Using complete sentences, compare conditions in the Belgian Congo with conditions in the Congo Free State under King Leopold II.

Answer:

The Congo Free State was King Leopold II’s personal possession from 1885 to 1908, while the Belgian Congo was ruled by the Belgian government after it took control. Both periods involved the exploitation of Congolese people and resources. However, Leopold’s regime was especially notorious for forcing people to collect rubber and using extreme violence to enforce quotas. Belgian rule continued coercive labor and denied most Congolese political power, although it was administered as a Belgian colony rather than as Leopold’s personal estate.