Following the Berlin Conference in 1885, King Leopold II established the Congo Free State, marking the beginning of one of history's most horrific genocides.

Following the Berlin Conference in 1885, King Leopold II established the Congo Free State, marking the beginning of one of history's most horrific genocides.

Despite Belgium's lack of interest, Leopold pursued control over the Congo, ultimately purchasing it privately.

Leveraging explorer Henry Morton Stanley's earlier efforts, Leopold secured recognition of his ownership by 13 European nations, establishing the Congo Free State under his personal rule and policing it with a private army.

Initially driven by ivory extraction, the Congo's economic focus shifted to wild rubber harvesting, leading to the implementation of ruthless quotas. 

Exploiting the Congolese through rape, torture, extortion, and murder became commonplace to maintain profitability, with failure to meet quotas resulting in brutal consequences for individuals and their families.

This reign of terror, extensively documented and globally condemned, led to estimates of millions of deaths, widely considered a genocide.

In response to these atrocities, the Congo Reform Association was founded in 1904 by Edmund D. Morel, drawing support from figures like Booker T. Washington and Mark Twain.

Public pressure eventually forced Leopold to relinquish control to Belgium in 1908, where he died the following year.

Despite his legacy as a "King-Builder" in Belgium, financing numerous urban projects, including cultural institutions, it's important to recognize that these were funded through the exploitation of the Congo and its people.