King Leopold II & the Congo Free State (1885-1908)

Belgium's colonization was primarily focused on the Congo, with King Leopold II of Belgium taking control in the late 19th century. In 1885, he established the Congo Free State, a personal colony, which was later handed over to the Belgian government in 1908, becoming the Belgian Congo. The exploitation of the Congo was brutal, with millions of Congolese people suffering from forced labor, violence, and harsh conditions. Belgium's colonization of the Congo remained until 1960, when the Congo gai