Mark Twain
King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule
"King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule" by Mark Twain is a political satire pamphlet published in 1905. The work presents a fictional monologue in which King Leopold II of Belgium defends his brutal rule over the Congo Free State. Through biting irony, Leopold justifies atrocities—including massacres, starvation, and village extermination—by claiming Christian piety and divine right. He dismisses critical reports from missionaries and consuls as lies, insisting he brought only religion and civilization to Congo while taking nothing for himself.