Historical Figure

King Leopold II

Born: 1901 CE · Died: 1983 CENationality: Belgium

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).