John Fredrick Parker
Donor
One of the most interesting European "plans" for Africa in the 19th Century was the International Africa Association, started up by Leopold II of Belgium, of all people, and bringing in wealthy men throughout Europe, with the apparent goal of bringing industry and education to the Congo and helping the population to establish an independent country, avoiding the fate of most of the continent. They even hired American explorer Henry Morton Stanley to explore the region and begin making contacts and treaties with the inhabitant nations.
Of course, their work failed to materialize -- Germany, with a recent design on colonies, claimed the Congo for herself at the Berlin Conference, and the Congo Free State never came to be.
But what if it had? Suppose Germany decided to let Leopold go through with his project (maybe they use the opportunity to frustrate Britain by pushing to break up Zanzibar or something)? How would the Congo and the world be different?
OOC: Admittedly, this is a follow up to a recent thread; also, that a similar thread was done before, but I wanted something that responded specifically to Leopold's advertised designs...
Of course, their work failed to materialize -- Germany, with a recent design on colonies, claimed the Congo for herself at the Berlin Conference, and the Congo Free State never came to be.
But what if it had? Suppose Germany decided to let Leopold go through with his project (maybe they use the opportunity to frustrate Britain by pushing to break up Zanzibar or something)? How would the Congo and the world be different?
OOC: Admittedly, this is a follow up to a recent thread; also, that a similar thread was done before, but I wanted something that responded specifically to Leopold's advertised designs...