Latest / The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History
Belgium's Secret War for Rubber in Congo
This episode examines the brutal rubber extraction era in the Congo Free State, focusing on the role of the Société Anversoise and the Force Publique. We explore how colonial administrators like William Harcourt enforced quotas through violence, leading to widespread atrocities under King Leopold II. The narrative details the economic incentives behind the rubber trade and the humanitarian response that eventually exposed these crimes. Listeners will discover specific accounts of village raids, the use of severed hands as proof of ammunition usage, and the international outcry that followed…
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