Part 3/8:
In the late 1800s, spurred by industrial demands for rubber and other resources, Leopold established a ruthless regime known as the Congo Free State. The exploitation was brutal, with entire villages devastated by the infamous Force Public, which employed extreme violence to compel the Congolese to meet rubber quotas. Reports of atrocities, including mass killings and mutilations, eventually surfaced, painting a grim picture of life under Leopold’s rule, with estimates of 5 to 10 million Congolese lives lost.