Institution

Force Publique

1885–1960 · 19th century

The Force Publique was the army and police force of the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo, created in 1885–1886, with African soldiers under European officers. Under Leopold II it enforced rubber quotas through hostage-taking, floggings and mutilations. It fought in both world wars, and its mutiny in July 1960 opened the Congo Crisis.

Force Publique
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Mentioned in 1 profile

Congo Free StateMilitary, Summary

Mentioned in 1 state history

Congo Free State

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Force Publique. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/force-publique
MLA
“Force Publique.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/force-publique. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Force Publique.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/force-publique.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Force Publique’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/force-publique (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