King Leopold II's Rubber Terror in the Congo Free State

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the brutal system of rubber extraction in the Congo Free State under King Leopold II of Belgium. They discuss the Force Publique, the sentry system, the role of companies like Abir, and the horrific punishments—including mutilation and hostage-taking—used to enforce quotas. Lucas explains how the rubber boom from the 1890s to 1908 turned the Congo into a vast labor camp, with millions dead. He also covers the rise of the Congo Reform Association, led by E.D. Morel, and the work of missionaries like William Sheppard and John Harris, who documented the atrocities. The episode ends with the annexation of the Congo by the Belgian state in 1908, a direct result of international pressure. Listeners will learn about the economic and human cost of Leopold's private colony, a dark chapter in the Scramble for Africa. #CongoFreeState #KingLeopoldII #RubberTerror #ForcePublique #EDMorel #WilliamSheppard #RogerCasement #Abir #Sentries #CongoReformAssociation #BelgianColonialism #ScrambleForAfrica #HumanRights #Atrocities #1908 #History #FexingoHistory #AfricanHistory #BerlinConference #Colonialism Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo