Dag Hammarskjöld and the Summer of Hell: The Congo Crisis and the Mystery of Greenback the Monkey
A Summer on Fire
In the summer of 1961, the Congo was falling apart—and Dag Hammarskjöld was at the center of the flame.
As Secretary-General of the United Nations, Hammarskjöld faced mounting pressure from all sides. The Congo Crisis was spiraling out of control, the Soviets were calling for his resignation, and even supposed allies began to question his leadership. Inside this storm, Dag’s physical and emotional isolation intensified.
Then came something that sounds too strange to be true: his pet monkey, Greenback, died under unusual circumstances. Strange accident or deliberate interference to deter Dag from peacemaking efforts?
The Congo Crisis Reaches a Boiling Point
By July of 1961, Hammarskjöld had been embroiled for a year in what would become the defining challenge of his career—the Congo Crisis. What began (theoretically) as a transition from colonial rule had turned into a violent geopolitical chess match involving mercenaries, secessionist movements, Cold War superpowers, and multinational corporations.
Dag’s leadership was under attack:
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The Soviet Union accused him of imperial bias.
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Western powers offered conditional support at best.
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Within the UN, fractures deepened between East and West.
He was walking a diplomatic tightrope, with the fate of the newly independent Congo—and the reputation of the United Nations—was balanced on a thread.
A Private World Interrupted
Behind the scenes, Dag Hammarskjöld was a deeply private man. His New York apartment, carefully decorated and curated, served as a sanctuary. And in that quiet space, one of the few sources of levity was his pet vervet, Greenback.
Greenback was more than a curiosity—he was a companion. Greenback was a gift during Dag’s visit to then British Somaliland in January of 1960. As a total surprise, Dag decided to keep him, and the two were fast friends.
But in 1961, Greenback died. According to some accounts, he was killed—strangled by an unknown intruder when Dag and his housekeeper were both absent from the apartment. In Markings, Dag wrote of Greenback’s death from being caught in a drapery sash and smothering. Dag theorized that perhaps Greenback tried to leap on the curtains and was somehow caught in the sash while no one was home. However, Dag intended that Markings would be published one day, so it’s important to note that Dag wouldn’t have kept anything in his diary that he didn’t intend for the public to eventually read.
So what really happened to Greenback Hammarskjöld?
If it was a warning, it was chilling.
If it was a coincidence, it was cruel.
The Man Behind the Myth
Dag Hammarskjöld is too often remembered in black and white: a marble figure in history books or doorstop academic biographies, cold and unknowable. But in reality, he was warm, witty, tender, and introspective—a man of poetry, duty, and public service.
And 1961 broke his heart.
By September, he would board a plane to Ndola, carrying the full weight of that summer with him. He died there, in a crash that still stirs conspiracy, controversy, and sorrow.
Dag’s summer of hell wasn’t just a geopolitical storm—it was a spiritual trial for a man who believed in peace against all odds. So much so that he gave his life for it.
Explore more:
- 5 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Dag Hammarskjöld
- Decoding the Unicorn: Why Dag Hammarskjöld?
- The Compass Within: How Dag Hammarskjöld Stayed True to His Moral Code
Stay tuned for more.
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