Wilfred G. Thesiger, Sir Edward Grey, and the British campaign to reform the Congo, 1905-9

Hitherto unavailable evidence suggests that the success of British diplomacy in ending the misrule of King Leopold in the Congo owed much to the politics of Sir Edward Grey and the special consul whom he sent to the Congo from 1907-1909, Wilfred Gilbert Thesiger. Thesiger's private letters demo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of imperial and Commonwealth history 1999-01, Vol.27 (1), p.59-80
Main Author: Osborne, John B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Congo
Diplomacy
Diplomatic relations
Foreign policy
Public opinion
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Summary:Hitherto unavailable evidence suggests that the success of British diplomacy in ending the misrule of King Leopold in the Congo owed much to the politics of Sir Edward Grey and the special consul whom he sent to the Congo from 1907-1909, Wilfred Gilbert Thesiger. Thesiger's private letters demonstrate that Grey initiated and actively pursued an effective policy to end Congo maladministration independent of the influence of E.D. Morel and his Congo Reform Association, to whom historians have given credit for the success of this campaign. The British campaign of 1903-1913 caused Belgium to annex the Congo Free State from its autocratic ruler, Leopold II, and coerced Belgium into instituting major administrative reforms.
ISSN:0308-6534
1743-9329
DOI:10.1080/03086539908583047