Hey Thoughty2 here.
Most people think of dictatorships as a thing of the past but to this day 2.6 billion people
worldwide are living under a dictatorship.
In fact only 11% of the world's population are living in fully democratically ruled counties.
The democracy index map shows the spread and severity of dictatorships worldwide, the closer
to red the more authoritarian the regime of said country.
But who are the 10 deadliest, most despicable dictators of all time?
10.
Up first we have the arse making headlines around the world, Bashar Al-Assad.
Current president and ruthless dictator of Syria.
When he first came into power in 2000, everyone thought he was a pretty decent guy promising
hope and reform to the country.
I mean why would you think any different with a family photo like this.
But it all turned sour very quickly when he ordered mass crackdowns and military sieges
on Arab Spring protesters, leading to the Syrian Civil War.
Since then he has been responsible for over 110,000 deaths and he is now wanted by the
United Nations for crimes against humanity.
9.
At number 9 is Mengistu Haile Mariam, an Ethiopian politician who was the leader of the communist
Derg party that governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987.
During his introductory leadership speech he announced death to the revolution and to
the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party.
Fearing people didn't quite get the message he threw three bottles filled with blood from
his pedestal, yep, that ought to do it.
He was responsible for 1.5 million deaths.
And just to rub salt in the wound he even taxed families who requested the return of
the dead bodies of their loved ones.
8.
At 8 is former North Korea leader Kim il-Sung up until his death in 1994.
He led the nation using extreme force and deception.
He lost so much respect from the people of North Korea that he decided to blame the US
for the Nation's suffering.
Falsely claiming the American superpower has launched a biological attack on North Korea
causing a pandemic in the country.
And to make it more convincing, he killed 1.6 million of his own people.
7.
Infamous Cambodia communist leader Pol Pot takes the number 7 spot.
He had a grand vision of a country where everyone is equal.
So he commanded all city workers to relocate and work on the farms and all farm workers
to work in the city.
Unsurprisingly this didn't work as expected.
So to punish his people he deprived them of the right to education, medication and nutrition.
He also executed 1.7 million people who didn't follow his ideals.
6.
At 6 is Ismail Enver Pasha.
Ismail was the leader of the 1908 Young Turk Revolution and leader of the Turkish ruled
Ottoman empire during the Balkan wars and World War 1.
But people soon discovered that he wasn't very good at leading armies, after losing
battle after battle.
So to compensate for his losses and boost his ego a little he decided to slaughter 1.5
million Armenians and over 1 million other people of various races.
5.
At number 5 is former Japanese dictator Hideki Tojo.
He was assigned the position of general in the Imperial Japanese Army but he wasn't content
with that so he took it upon himself to also assume the positions of Army Minister, Home
Minister, Foreign Minister, Education Minister and Commerce Minister oh and if all that wasn't
enough Prime Minister as well.
He also formed an alliance with the Nazis hoping he would rise to power alongside Hitler.
Tojo was responsible for 5 million deaths in total.
4.
At 4 is Leopold II of Belgium.
He founded and ran the Congo Free State, an area of Central Africa, from 1885 to 1908.
The colonial nations of Europe handed Leopold the Congo Free State so he could improve the
lives of the native inhabitants.
But he instead used it entirely for his own gain, he used a mercenary force to dictate
the native inhabitants to collect ivory and rubber from the plentiful natural environment.
Villagers were required to meet rubber quotas, which, if they didn't meet the individual's
hands were cut off.
Leopold earned a fortune through this exploitation.
He committed some of the worst atrocities in history and was responsible for enslaving
and killing 15 million Congolese.
3.
Number 3 is Josef Stalin he became leader of the Soviet Union after Lenin died in 1924.
Stalin led the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1953, he enforced his socialist ideals in an attempt
to make the country more progressive.
However Stalin's new socialist economy led to the starvation of nearly 10 million people.
Many activists tried to contest his leadership, so Stalin launched the Great Purge, killing
every person who opposed his ideals.
In total he was responsible for the deaths of over 23 million people.
2.
Number 2 needs no introduction.
Probably the most infamous dictator of all time is Adolf Hitler.
Born in Austria in 1889, he became a German politician and leader of the Nazi Party.
During the German presidential elections of 1932, Hitler used anti-communism ideals and
Nazi propaganda to gain support for his campaign.
He frequently denounced international capitalism and communism as being part of a Jewish conspiracy.
After the Nazi party was successfully elected he vowed to eliminate Jews from Germany and
establish a new world order to counter what he saw as the injustice of the post-World
War 1 international order, dominated by Britain and France.
And we all know what happened next..
During his 11 year dictatorship between 1934 and 1945.
He was responsible for countless crimes against humanity and the deaths of over 17 million
people, including 6 million Jews.
1.
And finally number one simply because of the sheer number of deaths is former communist
leader of China, Mao Zedong between 1945 and 1976.
In total he is responsible for over 78 million deaths.
This guy makes hitler look like a schoolyard bully.
Mao had an unquenchable thirst for power, in his first five years of power he indiscriminately
sentenced 6 million people to death.
And during a very short period of 4 years between 1958 and 1962 Mao's communist policies
starved and worked to death over 45 million Chinese citizens.
Many were also beaten to death.
He also executed any enemies of the state at the drop of a hat.
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