Final answer:
King Leopold II's stated humanitarian goals for the Congo included civilizing the natives and providing humanitarian aid, framing it as a protection against the slave trade and a free-trade zone. However, in reality, his regime was characterized by brutal exploitation focused on extracting natural resources, leading to severe human rights abuses and population decline in the Congo until international outcry forced Belgium to intervene in 1908.
Step-by-step explanation:
The humanitarian goals that King Leopold II claimed to have for the Congo were notably overshadowed by the brutal regime he led, which was more focused on personal enrichment and exploitation of Congolese resources like ivory and rubber. Initially, Leopold established the International African Association in 1876, with the proclaimed intent to civilize the natives and deliver humanitarian aid, utilizing the narrative of protecting the people from the slave trade and offering no import tariffs as a free-trade zone. However, his true objectives were starkly different, as the Congo Free State was a front for a private enterprise that operated with extreme violence and coercion, including imposing harsh rubber collection quotas that led to the mutilation and murder of many Congolese people, and had no investment in the genuine development of the society it was exploiting. These actions significantly contributed to a reduction of the Congolese population by half over 25 years and only came to an end when international outcry prompted the Belgian government to take control in 1908.