Latest / The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History
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…
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