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Belgian Colonialism Quotes

Browse 15 quotes about Belgian Colonialism.

Belgian Colonialism Quotes

“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.”

Congo Leopold Ii Belgium Congo Free State King Leopold Ii Belgian Colonialism Belgian Colonial Empire

Author:Hugo Claus

“I pray believe me when I express now, not only for myself, but for my fellow countrymen in this part of Africa, pur very sincere appreciation of your efforts on behalf of the general community efforts to promote goodwill among all and to bring together the various elements of our local life.”

Congo Belgium Congo Free State Belgian Congo Belgian Colonialism Belgian Empire Central Africa

Author:Théophile Wahis

“The best way to create opportunities is to send, from time to time, expeditions to countries with which there is a chance to establish commercial relations.”

Belgium Belgian Colonialism Belgian Colonial Empire

Author:Alexis Henri Brialmont

“King Leopold II wanted to transform his little Belgians into an imperial nation capable of dominating and enlightening others.”

Belgium Belgian Colonialism Belgian Colonial Empire Belgian Empire Belgian Imperialism Belgian Colonies

Author:Alexis Henri Brialmont

“King Leopold II 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.”

Leopold Ii Belgium Leopold Ii Of Belgium Belgian Colonialism Belgian Colonial Empire Belgian Empire Belgian Imperialism Belgian Colonies Belgian Colony Belgian Emlpire

Author:Alexis Henri Brialmont

“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.”

Leopold Ii Belgium Leopold Ii Of Belgium Belgian Colonialism Belgian Colonial Empire Belgian Imperialism Belgian Nationalism Belgian Patriotism

Author:Alexis Henri Brialmont

“Trading posts and colonies, gentlemen, have not only strengthened the commercial positions of the peoples concerned; these nations owe their greatness to these institutions.”

Colonialism Leopold Ii Belgium Belgian Colonialism Belgian Colonial Empire Belgian Empire Belgian Colony

Author:Leopold II

“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.”

Congo Leopold Ii Belgium Congo Free State Belgian Congo Leopold Ii Of Belgium Belgian Colonialism Belgian Colonial Empire

Author:Leopold II

“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.”

Congo Leopold Ii Belgium Congo Free State Belgian Congo Belgian Colonialism Belgian Colonial Empire Leopold Ii Ofbelgium

Author:Leopold II

“It is indisputable that the blacks have benefited from certain benefits of civilization.”

Colonialism Africa Congo Colonization Belgian Congo Belgian Colonialism

Author:King Albert I of Belgium

“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 Henry Morton Stanley discovered the Congo, Leopold was ready.”

Congo Leopold Ii Congo Free State Henry Morton Stanley Belgian Colonialism Belgian Colonial Empire Belgian Empire Jules Greindl

Book:A la recherche d'un Etat Independent: Léopold II et les Philippines

Source: A la recherche d'un Etat Independent: Léopold II et les Philippines

“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.”

Congo Leopold Ii Congo Free State Belgian Colonialism Belgian Colonial Empire

Author:Hugo Claus

“The Belgian period was the beginning of the most successful era in the history of the Congo. It was the only period in which it had an effective police force and army. The country was being run orderly, was relatively incorrupt and capable of maintaining internal order and of protecting its sovereignty. Only then, under the Belgians, was that the case.”

Colonialism Congo Leopold Ii Congo Free State Belgian Congo Belgian Colonialism

Author:Bruce Gilley

“King Leopold’s private fiefdom in the Congo was precisely the counterfactual to colonial rule and the best argument for colonialism. His inability to control his native rubber agents who continued their pre-colonial business of slave-trading and coercive rubber harvesting showed the problems that would arise if European freelancers allied with native warlords and slave-traders to establish regimes with no outside scrutiny.”

Colonialism Leopold Ii Congo Free State Belgian Colonialism

Book:The Case for Colonialism: A Response to My Critics

Source: The Case for Colonialism: A Response to My Critics

“The report quotes an earlier report on the Belgian Congo of 1919 which claimed that the population “has been reduced one-half.” It quotes this claim in order to state that it is almost certainly false. That is because population estimates for the Belgian Congo varied widely and remained pure guesswork. They were of “little value in drawing any precise conclusions.” The only firm conclusion it reached was that population was not increasing. The causes were multiple, including sleeping sickness, inter-tribal warfare, poor nutrition, female trafficking, polygamy, and the working conditions for men in European industrial and commercial enterprises.”

Genocide Colonialism Leopold Ii Belgian Colonialism

Book:The Case for Colonialism: A Response to My Critics

Source: The Case for Colonialism: A Response to My Critics