European imperialism in central africa

• what is an empire?


  political unit that encompasses different territories, cultures, communities
• explain how politics of difference characterizes an empire

  different communities have different rights and duties and different relations to central authorities
• What are 19th C colonial politics of difference based on?

  Race

  Belief in the inherent superiority of Europeans over "others"
• "pseudo-sciences"


  measuring physical features to prove biological differences between "races"
• Why could they not agree on definitive criteria of racial differentiation?

  because "race" has no scientific background
• craniometry


  study of mental abilities based on the shape of the skull
• anthropometry


  classification of "sub-races" based on body dimensions
• physiognomy


  classification of "sub-races" based on facial features
• three main characteristics of colonialism

  - racism/violence

  - "civilisation"/exploitation

  - knowledge/power
• explain the racism/violence factor in colonialism


  belief in european superiority

  requires constant violence (physical + symbolic) to be enforced
• explain the "civilisation"/exploitation factor of colonialism

  colonial ppl believed that the exploitation of African resources and workforce was inseparable from Africans' "civilisational" improvement
• explain the knowledge/power factor of colonialism

  the colonisation of Africa required the massive production of knowledge to ease and secure its political and economic submission
• Congo Free State as personal colony of King Leopold 2


  1885-1908
• what made the CFS infamous?

  associated with forced labour and extreme violence
• How is the CFS unique for 19th C colonialism?

  the only "personal colony"
• How is the CFS typical for 19th C colonialism?

  "exploration", freedom" and"progress" were central in Leopold II's expansion strategies
• Three different "geographic associations" created by Leo 2

  Association Internationale Africaine (1876)

  Comité d'études du haut Congo (1878)

  Association Internationale du Congo (1882)
• before Leopold 2, were inlands of Africa known and charted?


  no
• goals of Leo 2's "geographic associations"

  scientific, imperialist and commercial
• Big adventurer at the service of the "geographic associations" -> what message did he spread

  Henry Morton Stanley

  
  

  spread in the West the image of Africa as barbarian and dangerous, waiting to be "civilised"
• why was the signing of treaties between "explorers" and local "chiefs" shady?

  • "Chiefs" often had no legitimacy to sign these agreements

  
  

  • Not signed between equal partners

  
  

  • No uniformity in the rights they covered
• how was colonising Congo a "win-win" for Leo 2 and international powers?

  he promised to guarantee free trade
• why did Leo 2 pledge to abolish slavery in his territories?

  justification for a limitation of free trade
• what secured the international recognition of Leo's sov over Congo?

  "exploration" of Congo basin, promises of "progress" and "freedom"
• whos pictures were central to the international campaign against the CFS?

  missionary Alice Seely Harris
• what helped spark global outrage abt congo atrocities

  (early 20th century mediascape)

  
  

  • Increased circulation of newspapers

  
  

  • Importance of "shock value" stories in the competition between press titles

  
  

  • Discrepancy between selfrepresentations of "righteous" and "benevolent" colonialism and violent images of the CFS
• Timeline of Congo scandal

  1904: report by Roger Casement on abuses in the CFS

  
  

  Foundation of the Congo Reform Association, campaigning against the CFS

  
  

  1905: setting up by the King of a parliamentary commission, confirming previous reports

  
  

  1908: Leopold reluctantly transfers his sovereignty over the CFS to Belgium
• concessionary companies


  managing a territory in exchange for exclusive access to its resources
• empire building in the CFS was costly so what did the king do?

  - he was heavily indebted

  - from the late 19th C territories were granted to concessionary companies
• trade 1885 - 1895 Congo


  ivory trade
• trade 1895-1903 Congo


  rubber boom: intensive harvest of wild rubber in the CFS : becomes "profitable"
• punishment if imperatives of maximal production weren't met

  Resort to forced labour, flogging, looting, kidnapping by sentries and soldiers under the orders of European supervisors
• give an example of the banalization of violence in Congo

  cut hands: tokens of the "proper use" of bullets and trophies
• why was documenting Congolese experiences of colonization difficult?

  - oral culture

  - scarcity written sources penned by congolese

  - history - colonial archives - reflects euro vision
• how were African voices still present in the documenting of Congolese experiences of colonization?


  • Testimonies of violence to Casement and the 1905 commission, such as Boali

  
  

  • Witnesses were found and translated by Congolese intermediaries, go-betweens between colonial agents and local populations
• three ways that colonized communities showed agency

  - elusiveness (fleeing, moving out of reach)

  - deceit (false info, pretending to cooperate)

  - revolt (violently oppose colonial forces)