Top 10 Worst Dictators in History
2500 unarmed protesters were killed in 45 minutes last night, May 5th, 2013, at 3 am.
A building collapsed, resulting in multiple fatalities. Despite this, she refused to accept assistance from foreign countries.
She falsely claimed to CNN that she permitted their journalist to cover the building collapse story, when in reality, she did not grant permission. Many civilians are being killed by her supporters and the police, who have been given direct orders to open fire on the unarmed protesters. These protesters had organized a rally to express their sentiments and highlight the failures of the current government.
Holding the power like her father, doing the same as he did, she has banned the basic rights of expressing opinions. Even when a spokesperson for civil society, whoever they may be (a scholar, national professor, writer of the constitution), speaks against her autocracy, she labels them as mad! Because of her, thousands of people are now dying. She initiated the chaos by amending the constitution. Her only desire is to seize and maintain rulership. As a result of her actions, our economy is now being destroyed. She and her followers have illegally taken over every top position. She has already appointed her party members in governmental offices, including the Election Commissions, Police Department, and Army. They are now engaging in mass killings. Innocent people are dying every day.
Why did you amend the fully acceptable constitution and now present the edited version, claiming that you are following the constitution? Do you think we, the people, are mad? We don't need a ruthless ruler like you or the dim-witted Khalida Zia. What we need is a leader who can guide our country like a true leader.
In conclusion, I would like to say, "Go to Hell, Democratic Dictator Hasina."
Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 - April 30, 1945) was a German politician of Austrian descent who served as the leader of the Nazi Party since 1921, Chancellor of Germany since 1933, and Führer of Nazi Germany since 1934. As dictator of Nazi Germany, he reversed the Treaty of Versailles, initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939, and was a central figure of the Holocaust... read more Jews, Blacks, and Romani people, none were safe. This man was out for everyone, killing 17 million and causing a war which resulted in 85 million.
Hitler was an awful man, there's no doubt about it. He had the ability to turn even the most peaceful people into radical haters through his speeches alone. He directed all his hatred at a more or less innocent group for no apparent reason. He also damaged Germany's reputation for a long time. Even 70 years later, many people still associate us with Nazism, all thanks to him. He is, without a doubt, the worst dictator in history.
Adolf Hitler was a sociopath who terrified the world with his plans for conquest. His decision to exterminate all the Jews, especially in Europe, was the single worst mistake that anyone has ever made in the history of humanity. He came perilously close to succeeding, managing to kill 3 million of the total 9 million Jews in and around Poland at that time. This makes Hitler not only the worst dictator to have ever lived, but also the worst human being to ever set foot on our planet.
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was a Georgian dictator, and was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. Holding the post of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, he was effectively the dictator of the state. Holodomor, land reforms, mass executions, the murder of the Mongolian president, the exile of Trotsky, and alliances with Nazis (as well as North Korea and North Vietnam) go to show how nasty this guy really is. He also let his son rot in prison because why not.
- Responsible for 60 million deaths
It's debatable whether he was the most evil person. It's also debatable how to interpret the numbers of deaths. I'm confident that "One death is a tragedy. A million is simply a statistic" accurately represents how humans think, whether we like it or not. However, many of these people wanted what they believed to be the best for their countries and used power to try to achieve it through horrible methods.
Stalin was a horrible, power-hungry, and paranoid leader. He cared a lot about his power, simply for the sake of power. Arguably, he was the most dictatorial person on this list. That's enough reason for me, but the fact that he was a terrible person and killed millions of people is the icing on the cake.
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary and founding father of the People's Republic of China, which he governed as Chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949, until his death in 1976. His Marxist–Leninist theories, military strategies, and political policies are collectively known... read more The number, the number! How many people died because of him? It's over 80 million people! Some say it could be 100 million. How many people died or were tortured in the Holocaust? 6-7 million. Why do people hate Hitler? I think he wasn't stupid, with the exception of the invasion of Russia. How about Mao Zedong? He became strong in the military because of the USA. This guy doesn't have the worth of being a living thing. He is the man most responsible for more deaths than anyone else. Many people don't care about Mao but focus on Hitler. Poor man, Hitler. For Mao, it would be "poor-hearted" man, though (laugh).
People fail to see that while Mao, Hitler, and Stalin were all evil, Mao was the worst. Let's start with the body count: his "Great Leap Forward" alone killed 45 million people in four years. In total, he killed roughly 70 million people.
