From 1885 to 1908, many atrocities were committed in the Congo Free State under the absolute rule of King Leopold II of Belgium. These atrocities were particularly associated with the labour policies,
Mutilated children in the Congo Free State
King Leopold II, whose rule of the Congo Free State was marked by severe atrocities, violence and major population decline.
Congolese labourers tapping rubber near Lusambo in Kasai
Posed photo of a man being flogged with a sjambok (chicotte) by a Congo State soldier ca.1905
Congo Free State
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The Congo Free State, also known as the Independent State of the Congo, was a large state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908. It was privately owned by King Leopold II, the cons
Atrocities in the Congo Free State
…From 1885 to 1908, many atrocities were committed in the Congo Free State (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo) under the absolute rule of King Leopold II of Belgium. These atrocities were particularly associated with…
Henry Morton Stanley, whose exploration of the Congo region at Leopold's invitation led to the establishment of the Congo Free State under personal sovereignty
A cartoon depicting Leopold II in the middle, German Emperor William I on the right and the Russian Empire on the left, at the 1884 Berlin Conference
A bond of the Congo Free State, issued March 1888