Latest / The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History
Belgium's 1908 Congo Free State Transfer: A Colony Changes Hands
In 1908, after two decades of brutal private rule under King Leopold II, the Congo Free State was officially annexed by the Belgian state. This episode unpacks the political maneuvering, international pressure, and human cost behind the transfer. Lucas and Luna explore Leopold's reluctant surrender, the role of the Congo Reform Association and E.D. Morel, the parliamentary debates in Brussels, and the immediate aftermath for the Congolese people — including the continuation of forced labor under a new flag. They also discuss the 1908 Colonial Charter's hypocrisy, the fate of the…
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