540. Horror in the Congo: A Conspiracy Unmasked (Part 3)

This podcast episode details the campaign to expose the atrocities committed in King Leopold II's Congo Free State. The hosts discuss Edmund Dene Morel, a shipping clerk who uncovered the fraud and brutality, and Roger Casement, a British consul who corroborated the findings. Morel's effective campaign leveraged journalistic contacts, missionary testimonies, and a strategic appeal to British patriotism to pressure the Belgian government. The episode highlights the role of public pressure and investigative journalism in exposing human rights abuses, culminating in the Belgian state's acquisition of the Congo Free State from Leopold. The discussion also touches upon the lasting legacy of the Congo Free State and its continued exploitation even after Leopold's reign.