Adolf Hitler was an evil man but a fantastic leader. When he took power, Germany was in the depths of social and economic chaos. Hitler brought a broken nation to become one of the most powerful nations in world history. Stalin was certainly far more evil than Hitler but comes nowhere close to the death count of Mao Zedong.
Pol Pot, born Saloth Sar, was a Cambodian revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until 1997. From 1963 to 1981, he served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea. It is too bad that I do not believe in Hell, as Pol Pot should absolutely be there for eternity. The American people still don't seem to realize the extent of the genocide this man committed against his own people and those of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Burma. Jane Fonda was an idiot. She should apologize to the people of Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam.
"Education is not more important unless you have no humanity." I am one of the Cambodian citizens, and my parents, grandparents, and other relatives have experienced such a tough time. I lost one of my uncles, who was a scholar at that time. He had received a scholarship to study abroad. Unluckily, Pol Pot killed him, and we couldn't even find his body. "If your power harms others, the power should not exist."
In my opinion, Pol Pot should be at the top of the list. While Hitler and Stalin destroyed more lives, Pol Pot was just plain idiotic. At least Hitler and Stalin both contributed something important to their countries. Pol Pot, on the other hand, almost sent his own country, Cambodia, back to the Stone Ages.
Vlad III (Known as "Vlad the Impaler" or "Vlad Dracula", born 1431) was a Romanian monarch. He was the ruler of Wallachia a total of three times before his death in 1476/7. He is most famous for his reputation as a dictator and his gruesome torture methods and executions, in which he has served as an inspiration for Count Dracula and, in turn, the vampire mythology. Does anyone have any clue what he did? He killed anyone who even slightly offended him. He had hats nailed onto the heads of two men because they didn't take them off in his palace. He killed people in the most painful ways possible, mostly by impaling a stake through the bottom of their bodies, all the way to their mouths. He would then "decorate" by placing them around his house and city to scare away enemies. At the beginning of his reign, he placed a gold cup in the middle of his land. Until his death, nobody ever stole it because they were so afraid of him. It was terrible. If you want to read more, just Google him. There are quite a few great articles.
Vlad III the Impaler was a great man. He defended Romania (which was known back then as Wallachia) and the entire Christian world from the Ottoman Empire. This wasn't insignificant because not all Romanian rulers had the courage to fight with the Ottomans, many of them being the Ottomans' allies.
The Transylvanian Germans, who would come to Romania for trade, had a lot of rights in Romania. In contrast, the Romanian Wallachians had fewer rights in Transylvania from the Germans. Vlad requested that they give Romanians their rights, but they denied his request. Angry, he severed trade with them. The Germans got angry and started spreading different stories to make him a monster.
Also, Matthias Corvinus received money from the Pope to start an anti-Ottoman battle. However, he used it for his wedding. To protect his reputation, he claimed that Vlad was behind everything bad that happened. There was a lot of propaganda going against this guy, and his placement in this ranking (6, really?) shows that the propaganda is still ongoing.
Kim Jong-il (born Yuri Irsenovich Kim; 16 February 1941 - 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly referred to as North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim Il-sung, the first Supreme Leader, until his own death in 2011, when he was succeeded by his son, Kim... read more Kim Jong-Il is far worse than Hitler could ever be. At least Hitler and Stalin had the decency to feed prisoners very small portions of food or execute them quickly by shooting or gas chamber. Kim Jong-Il basically starved his people, and if they were too weak to work, he would either torture them by drowning, dissection, or if they were lucky, shoot them or put them in a gas chamber. The concentration camps are well-hidden, and only former guards can tell the tale. Upon arrival at the camp, there are deformities, amputees, newborn babies injected with a liquid that causes major swelling, and babies buried alive or faced down to suffocate. The already weak people were dissected alive in underground labs. These are by far the most inhumane and painful ways anyone can torture someone since medieval times, I believe. He also spent millions and millions of the money that South Korea gave him to aid others. He basically spent it all on the military. Over 20 million people were killed and died a slow, painful death. Now his son is in power.
Idi Amin Dada was a Ugandan politician and military officer. He was the President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin was born either in Koboko or Kampala to a Kakwa father and Lugbara mother. In 1946 he joined the King's African Rifles of the British Colonial Army. Oh, I've heard of this guy. In addition to committing mass genocide in his home country of Uganda (that's in Africa. I say this because I know people who thought London was the capital of France, and I want to be safe), he was also a cannibal and declared himself emperor of all Ugandans on the grounds that he had single-handedly defeated the tyrannical British Empire. I honestly don't know why they let monsters like these come to power instead of throwing them into the loony bin.
