King Leopold's Congo, 1886-1908

bibliographic database
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Book chapter

Title:	King Leopold's Congo, 1886-1908
Authors:	Stengers, Jean Vansina, Jan
Book title:	The Cambridge History of Africa: vol. 6: From 1870 to 1905
Year:	1985
Pages:	315-358
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	Congo (Democratic Republic of) Congo Free State
Abstract:	During the whole period of the Congo Independent State (1885-1908) sovereignty was invested in the person of the Belgian king, who considered the state his personal property. As a capitalist and as a manager his main concerns were to make his enterprise profitable, and to expand, even before the enterprise became self-supporting. The years from 1890 to 1892 constituted a fundamental turning point, because the system of exploitation which was to keep the state solvent, was then developed and structural realisation of European hegemony on the ground began to be effected. Because of its inherent abuses and economic limitations, the system began to break down by 1906, but it would not be until 1919-1921 that the transitional régime gave way to the main structures of the Belgian Congo. Bibliogr. essay p. 788-791, bibliogr. p. 852-854, notes.