As the evidence of atrocities in the Congo Free State became impossible to ignore, direct African resistance developed in numerous places around the Congo. As this was happening, a large and sophisticated human rights campaign developed around some courageous informants, journalists, and human rights activists. King Leopold II of Belgium then developed a response in one of the first modern versions of an information/misinformation shadow war in the age of mass media.
This episode is Part 5 in a series on the Belgium Congo. It discusses African Resistance to the Congo Free State, E.D. Morel's media campaign to end the atrocities in the Congo, other informants like Roger Casement, King Leopold's response to the accusations, the role of media in shaping perceptions in Belgium, the most successful feat of pimpery of all time, and why much of this seems very modern. Future episodes will cover the end of the Congo Free State and it's ultimate legacy.
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