Belgium's 1908 Annexation of the Congo Free State

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the 1908 annexation of the Congo Free State by Belgium, a pivotal moment that ended Leopold II's personal rule and transferred the vast territory to the Belgian state. They discuss the international pressure from the Congo Reform Association, led by E.D. Morel and Roger Casement, and the 1904 Commission of Inquiry that exposed the rubber atrocities. The episode covers the 1908 Colonial Charter, which promised reforms but largely maintained the extractive system, and the role of figures like Leopold II, who fought to retain control, and the socialist leader Émile Vandervelde, who pushed for parliamentary oversight. Lucas explains how the Force Publique was theoretically reformed but remained a tool of coercion, and how the annexation paved the way for continued exploitation under 'benevolent colonialism' until independence in 1960. The conversation also touches on the fate of the chicotte and the illusion of change for Congolese people. #CongoFreeState #LeopoldII #BelgianCongo #1908Annexation #CongoReformAssociation #EDMorel #RogerCasement #ForcePublique #Chicotte #EmileVandervelde #ColonialCharter #RubberAtrocities #Belgium #ColonialHistory #Africa #History #FexingoHistory #Imperialism Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo