest share in the creation of the Congo Free State. Shortly after 1883 he was in charge of private correspondence about the Congo. As a youngster he received this assignment, perhaps because Leopold II realized that the advisers associated with his 'Maison Civile' had little interest in those adventures. “Souvenirs sur Léopold II et la cour de Belgique.”, 545.


 * By the end of 1892, all the King's collaborators during the first and second phases of Belgian work in the Congo had therefore ceased to participate. M. van Eetvelde, who had increasingly isolated himself from them, remained alone in possession of the sovereign's confidence, with the sole program of being the passive instrument of his designs. This third phase of the administration of the state of Congo affected all signs of impending dissolution.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 9. Boycott! The story of Edmond Stanislas van Eetvelde (1852-1925) With this quote from a frustrated Emile Banning, the last chapter of the corpus of this treatise gets underway, which breaks through the 1890-1892 barrier in search of the other wind that would then blow in the colonial court of Leopold II. This third phase was not only characterized by a fragmentation in the administration of the EIC, but also by a new relationship between the king and his assistants. ARAB. Banning Papers, nr. 152, The Independent State of Congo and the Société Anonyme Belge pour le Commerce du Haut-Congo. Conflict over freedom of trade. Important later note from Banning, 5.


 * It would be difficult to imagine a more centralized organization than that which has been achieved in the central government of the Independent State of Congo. The Secretary of State is its absolute head, although he himself remains in the most absolute dependence of the Sovereign.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 9. Boycott! The story of Edmond Stanislas van Eetvelde (1852-1925) The Remarkable Resignation Soap CATTIER, F. Law and administration of the Independent State of Congo. Brussel, 1898, 201.


 * Leopold II was able to push through his imperial wish and obtained that the fate of what would then be called the Congo Free State was linked to his own. He gave Congo its shape and dimensions, as well as a financial-capitalist structure. However, the debt burden that had become too heavy meant that the king handed over his colony to Belgium, a gift that the parliament was hesitant about but did not dare to refuse.
 * Manu Ruys' far-reaching view of Congo over the period 1958-2000. (Lore Bertrem) 4.1: the pre-colonial period - Leopold II - Belgian Congo Histoire du Zaïre, blz. 357.


 * In 1885, the whole of Africa was colonized or placed under trusteeship, but Congo climbed to the podium of the three existing sovereign countries. The borders that have been, since 1894, the crucible of Congolese identity were acquired, by treaty, by Leopold II. Thus, Congo has absolutely no debt to Belgium for its international existence. Later, it was through a bilateral treaty, between two sovereign states, regularly ratified, that the Kingdom of Belgium became the metropolis of the Belgian Congo (1908-1960). The little-known truth is that in 1960, Belgium did not grant Congolese independence, but it returned it.
 * The Greatest Fake News of All Time: Leopold II, the Genius and Builder King of Lumumba, Chapter: A Story never told before, page 28, Marcel Yabili, Lubumbashi, AFNIL, 2021. ISBN 9791094969809


 * What does the greatness of a monarch consist in? I fit is the extent of his territory, then the Emperor of Russia is the greatest of all. I fit is the splendour and power of military organization, then William II [of Germany] takes first place. But if royal greatness consists in the wisdom and goodness of a sovereign leading his people with the solicitude of a shepherd watching over his flock, then the greatest sovereign is your own.
 * Hochschild, A. (1998). King Leopold's ghost: a story of greed, terror, and heroism in Colonial Africa. Boston, Houghton Mifflin. While the conference was still in session, Leopold invited Stanley to Belgium for a week. Stanley spoke to the delegates,and Leopold presented him with the Grand Cross of the Congo, arranged a banquet and a gala opera performance in his honor,and put him up in the gilt and scarlet rooms at the Royal Palace normally reserved for visiting royalty. In return, Stanley praised his host to the Belgians in a speech.
 * As a constitutional monarch, Leopold II had no possibility of becoming a tyrant in Belgium. He could dismiss Parliament, but had to sign the bills it submitted to him, and to rule in consultation with his ministers. He did not even have a coronation, but an inauguration where he swore before Parliament to obey the Constitution. Yet Leopold had tremendous ambitions. He dreamed of a Belgium that could stand among the European powers, and for that he deemed colonies a necessity. By clever and stealthy means, he managed to gain control of a vast realm in Africa, the Congo, much of which became his personal property. Here, he indulged his desire for profit by exploiting the native population more ferociously than anyone before him. His excesses finally became so notorious that Belgium took control of the colony, giving the country the empire Leopold desired, but also blackening his memory.
 * Clive Foss, The Tyrants: 2500 Years of Absolute Power and Corruption, London: Quercus Publishing, 2006, ISBN 1905204965, p. 116


