“The activities of King Leopold II of Belgium in the Congo were a more important factor in accelerating the partition of Africa than those of de Brazza.” Discuss.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of Leopold’s activities in the Congo and whether these were a more important factor in accelerating the partition of Africa than de Brazza’s activities. For Leopold, this may include his creation of the International African Association and the hiring of Stanley to explore and advance his claims to the entire region of the Congo basin. For de Brazza, reference may be made to exploration and to the treaty he signed with Makoko, which ensured that the right bank of the Congo would become a French protectorate. Candidates may argue that Leopold and de Brazza were equally important by linking their rivalry to the convening of the Berlin West Africa Conference. This conference established that a power had to demonstrate “effective occupation” for claims of sovereignty to be recognized, a move that precipitated a second scramble for the continent.