necropiss @epiclosercide - Twitter Profile

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ked @Nikafandoms

4 months ago

animal hospital secret agent #animal #hospital #animalhospital

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Punch Cat

@PunchingCat

4 months ago

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Antifa_Ultras

@ultras_antifaa

4 months ago

In 1885, following the Berlin Conference, King Leopold II of Belgium claimed a vast territory in Central Africa as the so-called Congo Free State. Although its name suggested freedom and self-government, the reality was very different: it was not a Belgian colony, but Leopold II's personal property, ruled directly by him. While presenting the venture to the world as a noble civilising and humanitarian mission, Leopold established one of the most brutal systems of colonial exploitation in African history. As global demand for rubber surged in the late 19th century due to industrialisation and new technologies, the Congolese people were subjected to harsh production quotas. Men were forced to collect latex deep in the forests, while women and children were frequently taken hostage to ensure the quotas were met. Failure to meet the quotas often resulted in severe punishments, including beatings, the burning of villages, kidnappings and mutilations. Severed hands became one of the most horrifying symbols of this colonial terror, used both as punishment and as proof that soldiers had not wasted ammunition. Because no reliable pre-colonial population records exist, historians continue to debate the exact death toll. Nevertheless, research shows that between 1885 and 1908 the population of the Congo collapsed catastrophically due to direct violence, famine, disease, forced displacement and a sharp decline in birth rates. Many scholars estimate that around 10 million people lost their lives.