Episode 174: Congo's Nightmare Part VI - The End of the Congo Free State

As atrocities and human rights violations continue in the Congo Free State, King Leopold II of Belgium sends out a "Commission of Inquiry" to the Congo to clear his name. Things don't go as planned. After one final hail mary attempt to sway public opinion, Leopold finally agrees to sell his colony to the state of Belgium. For many, the long nightmare was now over. For others, it was only beginning.

This is Part 6 in a series on the Congo Free State. It covers how Leopold lost control of his colony, some of his last ditch attempts to maintain it for himself, the transition to Belgian Colonial Rule, and a brief history of Congo after independence. The last episode will cover what historian Adam Hochschild calls "The Great Forgetting."

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