Ever since he was a child, Leopold II was obsessed with bringing prestige to the nascent Kingdom of Belgium. As king, he spent decades scheming and conning European powers to fulfill his single-minded goal — and carve out his own African kingdom in the Congo.
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Nov 2022
Thanksgiving Special: Just Add Arsenic
Over the ages, arsenic has had many lives — beauty fad, household product, medical prescription… and weapon of choice wielded by killers everywhere from Alabama to ancient Rome. Brine your turkey, knead your dough, and listen to our Thanksgiving Special on the regime-changing, as ... Show More
42m 41s
Nov 2022
Famous Revolutionaries: Maximilien Robespierre Pt. 2
In 1791, France adopted a new constitution, placing power in the hands of the people. Robespierre’s job was done... or so he thought. War was coming, and with it, the growing threat of enemies both internal and external. In his quest to squash the counter-revolution, Robespierre ... Show More
46m 37s
Aug 2020
The Red Paint on Leopold II
Leopold II, King of the Belgians, was a man obsessed with the profits that came with colonization. Using smokescreens of charities and shell corporations, he claimed a private landholding 76x larger than his own nation, and unleashed decades of horror on the land's inhabitants. L ... Show More
43m 9s
Nov 2023
CZM Rewind: Part One: King Leopold II: The First Modern Bastard
Original Air Date: June 12th, 2018
Have you ever heard of King Leopold II? In Episode 7, Robert is joined by Andrew Ti (Yo, Is This Racist?) and they discuss the King of Belgium, who was the first world leader to be crappy in the true modern sense of the word. His life’s work was ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 2020
“Doctor Satan” Pt. 1: Marcel Petiot
Since childhood, Marcel Petiot flaunted a disregard for the rules. As a doctor, he used his charm and influence to enrich his family and get away with his first murder. But when WWII reached Paris, a deadly new scheme began to brew... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca ... Show More
39m 54s
Sep 2017
Léonard Autié: Hair, Grandeur and Revolution, Pt. 2
As Louis XVI's time as king was less and less stable in the face of the French Revolution, Léonard stepped away from the royal family and into his own business ventures. But his loyalty to the crown would forever tie his fate to that of the nobility. Learn more about your ad-choi ... Show More
27m 43s