 * By 1891, six years into the attempt to build the EIC, the whole project was on the verge of bankruptcy. It would have been easy for Léopold to raise revenues by sanctioning imports of liquor that could be taxed or by levying fees on the number of huts in each village, both of which would have caused harm to the native population. A truly “greedy” king, as Hochschild repeatedly calls him, had many fiscal options that Léopold did not exercise.
 * Prof. Bruce Gilley, King Hochschild’s Hoax, The American Conservative, 17 april, 2023.


 * The abuses were first reported by an American missionary in The Times of London in 1895 and quickly brought Léopold’s censure: “If there are these abuses in the Congo, we must stop them,” he warned EIC officials in 1896. “If they continue, it will be the end of the state.” For the next ten years, reforming the Congo’s rubber industry absorbed an inordinate amount of attention in the British and American press and legislatures, not to mention within Belgium and the EIC itself, leading to formal Belgian colonization in 1908. Hochschild thus takes a very limited, unintentional, unforeseen, and perhaps unavoidable problem of native-on-native conflict over rubber harvesting and blows it up into a “forgotten Holocaust” to quote the subtitle given to the French edition of his book. Inside this great invention are many more perfidious Russian dolls.
 * Prof. Bruce Gilley, King Hochschild’s Hoax, The American Conservative, 17 april, 2023.


 * How can we explain the fact that Leopold II distinguished between his personality as the assignee of the removed Crown Foundation assets and the Free State, to the point that he felt he had to transfer all or part of these assets to the Free State, by a subsequent formal provision of the decree? In the simplest way in the world. By the fact that the King, who had only rather vague notions on the exact legal scope of his sovereignty, believed in the possibility of a disjunction, a duality between the absolute state that was the Congo Free State and the personality of his sovereign, whereas such a disjunction was contrary to the most elementary principles of public law.
 * Cour d’appel [CA] [Court of Appeals] Bruxelles, Plaidoirie de Me Eugène Hanssens, avocat de la cour d’appel de Bruxelles pour l’état belge intimé, contre S.A.R. la princesse Louise de Belgique et S.A.R. la princesse Stéphanie de Belgique, Comtesse Lyonay appelantes at 60 (Belg.) [hereinafter Cour d’appel de Bruxelles].

Quotes addressed to Leopold II

 * The Committee of the British Baptist Missionary Society, of London, desire most respectfully to address Your Majesty as Sovereign of the Congo Free State, and to express their grateful acknowledgments for Your Majesty's gracious and helpful sympathy with all wisely considered efforts put forth for the enlightenment and uplifting of Your Majesty's native subjects living within the territories of the Congo Free State.
 * Brief of Henry I. Kowalsky, of the New York bar, attorney and counsellor to Leopold II.


 * In the prosecution of these labours, the Committee of the Baptist Missionary Society desire gratefully to acknowledge the many signal and helpful proofs they have received of Your Gracious Majesty's approval and support; and very specially at this juncture they are pleased to express to Your Majesty their respectful appreciation of the great boon granted "to all religious, scientific and charitable institutions," by the reduction of direct and personal taxes by 50 per cent, from, on, and after the first day of July last, as proclaimed by Your Majesty's command in the May and June issues of the Bulletin officiel de I'Etat independant du Congo, which the Committee regard as a further and significant proof of Your Majesty's desire to promote the truest welfare of Your Majesty's Congo subjects, and to help forward all institutions calculated to produce enduring and beneficent results."
 * Brief of Henry I. Kowalsky, of the New York bar, attorney and counsellor to Leopold II.


