Let Us begin with Joshua Maponga making his case for King Leopold of Belgium as the most evil man to have ever lived.
It is a remarkable reality. Conveniently forgotten. pic.twitter.com/56I7zv6ocy
— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) October 19, 2024
Adolf Hitler is widely regarded as the epitome of evil in modern history, primarily for orchestrating the Holocaust and initiating the devastation of World War II. However, there is a compelling argument that King Leopold II of Belgium should be regarded as equally, if not more, deserving of the title of “the most evil man to have ever lived.” Leopold’s reign over the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908 resulted in a death toll estimated at 10 to 15 million people, and his methods of exploitation, cruelty, and terror stand as one of the darkest chapters of human history. While Hitler’s actions have received worldwide condemnation, King Leopold’s atrocities have often been minimized or overlooked, partly due to the systemic whitewashing of European colonial history. When comparing the scale of violence, the motivations behind the actions, and the lasting impact on the affected populations, it becomes clear that King Leopold II should be recognized as one of the most malevolent figures in human history.
The Congo Free State: A Personal Colony of Greed and Violence
King Leopold II’s exploitation of the Congo began under the guise of a humanitarian and philanthropic mission. In 1876, Leopold convened the Brussels Conference, an international gathering ostensibly aimed at bringing “civilisation” to Africa and combating the Arab slave trade. However, Leopold’s real intention was to claim vast territories in Central Africa for his personal enrichment. In 1885, through diplomatic manipulation, Leopold secured international recognition of the Congo Free State as his private possession—an area 76 times the size of Belgium, with virtually no oversight from other nations.
Leopold’s regime in the Congo was characterised by its ruthless extraction of resources, particularly rubber and ivory, which were in high demand in Europe and the United States at the time. Leopold created a private army, the Force Publique, to enforce his will on the local population. The Congolese people were subjected to forced labour, their villages were pillaged, and entire communities were destroyed for failing to meet the rubber quotas set by Leopold’s administration. Those who refused to work or resisted were met with extreme violence, including mass executions, mutilations, and systematic torture.
While many European colonial powers exploited the territories they controlled, Leopold’s regime stood out for its exceptional brutality. His methods were so extreme that they were eventually condemned even by the European powers that had initially turned a blind eye to the suffering in the Congo. The Force Publique’s practice of cutting off the hands of workers who failed to meet rubber quotas became one of the most infamous symbols of Leopold’s cruelty. Soldiers were ordered to bring back the severed hands of villagers to prove that bullets had been used for killings rather than wasted on hunting. In some cases, hands were cut off from living people as a punishment or to terrorise others into compliance. This grotesque practice exemplified the systematic nature of Leopold’s violence and the dehumanisation of the Congolese people.
The Scale of Atrocities
To fully grasp the magnitude of King Leopold’s crimes, it is essential to consider the death toll and the suffering that his regime caused. While Adolf Hitler is responsible for the murder of six million Jews and millions of others during the Holocaust, Leopold’s exploitation of the Congo resulted in an estimated 10 to 15 million deaths, though the exact figure remains contested. The difficulty in calculating the precise number of victims stems from the lack of reliable records and the fact that many died from starvation, disease, and exhaustion as a direct consequence of the forced labour system imposed by Leopold’s administration. Villages were burned to the ground, families were torn apart, and entire populations were decimated as the Congolese were driven to work under inhumane conditions.
The rubber boom that fuelled Leopold’s wealth came at the cost of unimaginable human suffering. In the late 19th century, the demand for rubber skyrocketed with the invention of pneumatic tyres, and Leopold saw an opportunity to amass a fortune. To meet the growing demand, the Congolese were forced to harvest wild rubber in the dense tropical forests under the supervision of the Force Publique. The work was gruelling and dangerous, with workers often having to scale trees to tap the rubber vines. Failure to collect sufficient rubber often led to severe punishment, including whippings with the chicotte—a cruel whip made of hippopotamus hide—or mutilation.
Leopold’s rubber quotas were intentionally set at impossible levels, ensuring that no matter how hard the workers toiled, they would always fall short and thus face punishment. In addition to the direct violence inflicted on the workers, the forced labour system caused widespread famine as villagers were unable to cultivate their own food while being forced to work for Leopold’s regime. The collapse of local economies and the destruction of communities further exacerbated the death toll, as disease and starvation took hold.
The scale of suffering in the Congo becomes even more horrific when considering the longevity of Leopold’s rule. Unlike Hitler’s regime, which lasted a relatively short 12 years, Leopold’s exploitation of the Congo endured for over two decades. During this time, an entire generation of Congolese people lived under the constant threat of violence, mutilation, and death. Families were torn apart as men were conscripted into forced labour, while women and children were taken hostage to coerce men into working harder. This reign of terror persisted for more than two decades before international pressure finally forced Leopold to cede control of the Congo to the Belgian government in 1908.
The Psychological and Cultural Impact of Leopold’s Regime
The psychological scars left by Leopold’s reign of terror in the Congo were profound and long-lasting. The systematic violence and dehumanisation that the Congolese endured shattered social structures, eroded traditional cultures, and instilled a deep sense of fear and trauma that would haunt the region for generations. While Adolf Hitler’s genocide was driven by a fanatical ideology of racial superiority, Leopold’s atrocities were committed purely for profit, making his cruelty particularly cold and calculated. In many ways, the fact that Leopold’s crimes were driven by greed rather than ideology underscores an even more chilling form of evil; a willingness to sacrifice millions of lives for personal gain without any pretence of a higher cause.
