Latest / The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History
The Congo's Railroad War: Building Belgium's Iron Spine
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the brutal construction of the Matadi–Kinshasa railway, the iron spine of Belgium's colonial Congo. They focus on the forgotten African laborers—thousands of conscripted men from the Congo basin and beyond—who died in staggering numbers from disease, malnutrition, and accidents. Lucas details the engineering challenges of carving through the Crystal Mountains, the role of the Force Publique in enforcing labor, and the scandalous death toll that rivaled the red rubber atrocities. Along the way, they touch on the railway's legacy: how it enabled…
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