The Monument to King Leopold II of Belgium on Troonplein (Throne Square), Brussels. In 1885 he declared the Congo his personal property which he called “Congo Free State”. During his rule marked by unspeakable greed and brutality an estimated 5-15 million Congolese died in his pursuit to extract as much ivory and rubber as possible for his personal enrichment and to build lavish buildings all over Belgium. He earned himself a place in history alongside Hitler, Stalin and Mao #leopold #leopoldii

The Genocide King Leopold Hid From History King Leopold II of Belgium ruled the Congo as his private colony. His brutal rubber regime killed up to 10 million Congolese — yet his crimes remain under-taught and his statues still stand. #HiddenHistory, #BlackHistory, #CongoGenocide, #LeopoldII, #DidYouKnow, #HistoryShorts, #UntoldStories King Leopold Congo genocide, Belgian Congo atrocities, 10 million Congolese deaths, Leopold statues controversy | Black History Unfiltered