History Declassified

King Leopold's Congo - The Forgotten Genocide

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Uncover the dark history of King Leopold II's Congo Free State in this episode of History Declassified. 

From the late 19th century's brutal rubber and ivory exploitation to the estimated 5-10 million deaths through forced labor, mutilations, famine, and disease, we explore how a Belgian king's private empire became one of history's forgotten genocides. 

Drawing on declassified archives, eyewitness accounts from missionaries like William Sheppard and Alice Seeley Harris, and reports from figures like Roger Casement, we trace the system's rise, the international outcry led by reformers like Edmund Dene Morel, and its lasting legacy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Join us for a fact-driven deep dive into colonial atrocities, propaganda, and the path to exposure.

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