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

choice, December 2002
"a pleaseantly written and largely accurate account...valuable to readers new to the subject of colonial rule in the Congo."


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


About the Author
Sir Martin Ewans is a former British ambassador to the United Nations General Assembly. He is the chairman of the international Children's Aid Direct. He lives in London, England.


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It is generally recognised among those who are concerned with Africa that the current plight of the continent is approaching the catastrophic. Partly the roots of the problem are historical, stemming from the exploitation and colonisation of the continent by European powers, and from the legacy of perceived superiority that has resulted from efforts towards self-justification on the part of colonising nations. An appreciation of the history of the relationship between Europe and Africa is indispensable to an understanding of the continent's present predicament. Readers of this book will no longer be in any doubt about the nature of European colonialism in Africa and the lasting consequences of what is known as the 'Scramble for Africa', one of the darkest episodes in colonial history.


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