The cultural destruction caused by Leopold’s regime was another lasting impact of his rule. Traditional ways of life in the Congo were obliterated as entire communities were displaced or wiped out. The forced labour system not only stripped people of their dignity but also disrupted agricultural practices, religious customs, and social hierarchies. The destruction of families through violence and forced conscription left deep wounds in the social fabric of the Congo, with many children growing up as orphans or in fractured households. The psychological trauma of living under constant threat of mutilation or death created a pervasive atmosphere of fear that would shape the Congolese people’s collective memory for decades to come.
In contrast, while Hitler’s regime also caused immense psychological and cultural damage, particularly in the Jewish community, Europe as a whole was able to rebuild after the end of World War II, with extensive international support. The Marshall Plan, among other initiatives, helped Europe recover economically and socially. The Congo, on the other hand, was left in a state of chaos and disrepair after Leopold’s departure. The Belgian government, which took control of the Congo in 1908, made little effort to address the deep wounds left by Leopold’s rule. Instead, Belgium continued to exploit the Congo’s resources, albeit with slightly less overt brutality. The failure to fully reckon with the legacy of Leopold’s reign has had long-term consequences for the Congo, contributing to the instability, poverty, and conflict that have plagued the country throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Leopold and the International Response: Complicity and Silence
One of the most disturbing aspects of King Leopold’s reign in the Congo was the international complicity that allowed his atrocities to continue for so long. While Hitler’s actions sparked a global conflict and led to widespread condemnation, Leopold managed to maintain the facade of a benevolent ruler for much of his reign. He skillfully manipulated international opinion, presenting himself as a humanitarian who was bringing “civilisation” to Africa. The European powers and the United States were largely indifferent to the suffering of the Congolese people, as many of them were themselves involved in colonial exploitation and had little interest in exposing Leopold’s abuses.
The truth about what was happening in the Congo began to emerge in the late 1890s, thanks to the efforts of a few courageous individuals. Among them was George Washington Williams, an African American journalist and historian who visited the Congo in 1890 and was horrified by what he saw. Williams wrote an open letter to Leopold, denouncing the atrocities being committed in the Congo and calling for international intervention. His letter, however, was largely ignored by the international community. It wasn’t until the early 20th century, when reports from missionaries and diplomats began to circulate, that the world began to take notice of the horrors in the Congo.
One of the most influential voices in exposing Leopold’s crimes was the British consul Roger Casement, whose 1904 report on the Congo Free State detailed the widespread violence, forced labour, and human rights abuses. Casement’s report, along with the efforts of British campaigner E.D. Morel, helped to galvanise international opposition to Leopold’s regime. Morel, in particular, was instrumental in launching a global campaign to end Leopold’s rule in the Congo, founding the Congo Reform Association and tirelessly advocating for an end to the atrocities. The pressure from activists, journalists, and humanitarian organisations eventually forced the Belgian government to take control of the Congo in 1908, marking the end of Leopold’s personal fiefdom.
However, even after Leopold was stripped of his control over the Congo, there was little accountability for the crimes committed under his rule. Leopold himself continued to live in luxury until his death in 1909, having amassed a vast fortune from the exploitation of the Congo’s resources. The Belgian government, while taking formal control of the Congo, made no significant efforts to address the suffering of the Congolese people or to compensate them for the horrors they had endured. The silence and complicity of the international community in allowing Leopold’s atrocities to continue for so long remain a dark stain on the history of European colonialism.
The Whitewashing of History: Leopold’s Legacy in Belgium
While Adolf Hitler’s name has become synonymous with evil, King Leopold II has been remembered in Belgium with a mixture of reverence and ambivalence. Statues of Leopold still stand in several Belgian cities, and for many years, he was celebrated as a moderniser who helped to transform Belgium into a prosperous, industrial nation. His role in the Congo was downplayed or ignored altogether in Belgian history books, and it wasn’t until the late 20th century that the full extent of his atrocities began to be acknowledged.
The whitewashing of Leopold’s legacy is indicative of a broader trend in how European colonial history has been remembered and commemorated. While the crimes of 20th-century dictators like Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini are widely recognised and condemned, the atrocities committed by European colonial powers in Africa, Asia, and the Americas have often been minimised or forgotten. The lack of accountability for colonial violence and exploitation has allowed figures like Leopold to be remembered as national heroes, despite the bloodshed and suffering that accompanied their rule.
In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the need to confront the darker aspects of European colonial history, including the crimes committed by Leopold in the Congo. In 2020, amid the global Black Lives Matter protests, several statues of Leopold were defaced or removed by activists in Belgium, sparking a national debate about his legacy. While some Belgians continue to defend Leopold as a figure of national pride, others have called for a complete reassessment of his role in history and for reparations to be made to the Congolese people.
A Legacy of Unparalleled Cruelty
When examining the crimes committed by King Leopold II in the Congo Free State, it becomes clear that he stands alongside Adolf Hitler as one of the most malevolent figures in human history. Leopold’s reign of terror, driven purely by greed and personal enrichment, resulted in the deaths of millions and left a legacy of trauma, destruction, and instability that continues to affect the Congo to this day. While Hitler’s genocidal policies were motivated by a fanatical ideology, Leopold’s actions were characterised by a cold, calculated indifference to human life. The fact that Leopold’s crimes have been largely overlooked or minimised in comparison to Hitler’s atrocities only adds to the tragedy of his victims.
To fully reckon with the horrors of the past, it is essential that we confront not only the crimes of 20th-century dictators but also the atrocities committed during the colonial era. King Leopold II’s rule over the Congo represents one of the most egregious examples of human cruelty, and his legacy should be remembered accordingly. The millions who suffered and died under his regime deserve to be acknowledged, and Leopold’s name should be remembered not as that of a modernising monarch, but as one of history’s greatest villains.
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