Belgian Congo
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The Belgian Congo was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. It is today the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Leopold II, King of the Belgians and de facto owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908
Children mutilated during King Leopold II's rule
Former residence of the Governor-General of the Belgian Congo (1908–1923) located in Boma
On the left hand side, the former Ministry of the Colonies, adjacent to the Constitutional Court, Brussels
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
Belgian Congo
…resulted in Leopold establishing a colony himself. With support from a number of Western countries, Leopold achieved international recognition of the Congo Free State in 1885. By the end of the 19th century, the violence used by Free State officials against indigenous Congolese and a ruthless system of economic…
Leopold II, King of the Belgians and de facto owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908
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