---
title: Cartoon of Leopold II Carving up the Congo Basin
author: François Maréchal
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21598/cartoon-of-leopold-ii-carving-up-the-congo-basin/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 2026-02-24
---
# Cartoon of Leopold II Carving up the Congo Basin
_Authored by François Maréchal_
## Image File
[](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/21598.png)
## Image Caption
An illustration by François Maréchal showing King Leopold II of Belgium (reign 1865-1909) carving up the Congo Basin, a reference to the [Berlin Conference 1884-5](https://www.worldhistory.org/Berlin_Conference_1884-5/) which set some of the ground rules for the Scramble for [Africa](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/africa/). Russia is represented on the left and Germany on the right. From the Belgian publication *Le Frondeur*.
## Cite This Work
### APA
Maréchal, F. (2026, February 24). Cartoon of Leopold II Carving up the Congo Basin. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Maréchal, François. "Cartoon of Leopold II Carving up the Congo Basin." *World History Encyclopedia*, February 24, 2026. .
### MLA
Maréchal, François. "Cartoon of Leopold II Carving up the Congo Basin." *World History Encyclopedia*, 24 Feb 2026, .
## License & Copyright
[Original image](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cartoon_depicting_Leopold_2_and_other_emperial_powers_at_Berlin_conference_1884.jpg) by [**François Maréchal**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cartoon_depicting_Leopold_2_and_other_emperial_powers_at_Berlin_conference_1884.jpg). Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 24 February 2026. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Public Domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain). This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.