In effort to extract natural resources …show more content…
The system of economic imperialism to Leopold was “the establishment or exploitation of such dominion for continuing material advantage.” So, in order to increase his ‘material advantage’ Leopold created the Force Publique, a group of men that uses terror as a source of influence on workers to make the rubber trade move faster and more efficiently. Leopold thought “the use of terror [was] the most cost efficient method of imposing rule and facilitating extraction.” Therefore, the Force Publique was generally made up of strangers to the area so the soldiers would serve with out any sense of identification with the local groups. This made it easier for the orders of torture and even death to be achieved on Leopold’s demand. This had a prominent impact on the death toll in the Congo, when severed hands, noses, and ears became the proof the army showed officials that the native Congolese had not done their jobs. This then became the method of incentive for the men to work harder and faster to achieve Leopold’s marvel of increased profit. If there became a case where men were fleeing the area to get away from the harsh rule of Leopold, the officials would take the villages chief, women or children, “making then susceptible to rape, starvation or disease” and were not released until a ransom of rubber was paid. The natives were continually shown this practice of terror, and therefore it achieved Leopold’s goal to keep the natives hard at work to ensure no one else would become the victim of Leopold’s