He decided to kill women because of their names, he had public executions live on TV, and kept people's heads in his fridge to intimidate others! And he got away with it. He managed to flee Uganda and lived in Saudi Arabia without anyone doing anything about what he did back in Uganda!
She is the worst dictator. People pray all day for her death. She is selling our country to India.
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutionary Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, and later, the Baghdad-based Ba'ath Party and its regional organization Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region—which espoused Ba'athism, a mix of Arab nationalism and socialism—Saddam played a key role in... read more Saddam Hussein was indeed a terrible man who did horrendous things, such as killing his own sons-in-law and exterminating the swamp Arabs (or Muslims?). However, that said, his strict dictatorship did bring Iraq together. It was probably better then than it is now in Iraq.
This guy should be at number one. He is that bad. He wins the election every time because he rigs it, compared to better dictators who actually hold the election fairly.
Saddam was the worst leader in Iraqi history. But still, when he was in power, Iraq had some semblance of order. Now it's just screams and rubble.
Caligula, properly Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was Roman emperor in AD 37–41. Born Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. In the first three months of his reign of terror, over 160,000 animals were sacrificed in his honor. He later contracted brain fever that rendered him mentally ill. Believing himself to be a god, Caligula twisted the law into an instrument of torture. He felt that prisoners should experience a painful death. For his amusement, he began to brutally murder people. He would kill his opponents slowly and painfully over the course of hours or days. He decapitated and strangled children, and beat people with heavy chains.
Caligula forced families to attend their children's executions. Many people had their tongues cut off. He fed prisoners to lions, panthers, and bears, and frequently killed gladiators. Occasionally, he ordered people to be killed by elephants. His cruelty drove people to commit suicide. Sexually, he was voracious and immoral, demanding intercourse with many women, including his three sisters. He would force husbands to give up their wives. He exiled his sisters and had his brother-in-law put to death. His actions caused many to die from starvation.
Among his favored methods of torture was sawing people, which involved filleting the spine and spinal cord from the crotch down to the chest. He took sadistic pleasure in chewing up the testicles of victims while they were still alive. He killed some of his most important friends, as well as his father-in-law. Caligula once said, "I wish Rome had but one neck, so that I could cut off all their heads with one blow!"
Ante Pavelić was a Croatian fascist dictator who led the Ustaše movement and the Independent State of Croatia, established in parts of occupied Yugoslavia during World War II with the support of both Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. The last post is the most accurate. Per capita, Ante Pavelić and the Croatian Ustaše should be rated #1. Out of a population of 2 million, they butchered and murdered between 700,000 and 1 million people, primarily Serbians, along with Jews and Gypsies. That's almost half the Serbian population there! The population, including men, women, children, and the elderly, was systematically massacred in the most brutal ways imaginable. Go to Croatia and mention Serbs to witness the hate for yourself. Or just ask any Croat in the world and see their denial.
It's strange to see people who have never lived in Yugoslavia or any Balkan country comment that he didn't kill many people. Everyone knows he was a Hitler supporter and that he is responsible for the deaths of numerous individuals. My father's grandfather was killed in Jasenovac, but his grandmother managed to escape. I'm not saying all Bosnians and Croatians are evil. However, the majority of Croatians did harbor animosity towards Serbs, possibly because they wanted their own country and felt the only way to achieve that was through violence. It's important to remember that in times of war, all sides commit killings. But there's a difference between self-defense and mass murder. I don't hate Croatians. I have many Croatian friends. It's just those Ustaše who are truly evil, and to this day, they celebrate Ante Pavelić's birthday.
It looks like many of you didn't do research. According to the Bible, he was a murderer who tried to kill Jesus. However, this is mere fiction. Only the Bible mentions the Massacre of the Innocents. There is no other source to prove that this event truly happened. Herod the Great didn't earn his epithet for nothing. According to other sources, he was a powerful monarch who increased the territory of the Roman Empire. At that time, Judea was under the control of the Empire. He also greatly expanded the Temple of Jerusalem and constructed the port of Caesarea. He wasn't a nice person, but he also certainly wasn't an evil dictator.
Worst king in existence! He wanted to kill all the baby boys just because he was afraid that Jesus was going to take his throne! I'm glad he didn't kill Jesus!
