Belgium is a country situated in Western Europe, surrounded by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and France.  Belgium plays a pivotal role in Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novella Heart of Darkness.  The period of time from 1789-1914 in Europe was dubbed the “long nineteenth century” by British historian, Eric Hobsbawm and refers to the idea that the period itself reflects changes that are integral to understanding it (Long Nineteenth Century).  Belgium became a monarchy in the early 19^th century, and following a revolution, began to fall under the influence of the Roman Catholic Church (Britannica).  Under a Liberal government, in the mid-19^th century, Belgium began to industrialize and expand commercially.  By the end of the century, the Catholic Church gained more political power in the 1884 parliament elections.  In 1885, King Leopold II gained control of the Belgian Congo (Belgium).

Following the revolution in the early part of the century, the main goal for Belgium seemed to be gaining economic power.  In the 1890’s, the region became involved in the industrial revolution.  While the religious aspect does not play a large role in Conrad’s story, it often did play into the idea of colonialism as a whole.  This history provides context to Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, in which the main character, Marlow, provides a critique of Belgian colonization of the Congo for the purpose of exploiting African exports (Independent Belgium).  The novella includes historically accurate details of brutal treatments of the natives, who were used to collect rubber, palm oil, and the substance Conrad focused most heavily on: ivory. 

Works Cited

"Belgium." New World Encyclopedia, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Belgium#Belgian_Revolution. Accessed 3 Apr. 2023.

Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. 1899.

"Independent Belgium before World War I." Britannica, www.britannica.com/place/Belgium/Independent-Belgium-before-World-War-I. Accessed 3 Apr. 2023.

"Long Nineteenth Century." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_nineteenth_century. Accessed 3 Apr. 2023.