The 1909 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Auguste Beernaert, of Belgium, for being a representative to the two Hague conferences, and a leading figure in the Inter-Parliamentary Union and to Paul Henri d’Estournelles de Constant, of France, for combined diplomatic work for Franco-German and Franco-British understanding with a distinguished career in international arbitration. It was through Beernaert’s efforts, according to the speech given at his ceremony, that the Belgian Chamber agreed that King Leopold should become sovereign of the Congo State, a horrific and violent episode in African history that you can read about in the book King Leopold’s Ghost.
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes created by the Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel. Since 1901 it has been awarded annually (with some exceptions) to those who have “done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses” Over the next few months we’ll be introducing you to the past Nobel laureates, leading up to the award of the 2016 prize in October.
