Leopold II and Egypt: Two Initiatory Journeys

Although Leopold I, first King of the Belgians (1790–1865, r. 1831–1865), already had expansionist views and multiplied commercial deals with foreign countries, his son, who was a born businessman, longed for more proactive actions in order to make his future realm a prosperous European power. Young Leopold was a quick learner and he realized quite early how important it was for a prince to understand all the subtleties of politics, diplomacy, and economy. Egypt, which was at that time part of the Ottoman Empire and ruled by Khedive (Viceroy) Mohamed Sa’id Pasha (1822–1863), was at the crossro... Mehr ...