Bloody King Leopold and the Rubber Holocaust,
In 1885 Leopold II became King of Belgium and set into motion his plans for the Congo Free State, at the time an African colony controlled by Belgium. Unlike other colonies, Congo was not actually owned and controlled by the Belgian Government, but was the personal property of King Leopold himself. Congo is rich in natural resources, most especially rubber, and King Leopold knew that if he developed the country he stood to make an incredible amount of money as the rubber industry was booming. Over the next two decades, Leopold’s rule over Congo would result in a reign of terror that would result in the deaths of millions.
Leopold divided the country among a number of rubber companies which he had ownership over. He enlisted the various native tribes living in the country, often tricking or coercing them to sign contracts that practically bound them into a state of slavery. In essence, the entire country was quickly transformed into a giant rubber plantation, tyrannically ruled by Leopold’s agents as well as his personal armies and paramilitary groups. King Leopold ruled with an iron fist; doling out harsh punishments while devoting little toward the welfare of his workers. Native Congolese workers were given little food, shelter, or clothing. Those who refused to work, did little work, or did not meet production quotas were often beaten and whipped. Those who tried to escape the rubber plantations had an arm or a leg chopped off. Tribes or villages that rebelled against Leopold’s rule were exterminated.
King Leopold’s bloody rule over Congo ended in 1906 when word of his tyranny spread across Europe after a number of journalists and travelers published accounts of what they had experienced. Around 1900, the Belgian government decided to take action to end the brutality. However, there was little they could do as Congo was the personal property of King Leopold, and as such he could do whatever he wanted with it. In 1904, the Belgian government decided to buy the country. King Leopold made out very well, earning a profit of 220 million francs. In addition, Belgium purchased all of Leopold’s debts in the Congo venture, which amounted to around 110 million francs. The people of Congo were not so fortunate. During Leopold’s rule over the country, it is estimated that 10 million Congolese people were either murdered, or died of exhaustion, disease, and starvation.
