Cliff’s notes: Belgian King Leopold II convinced countries that he would take Congo for humanitarian purposes and also implement free trade. He focuses on rubber production and forced local populations to meet production quotas. If you did not meet your quota, they took your hand. If you didn’t meet it again, they’d either take another body part or take a body part (heads were not unheard if) of one of your children. Millions were murdered. But King Leopold II and Belgium got a lot of money so it was all worth it in the end, right? /s