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King Leopold II
Historical Figure

King Leopold II

King of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909

Born: 1901 CE · Died: 1983 CENationality: Belgium

About King Leopold II

Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.Wikipedia ↗

Associated Events

Colonialism1881 CE – 1914 CE

Scramble for Africa

European powers rapidly colonized virtually all of Africa, with the Berlin Conference of 1884–85 establishing rules for colonial claims — though no Africans were invited or consulted.

Colonialism1885 CE – 1960 CE

Belgian Congo

King Leopold II's personal colony in the Congo Free State (1885-1908) was the site of one of history's worst colonial atrocities, where rubber quotas enforced through mutilation, hostage-taking, and terror killed an estimated 1-10 million people (the exact number is heavily debated).

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