He is a killer. He killed all the baby boys that he could, just because he couldn't find one baby. He thought the baby was going to take his crown from him. That doesn't give him the right to kill.
Kim Il-sung was the supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly referred to as North Korea, for 46 years, from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to 1994. He was also the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea from 1949 to 1994. To this day, he is still seen as a leader in the Democratic... read more He started the disaster that is North Korea. Now in its third generation, only an internal coup, which is unlikely due to the terror and mistrust of those in key positions, or an external "takedown," will solve the problem. In my opinion, the civilized nations of the world owe it to the people of North Korea to remove the government and reunite it with the South, China's wishes be damned!
Bashar Hafez al-Assad is the current President of Syria, holding the office since 17 July 2000. He is also commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces, General Secretary of the ruling Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party and Regional Secretary of the party's branch in Syria. This man is an animal. His father was an animal. He is worse than any other inhumane leader on the list. What he has put his people through is something that no one should have to endure. The number of Syrians who have died from starvation is countless, and there is no worse way to die. He is also the reason why ISIS exists. I can't believe he is still alive. The fact that he is still carrying out his massacre shows that organizations like the United Nations and hundreds like them don't really care. They are just there to make those of us away from the situation sleep peacefully, but how could we, knowing what innocent people are being put through?
A very cold-hearted tyrant, he allowed his own country to plunge into civil war. This created a multifaceted struggle between a multitude of different groups. His regime has killed tens of thousands to retain power, using the most brutal means possible. The paramilitary groups loyal to Assad, known as the Shabiha, have deliberately targeted children as young as 2 years old to terrorize anyone who dares oppose his rule.
It is true that al-Qaeda has hijacked a good portion of the revolution. However, in condemning the jihadist atrocities, we must not lose sight of the Assad regime's depravity.
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician, journalist, and leader of the National Fascist Party, ruling the country as Prime Minister from 1922 until he was ousted in 1943. He ruled constitutionally until 1925, when he dropped all pretense of democracy and set up a legal dictatorship. I think this is what happened (in metaphor): You can be as good as you can, and doing your best for your country is all it takes to grow your nation and make it proud. However, trying to follow or be someone else, especially if it's something you don't like, will overextend your limits and can create conflicts for you and others. Adolf Hitler admired Mussolini's Fascist Party so much that he took it a step further and created his version of Fascism. Mussolini knew he was weak at the time, so he allied himself to stay safe. But this caused hate from the citizens of Italy due to losing battles, execution, and harsh laws.
The worst. Never been a courageous dude, followed by all nasty Italians. Big shame for them, but in opposition to Germans, they are still proud of Mussolini (Il Duce). Real pity for not recognizing him as a dictator.
The reason Italy is a coward on Hetalia. Then again, at least Italy was a better person than Mussolini!
Nero was the last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius and became Claudius' heir and successor. Like Claudius, Nero became emperor with the consent of the Praetorian Guard. He was both evil and insane. I wonder what mental disorder he had?
Terrible. Killing Christians in inhumane ways.
Persecuted and executed thousands of people.
Kim Jong-un (born 8 January 1983) is a North Korean politician who has been Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is a son of Kim Jong-il, who was North Korea's second supreme leader from 1994 to 2011, and Ko Yong-hui. He is a grandson of Kim Il-sung (who was the founder and first supreme leader of North Korea from its establishment... read more Manchild. People have been brainwashed to believe he can control the weather. He just shows off with some stupid weapons every year. Meanwhile, the poor people in North Korea can't call it that, or they will be arrested. They have to call it the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. They can't have their own haircut. By law, it's 28. The government provides their homes. They can't wear jeans. The government listens to their phone calls and mandates that they watch government television.
Grandson of Kim Il-sung and son of Kim Jong-il, he is the third-generation Kim dynasty ruler of North Korea. He ordered the execution of an officer through a mortar gun and has ordered executions against people who owned DVDs from democratic South Korea, as well as Christians.
Really, why is he so low? He is a lot worse than his father was. And just look at some of the people ahead of him. He should be in the top 10.
Ivan IV Vasilyevich, commonly known as Ivan the Terrible or Ivan the Fearsome, was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547, then Tsar of All Rus' until his death in 1584. The last title was used by all his successors. His first act of power was to throw a rebellious nobleman to his hunting dogs. Things only became worse from that point on.
