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“As you sow, so you reap,” the Book says. They lived life large but came to ignominious and wretched ends. Here’s a look at the world’s greatest dictators of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Adolf Hitler, Germany
German Nazi Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s worst humanitarian crime, for which history has never forgiven him, is the Holocaust – the genocide of over 6 million Jews in Europe. On April 30, 1945, after the Nazis lost the Battle of Berlin, Hitler committed suicide in a bunker with mistress Eva Braun to avoid capture.
German Nazi Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s worst humanitarian crime, for which history has never forgiven him, is the Holocaust – the genocide of over 6 million Jews in Europe. On April 30, 1945, after the Nazis lost the Battle of Berlin, Hitler committed suicide in a bunker with mistress Eva Braun to avoid capture.
Benito Mussolini, Italy
Sworn in as the 40th prime minister of Italy in 1922, Benito Mussolini took a little more than a decade to assume the title of "His Excellency Benito Mussolini, Head of Government, Duce of Fascism, and Founder of the Empire". His ideology of Fascism envisioned social progress with subversion, censorship and propaganda through the establishment of a draconian police state. During World War II, Mussolini initially sided with France but then quickly turned about and joined forces with Hitler’s Nazis, embarking on an ambitious plan to acquire territories in France and Britain. During the war, his fief eventually fell to the Allied Forces. He was captured but staged a dramatic escape from prison with German help. While attempting to escape into the neutral state of Switzerland in April 1945, he and his mistress Claretta Petacci were captured and executed. Their bodies were hung upside down before a garage in Milan's Piazzale Loreto on April 29, 1945.
Sworn in as the 40th prime minister of Italy in 1922, Benito Mussolini took a little more than a decade to assume the title of "His Excellency Benito Mussolini, Head of Government, Duce of Fascism, and Founder of the Empire". His ideology of Fascism envisioned social progress with subversion, censorship and propaganda through the establishment of a draconian police state. During World War II, Mussolini initially sided with France but then quickly turned about and joined forces with Hitler’s Nazis, embarking on an ambitious plan to acquire territories in France and Britain. During the war, his fief eventually fell to the Allied Forces. He was captured but staged a dramatic escape from prison with German help. While attempting to escape into the neutral state of Switzerland in April 1945, he and his mistress Claretta Petacci were captured and executed. Their bodies were hung upside down before a garage in Milan's Piazzale Loreto on April 29, 1945.
Joseph Stalin, USSR
The jury is still out over whether Joseph Stalin was a great statesman or a great dictator. A Bolshevik revolutionary who participated in the October Revolution along with Vladimir Lenin, he became the Premier of the Soviet Union. He established the USSR as a redoubtable wartime power for subduing the Nazis and in the postwar years made the Soviet Union a nuclear-capable superpower. Despite his ambitious reforms and industrialization drives, he drove thousands of people to forced labor camps and executed political opponents. After Stalin died, his legacy was renounced by his successors.
The jury is still out over whether Joseph Stalin was a great statesman or a great dictator. A Bolshevik revolutionary who participated in the October Revolution along with Vladimir Lenin, he became the Premier of the Soviet Union. He established the USSR as a redoubtable wartime power for subduing the Nazis and in the postwar years made the Soviet Union a nuclear-capable superpower. Despite his ambitious reforms and industrialization drives, he drove thousands of people to forced labor camps and executed political opponents. After Stalin died, his legacy was renounced by his successors.
Idi Amin Dada, Uganda
Mercifully for the people of Uganda, dictator Idi Amin Dada ruled only for nine years. However, it was a time of gross human rights transgressions, political repression, ethnic persecution, mass killings and corruption in the beleaguered African republic. Amin initially aligned with the West but quickly found an admiring ally in Libya’s Muammar al-Gaddafi. On public radio, he declared that he had assumed the title "His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Alhaji Dr Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE." Incidentally, CBE stood for “Conqueror of the British Empire” – a self-bestowed honorific for his achievement of driving out British diplomats. He curried favor with the Soviet Union, which supplied him with arms. In 1976, Amin declared himself the “Last King of Scotland” (theme of a Hollywood movie with an Oscar-winning performance by Forest Whitaker). A polygamist known for his excessive tastes, Amin was the subject of several films and documentaries. After he was deposed in 1979, Amin fled to Libya and then to Saudi Arabia, where he died in hospital August 2003.
Mercifully for the people of Uganda, dictator Idi Amin Dada ruled only for nine years. However, it was a time of gross human rights transgressions, political repression, ethnic persecution, mass killings and corruption in the beleaguered African republic. Amin initially aligned with the West but quickly found an admiring ally in Libya’s Muammar al-Gaddafi. On public radio, he declared that he had assumed the title "His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Alhaji Dr Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE." Incidentally, CBE stood for “Conqueror of the British Empire” – a self-bestowed honorific for his achievement of driving out British diplomats. He curried favor with the Soviet Union, which supplied him with arms. In 1976, Amin declared himself the “Last King of Scotland” (theme of a Hollywood movie with an Oscar-winning performance by Forest Whitaker). A polygamist known for his excessive tastes, Amin was the subject of several films and documentaries. After he was deposed in 1979, Amin fled to Libya and then to Saudi Arabia, where he died in hospital August 2003.
François Duvalier, Haiti
Ironically, François Duvalier’s first claim to fame was as a doctor who fought and won battles against disease. Known as Papa Doc, he became President of Haiti in 1957 and held the tiny nation in his iron grip until his death in 1971. During his rule, marked by voodoo and personality cult, about 30,000 Haitians were murdered.
Ironically, François Duvalier’s first claim to fame was as a doctor who fought and won battles against disease. Known as Papa Doc, he became President of Haiti in 1957 and held the tiny nation in his iron grip until his death in 1971. During his rule, marked by voodoo and personality cult, about 30,000 Haitians were murdered.
Ferdinand Marcos, Philippines
Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos assumed power in 1965 and went on to become an authoritarian ruler of the archipelago of the Philippines. For vote-buying, crony capitalism and nepotism to declaring martial law under which thousands of people were incarcerated and tortured, to eventually spiriting away large sums of money to the United States, Marcos and his wife Imelda earned the wrath of Filipinos. Marcos died in exile in Hawaii in 1989.
Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos assumed power in 1965 and went on to become an authoritarian ruler of the archipelago of the Philippines. For vote-buying, crony capitalism and nepotism to declaring martial law under which thousands of people were incarcerated and tortured, to eventually spiriting away large sums of money to the United States, Marcos and his wife Imelda earned the wrath of Filipinos. Marcos died in exile in Hawaii in 1989.
Pol Pot
Pol Pot, derived from the French phrase Politique Potentielle, was the alias of the Cambodian Chinese revolutionary Saloth Sar, who led the Khmer Rouge in the conflict with Vietnam. The Khmer Rouge was accused of mass ethnocide and torture methods. Over 1.7 million people were believed to have been killed during his regime. Pol Pot died in 1998.
Pol Pot, derived from the French phrase Politique Potentielle, was the alias of the Cambodian Chinese revolutionary Saloth Sar, who led the Khmer Rouge in the conflict with Vietnam. The Khmer Rouge was accused of mass ethnocide and torture methods. Over 1.7 million people were believed to have been killed during his regime. Pol Pot died in 1998.
Mobutu Sese Seko, Zaire
Mobotu Sese Seko, who wore a signature leopard-skin toque and thick-rimmed glasses, was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which he renamed Zaire in 1971 as part of an “authentication” campaign. All people were thereafter known as Zairois. Mobotu initially captured and tortured his political opponents but later played international rivals against each other with the policy of “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer still”. During his authoritarian regime from 1965 to 1997, Mobotu drove out foreign investors and seized their assets, exercised rampant nepotism and stashed away a fortune estimated at $5 billion in Swiss banks. His self-aggrandizement was evident in that he once chartered a Concorde from Air France for his personal use. Mobotu was overthrown in 1996 and lived in exile in Togo but died in Morocco of prostate cancer in 1997.
Mobotu Sese Seko, who wore a signature leopard-skin toque and thick-rimmed glasses, was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which he renamed Zaire in 1971 as part of an “authentication” campaign. All people were thereafter known as Zairois. Mobotu initially captured and tortured his political opponents but later played international rivals against each other with the policy of “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer still”. During his authoritarian regime from 1965 to 1997, Mobotu drove out foreign investors and seized their assets, exercised rampant nepotism and stashed away a fortune estimated at $5 billion in Swiss banks. His self-aggrandizement was evident in that he once chartered a Concorde from Air France for his personal use. Mobotu was overthrown in 1996 and lived in exile in Togo but died in Morocco of prostate cancer in 1997.
Jean Bedel Bokassa, Central African Republic
From President to President for Life, to Emperor, Bokassa assumed several titles as he reigned over the land-locked Central African Republic from 1966 until his overthrow in 1979. He was put on trial for treason and murder and convicted and imprisoned from 1987 to 1993. He died in 1996.
From President to President for Life, to Emperor, Bokassa assumed several titles as he reigned over the land-locked Central African Republic from 1966 until his overthrow in 1979. He was put on trial for treason and murder and convicted and imprisoned from 1987 to 1993. He died in 1996.
Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania
The Romanian leader began his career as an anti-Fascist and initially sided with the Soviet Union. Increasingly, as head of state from 1967 to 1989, he isolated his country from the rest of the world. He was guilty of a brutal and repressive Stalinist regime. He was overthrown in the 1989 Romanian Revolution and executed after a brief televised trial.
The Romanian leader began his career as an anti-Fascist and initially sided with the Soviet Union. Increasingly, as head of state from 1967 to 1989, he isolated his country from the rest of the world. He was guilty of a brutal and repressive Stalinist regime. He was overthrown in the 1989 Romanian Revolution and executed after a brief televised trial.
Saddam Hussein, Iraq
Iraq’s President from 1979 to 2003, Saddam Hussein earned notoriety for his megalomaniac military zeal. He instigated the Iran-Iraq war, annexed Kuwait and invited the wrath of the US and its allies, triggering the First Gulf War. After the second Gulf War, he was hunted down, imprisoned and executed by US forces in Iraq.
Iraq’s President from 1979 to 2003, Saddam Hussein earned notoriety for his megalomaniac military zeal. He instigated the Iran-Iraq war, annexed Kuwait and invited the wrath of the US and its allies, triggering the First Gulf War. After the second Gulf War, he was hunted down, imprisoned and executed by US forces in Iraq.
Charles Taylor, Liberia
Liberian president Charles Taylor ruled from 1997 to 2003, during which he was accused of humanitarian crimes and war crimes. He was pressured to resign in 2003 and is currently being detained at The Hague and is on trial for his role in the nation’s civil war.
Liberian president Charles Taylor ruled from 1997 to 2003, during which he was accused of humanitarian crimes and war crimes. He was pressured to resign in 2003 and is currently being detained at The Hague and is on trial for his role in the nation’s civil war.
Wlobodan Milosevic
President of Serbia and Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic led the Socialist Party of Serbia from its inception in 1980. During his rule, Yugoslavia broke up and the country went into civil war. He was arrested and tried for corruption and war crimes at The Hague but died before he could be charged.
President of Serbia and Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic led the Socialist Party of Serbia from its inception in 1980. During his rule, Yugoslavia broke up and the country went into civil war. He was arrested and tried for corruption and war crimes at The Hague but died before he could be charged.
