The Butcher King: Greed, Atrocity, and the Making of the Congo Free State1 May 2026·3746 words·18 minsHistory and Critical Analysis Colonialism European Empires Imperial History Decolonization Political Geography Congo Free State Leopold II Henry Morton Stanley Atrocities Rubber Trade Human Rights Abuses Colonial Legacy Historical Case Studies Political Economy Development and InequalityAn examination of Belgium's colonial venture in the Congo — its origins, its atrocities, and its enduring shadow over Central Africa today