About this episode

This episode explores the brutal history of the ivory trade in the Belgian Congo under King Leopold II's rule, highlighting the atrocities and early dissent movements.

With King Leopold II of Belgium now in full control of the Belgian Congo, the extraction of ivory and other resources could begin. The story of the plunder of the Congo is so brutal and unbelievable, and at times so hard to believe, that it was once said that "to tell the full story it would have to be fiction." In the early period of the Congo Free State, forced labor and resource extraction ultimately led to atrocities and destruction, but the terror was far from over. This episode is Part 3 in a series on the Belgian Congo. It gives an overview of Congo's rich natural resources, and the ivory boom in the late 1800's that contributed to atrocities. It discusses Leopold's style of rule and role in overseeing the carnage, the development of the ivory "trade" in the Congo, the beginnings of mass death, and the origins of early protest movements and dissent against the state, including from missionaries like George Washington Williams. Future episodes will discuss the rubber boom, it's related human rights meltdown, as well as resistance and protest movements that contributed to the end of the Congo Free State. -Consider Supporting the Podcast!- Leave a rating or review on apple…

More episodes of Reflecting History

• Episode 174: Congo's Nightmare Part VI - The End of the Congo Free State · April 21, 2026 · 35 min
• Episode 173: Congo's Nightmare Part V - Shadow War · March 31, 2026 · 28 min
• Episode 172: Congo's Nightmare Part IV - The Rubber Boom · March 10, 2026 · 48 min
• Episode 170: Congo's Nightmare Part II - A Slice of African Cake · January 27, 2026 · 47 min
• Episode 169: Congo's Nightmare Part I - An Ancient Place · January 6, 2026 · 40 min
• Episode 168: Never Let Me Go and The Bear · December 16, 2025 · 20 min

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