Ivan the Terrible was known for, among other "accomplishments," torturously murdering the inhabitants of the city of Novgorod on the basis of a rumor that they were planning to defect to Sweden. Men, women, and children were impaled, hacked to death with axes, or boiled alive in gigantic pots. He personally partook in brutal tortures of suspected enemies and beat his own son to death in a fit of rage. He is possibly one of the worst people who has ever lived. Brutal, sadistic, and cruel, he richly deserves the name Ivan the Terrible.
He was better known as Ivan the Terrible. After the Kremlin was built, he executed its builders so they couldn't make anything more impressive. I don't know whether this is more stupid or sadistic.
Even though he wasn't really a dictator, he was a monarch. Nonetheless, he was as bad as Stalin.
One of the reasons why the CAR is such a failed country.
Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar Gaddafi, commonly known as Colonel Gaddafi, was a Libyan revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. "Sometimes change is not good." Take a look at Libya's current situation. This change led to civil war in the country, which caused hunger, social unrest, crime, and refugees. If Muammar Al-Gaddafi were still leading this country under his dictatorship, I think the situation would be much better than the democracy the protesters wanted.
He is the worst thing that happened to Libya. He had stored away an estimated $200 billion from Libya's oil revenue in secret bank accounts and investments. When my mom was in university there, they would literally have public hangings of students who opposed his regime.
Gaddafi... What can I say... He's been in that chair for too long. It's time for a change in Libya, for the sake of the people and the gentleman himself.
He killed 3,000 civilians in August 2013 who were peacefully protesting his autocratic move to remove the popularly elected President of Egypt. He is as bad as Pharaoh (Rameses II) who opposed Moses (Musa).
He needs to die soon. May Allah take him to hell. He cannot be a Muslim. This man is a traitor and a piece of trash.
You can't topple an elected president, kill tens of thousands of people, and then create propaganda to lie.
Mengistu Haile Mariam is an Ethiopian politician who was the leader of Ethiopia from 1977 to 1991. He was the chairman of the Derg, the Communist military junta that governed Ethiopia, from 1977 to 1987, and the President of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 1987 to 1991. Effectively a dictator, his rule is remembered for the following historical events: the end of the Solomonic dynasty,... read more He was the worst dictator in East Africa. He killed his own president, whose name was Haile Selassie, and took his place. People began to suffer in East Africa because of him.
Just his name is enough for the people of Ethiopia. He was the most cruel and responsible for the deaths of more than 200,000 young Ethiopians. He made sure there would be no generation left to be a witness.
The guy consumed about one million human lives.
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, known as Fidel Castro (August 13, 1926 – November 25, 2016), was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who governed the Republic of Cuba as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 and then as President from 1976 to 2008. Politically a Marxist–Leninist and Cuban nationalist, he also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1961 until 2011. Under his... read more Like other dictators, the Castro brothers have killed thousands of innocent people. They have separated thousands of families and poisoned the minds of the youth. The difference between Castro and the top 10 assassins in history is simple: they are not done. It's incredible that our president, who leads the biggest democracy on Earth, has the nerve to negotiate with these criminals.
He was, and is, a terrible person. His country is in the dumps right now. He banned all things that keep Cubans from staying in contact with second and first-world countries. He has depleted almost all hope for Cuba to return to its old status of being the number one country in Latin America, all for self-gain.
Fidel did kill many people, but he wasn't terrible in every aspect. He decreased the infant mortality rate, increased the literacy rate, opened many new schools, and invited exiled Cubans back to Cuba.
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (22 April 1870–21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1924 and of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924. Under his administration, Russia, and later the Soviet Union, became a one-party socialist state governed by the... read more Despite not killing as many people as Hitler or Stalin, Vladimir Lenin was a manipulative psychopath who even hated his own followers, denouncing them as "useful idiots." They followed him because they wanted to be free of Tsarist Russia. It's amazing that this man still has so many followers today.
This guy created communism, which led to Stalin, Mao Zedong, and the Cold War. If he never existed, the world would be extremely peaceful. Just think about a communism-free world! That's why this guy is the worst dictator of all time, or as I call him, the creator of all other dictators.
Responsible for civil war, famines, expropriation, etc., that killed millions. Plus, he established all the game rules for the Stalin regime.
Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir is a Sudanese politician who served as the seventh president of Sudan and head of the National Congress Party from 1989 to 2019, when he was deposed in a coup d'état. He was incarcerated, tried, and convicted of multiple corruption charges. This guy kills people for no reason and has guards that ravage communities, forcing kids to kill each other. Plus, he has killed 10 million people.