Born January 25, 1852,
Rome, Italy
Died September 14, 1905,
Dakar, Senegal

By the late 1800s the European powers were scrambling to divide the huge continent of Africa among themselves. The rivalry among explorers and countries was intense, and there were inevitably losers and winners. Brazza may be considered a winner. Largely through his efforts his adopted country, France, claimed a significant portion of the Congo. But Brazza would come to fight against the ruthless exploitation of the African population that occurred as these new territories were opened to commercial development.

Pierre-Paul-François-Camille Savorgnan de Brazza was born in Rome on January 25, 1852, the descendant of an aristocratic family. His father was an Italian nobleman who was prominent in nationalist and cultural circles. From the time he was a boy, Brazza was interested in a career at sea. Italy did not have a navy of its...