The Berlin Conference: The Secret Article That Never Was

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna uncover one of the most persistent myths of the Berlin Conference: the so-called 'Secret Article' that supposedly guaranteed King Leopold II sovereignty over the Congo Free State. They trace the origins of this rumor to a 1918 book by British journalist E.D. Morel, who claimed that Bismarck and Leopold had a secret deal. But what does the historical record say? Lucas examines the General Act of the Berlin Conference, the correspondence of Bismarck and Leopold, and the testimony of participants like Henry Morton Stanley and Baron von Kusserow. They also explore why this myth persists, from anti-colonial propaganda to Cold War-era conspiracy theories. A nuanced look at how history is shaped by competing narratives, and what the actual document reveals about European diplomacy in the 1880s. #BerlinConference #CongoFreeState #LeopoldII #OttoBismarck #SecretArticle #EDMorel #HenryMortonStanley #BaronvonKusserow #GeneralAct1885 #ScrambleForAfrica #CongoReformAssociation #Propaganda #MythBusting #ColonialHistory #Diplomacy #AfricanHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo