The concept of dictatorship, as well as the use of force and systemic persecution of political opponents to stay in power, dates back to the ancient Roman civilization, however, it was the modern history dictators who made it virtually a synonym for gross human rights violations and brutality. Sadly, some of the most brutal dictators in modern history held power not so long ago.
Adolf Hitler (1889 – 1945)
This evil man who rose to power in the 1930s was responsible for the greatest ferocities in human history. He ordered systematic racially based murder of about 11 million people of which 6 million were Jews, while his foreign policy provoked World War II which claimed 50 to 70 million lives. Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945, to avoid being captured by the Soviet Red Army that was advancing in Berlin.
Joseph Stalin (1878 – 1953)
The Georgian-born Soviet leader rose to power after Lenin’s death in 1924. The future ally of the United States and Britain against Nazi Germany was a paranoid man who brutally suppressed his political enemies as well as suspected opponents. The number of casualties of the Stalinist regime varies but about 14 to 20 million of people are estimated to have died in the penalty labor camps known as the gulags or were executed during the Great Purge in the 1930s, while millions were deported and exiled.
Idi Amin (1925 – 2003)
Idi Amin was the ruler of Uganda (Central African). He ruled the country for 8 years (1971 to 1979). He was also called “Butcher of Uganda”. He was responsible for the death of nearly six million people. Those opposed to giving those parts to private parts and toes, to force their meat to eat, to shed the hammer, to set them on ice rocks. After the punishment, the dead bodies of those who died were thrown into the pond, who used to eat crocodiles. During her reign, women were also raped and tortured. She had five wives and dozens of children, yet she always kept looking for a young girl for marriage. He believed that any worthy girl would be ready to become the wife of Uganda’s mother.
Saddam Hussein (1937 – 2006)
Saddam Hussein has been President of Iraq for two decades. After assuming power, he began to consider himself the most influential in Arab countries. In the year 1980, in order to weaken the effectiveness of the new Islamic Revolution, he had removed his army on the borders of Western Iran. Millions of people had to die in this war. In the meantime, in 1982, Saddam Hussein had killed 148 people in Dujail village after a suicide attack on his own. In August 1990, Iraq launched a war with Kuwait accusing Kuwait of dropping prices of oil. After the intervention of US military pressure in 1991, the Iraqi army was forced to retreat from Kuwait. But in this war, thousands of Iraqi soldiers were killed.
Benito Mussolini (1922 – 1943)
Benito Mussolini was a politician of Italy, who led the National Fascist Party. He ruled Italy from about 1922 to 1943. It governed constitutionally by 1925. After that he adopted dictatorship. In 1935, he attacked Abyssinia. From the time of World War II, he faced defeat in many attacks. Because of this, he had to resign from the Prime Minister’s post and was put behind the bars of the jail. At that time Hitler rescued him, but he still could not take power for a long time, and in 1945 the Allied forces attacked Italy, in which Mussolini was captured and detained, then on 28 April 1945, He was sentenced to death.
Muammar Gaddafi (1942 – 2011)
Muammar al-Gaddafi was the dictator of Libya. He ruled 42 years in Libya. Gaddafi was always afraid that no one would kill him, that’s why he used to roam all the time in bulletproof trains. He always used to appoint women as a security guard. His hobbies such as Ukrainian nurses and blonde bodyguards made headlines in foreign media. The dictator ruled a small regime for 42 years in Libya, begged the government soldiers to save his life before death. Gaddafi’s last words were ‘Do not shoot me’
Hosni Mubarak ( 1981 – 2011)
Hosni Mubarak was the dictator of Egypt. He ruled Egypt from 1981 to 2011. During his reign, he oppressed the public. Because of his cruelty, all the people became his opponents. Once Islamic extremists also attacked him, but he escaped from there. Eventually, in 2011, the public mobilized the movement against him and expelled him from power. There were several corruption and murder cases registered on that, he was arrested. In 2012, she was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Kim Jong-il ( 1941 – 2011)
Kim Jong Il, after the death of his father Kim Il Sung, became a big dictator of North Korea’s power. He had killed a large number of people in his power from 1994 to 2011, violating many human rights. During his reign, more than 3 lakh people were arrested and millions of Korean nationals were fired due to his cruel policies. Because of this dictatorship of Kim Jong Il, the United States declared North Korea an Axis of Evil in 2002.
Robert Mugabe ( 1987 – 2017)
Robert Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. He maintained his rule from 1987 to 2013. He had achieved power only by fraud. At the time of elections, he did not get a single vote from any state, but he got power by threatening people. During the election phase, he did the painful murder of nearly 20,000 civilians. In addition, during his reign, he had ruined the lives of more than three million people.
Mao Zedong ( 1943 – 1976)
Mao Tse Tung was the dictator of China. He ruled from 1949 to 1976. He is said to be the killer of about 7.8 million people. During his reign, he ran two programs ‘Great Leading Forward’ and ‘Cultural Revolution’ and the result was that nearly 20 million people became victims of starvation.