 * There is no longer a single government that colonizes. There is only individual colonization.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 4. Viceroys without colonial aspirations? Jules Van Praet (1806-1887) The colonization of Santo Tomas in Guatemala marked a turning point in Belgium's young colonial history. The fiasco in Guatemala traumatized Belgian politics and also played a part in the increasing reticence of Van Praet, who passed on to the Duke of Brabant (Leopold II) the liberal criticisms of Minister Frère-Orban against the old-fashioned techniques of colonization with privileged societies or differential systems. JANSSENS, G. STENGERS, J. New light on Leopold I and II. The Goffinet Archive, 253.


 * We went to live in full Portuguese territory without the permission of Portugal. I don't quite understand our claim.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 4. Viceroys without colonial aspirations? Jules Devaux (1828-1886) Jules Devaux dared to reprove the king himself every now and then for the madness of his colonial plans. Thus he wrote to him in October 1883, when a conflict with Portugal over the sovereignty of the Congolese coasts was in the making. AKP. Archives relating to the external development of Belgium under the reign of Leopold II. General correspondence, “Jules Devaux”, 44 (25/10/1883).


 * I think sire, that you would be wrong to give the slightest publicity to this writing, and even to communicate it to the person who asked you for it.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 5. A prospectus by the military Chazal and Brialmont, The Importance of General Chazal in Colonial Politics. Minister Chazal to Prince Leopold about a booklet he wrote "Completion of the work of 1830" in which he openly pleads for the invasion of the Netherlands, for the reunification of Catholics under one crown, and his ambitions to create a colonial overseas empire, disregarding the neutral status of the newly born Belgian state. KMLKG, Papiers Chazal, 65/1, Chazal to the Duke of Brabant, June 28, 1859. The work may have been commissioned by Leopold I, who had sent his son to the study so that he could gain experience with the complex political landscape.


 * I am not telling you this, Monsignor, in the interest of the project that I am going to defend in the chamber and in front of the country, but in your personal interest. Believe me, Monsignor, we are entering an era where a Prince cannot be too circumspect and cautious. Avoid getting into our discussions and our controversies, avoid taking sides in our struggles.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 5. A prospectus by the military Chazal and Brialmont, The Importance of General Chazal in Colonial Politics. Minister Chazal to Prince Leopold about a booklet he wrote "Completion of the work of 1830" in which he openly pleads for the invasion of the Netherlands, for the reunification of Catholics under one crown, and his ambitions to create a colonial overseas empire, disregarding the neutral status of the newly born Belgian state.KMLKG, Papiers Chazal, 65/1, Chazal to the Duke of Brabant, June 28, 1859.


 * The ivory issue worries me more and more. I am not forgetting any of the considerations that Your Majesty has deigned to point out to me, but commerce will want to be reassured as to the limits of competition.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 6. Baron Auguste Lambermont (1819-1905), The Anti-Slavery Conference and the Relaxing Relationship with Leopold II Lambermont On 7 July 1890 about Leopold II who imposed taxes on the ivory trade in the Congolese interior and on the export of ivory., AKP. Archives relating to the external development of Belgium, 72/114, baron Lambermont aan Leopold II, July 7, 1890. De hele brief is opgenomen in bijlage 12.1., 151.


 * You may want to, Sire, but then you will find someone other than me to carry out such a will.
 * All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), Emile Banning (1836-1898): The Don Quichotte of the ‘liberal civilization’ in Congo Banning had a final private meeting with the king, which, according to the anecdotal press, culminated in this bitter altercation. WALRAET, M. Emile Banning. Un grand Belge, 54.


 * I will be more and more concerned with giving you sound and true political ideas, few people are better able to do this than I; since the age of 16 I have been involved in the big affairs of Europe.
 * A royal puppet show in the Belgian royal family. The education of the first Belgian royal children. (Greet Donckers) AKP, Fund Leopold I, III Archives Conway, Letter from King Leopold I to Prince Leopold, 11 November 1850, 20/3.