# Leopold II of Belgium

> He ruled Belgium for 44 years and privately owned an African territory seventy-six times its size — a venture that produced a fortune in ivory and rubber through forced labor, systematic mutilation, and what was called, in 1890, among the first recorded uses of the phrase, "crimes against humanity."

*King of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909 (1835–1909)*

**Canonical URL:** https://fame.am/person/leopold-ii-of-belgium

## Identity
- **Profile type:** Historical Figure ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2798645))
- **Category:** Historical Figures
- **Born:** 1835-04-09
- **Died:** 1909-12-17
- **Status:** deceased
- **Gender:** male

## Bio

Born in Brussels in 1835, the second son of Leopold I, he became king of the Belgians in 1865 and reigned until his death in 1909. At the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, European colonial powers granted him personal ownership of the Congo Free State, a vast territory he never visited but controlled through the mercenary Force Publique. He extracted wealth first from ivory, then from rubber after prices rose in the 1890s, enforcing production quotas with torture, murder, kidnapping, and the amputation of hands and feet of men, women, and children who fell short. The Congolese population is estimated to have declined by between one and fifteen million during his rule, from disease, reduced birth rates, and violence. International condemnation eventually forced him to cede the territory to Belgium in 1908, a year before his death.

## Fame
- **Popularity score:** 70.0 / 100
- **Momentum:** 27.4 / 100  (trend: RISING)
- **Historical depth:** 29.9 / 100
- **Now attention:** 50.3 / 100
- **Source confidence:** 60.0 / 100
- **Profile completeness:** 60.0 / 100
- **Category rank:** #86

## Topics
#Politicians, #Historical Figure, #Royalty, #Politics, #19th Century

## Sources
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12967)
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II_of_Belgium)
- [Pantheon 2.0](https://pantheon.world/profile/person/Leopold%20II%20of%20Belgium)
- [Leopoldo II de Belchica](https://an.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopoldo_II_de_Belchica)
- [ليوبولد الثاني ملك بلجيكا](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A_%D9%85%D9%84%D9%83_%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%A7)
- [ليوبولد التانى ملك بلجيكا](https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%89_%D9%85%D9%84%D9%83_%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%A7)
- [Leopoldu II de Bélxica](https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopoldu_II_de_B%C3%A9lxica)
- [ایکینجی لئوپولد (بلژیک)](https://azb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%DB%8C%DA%A9%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AC%DB%8C_%D9%84%D8%A6%D9%88%D9%BE%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AF_(%D8%A8%D9%84%DA%98%DB%8C%DA%A9))
- [II Leopold](https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/II_Leopold)
- [Леапольд II (кароль Бельгіі)](https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B4_II_(%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C_%D0%91%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B3%D1%96%D1%96))
- [Леополд II (Белгия)](https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B4_II_(%D0%91%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F))
- [দ্বিতীয় লিওপোল্ড (বেলজীয় সম্রাট)](https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC_%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%93%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A1_(%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC_%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9F))
- [Leopold II Belgia](https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II_Belgia)
- [Leopold II, kralj Belgijanaca](https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II%2C_kralj_Belgijanaca)
- [Leopold II de Bèlgica](https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II_de_B%C3%A8lgica)
- [Leopold II. Belgický](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II._Belgick%C3%BD)
- [Leopold II, brenin Gwlad Belg](https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II%2C_brenin_Gwlad_Belg)
- [Leopold 2. af Belgien](https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_2._af_Belgien)
- [Leopold II. (Belgien)](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II._(Belgien))
- [Leopold II](https://diq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II)
- [Λεοπόλδος Β΄ του Βελγίου](https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%9B%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%80%CF%8C%CE%BB%CE%B4%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%92%CE%84_%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%92%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B3%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85)
- [Leopoldo la 2-a (Belgio)](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopoldo_la_2-a_(Belgio))
- [Leopoldo II de Bélgica](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopoldo_II_de_B%C3%A9lgica)
- [Léopold II](https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9opold_II)
- [Leopoldo II.a Belgikakoa](https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopoldo_II.a_Belgikakoa)
- [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leopold_II_of_Belgium)
- [Wikiquote](https://fr.wikiquote.org/wiki/L%C3%A9opold_II_(roi_des_Belges))
- [Wikiquote](https://it.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leopoldo_II_del_Belgio)
- [Wikiquote](https://nl.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leopold_II_van_Belgi%C3%AB)
- [Wikiquote](https://pl.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leopold_II_Koburg)

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