In the history of many states there was a period of dictatorship, when all spheres of state, public and even personal life of citizens were controlled by authorities. With such a system, the cult of personality is an integral component, and the impunity and permissiveness of leaders fosters indifference to people and cruelty in them. Some leaders of the state were characterized by an indefatigable thirst for power, indifference to the suffering of others, satisfaction from the humiliation of others, and such leaders went down in history as tyrants, or very cruel rulers.
Let us bring to your attention a list of the most cruel rulers in history:
1
Attila
Attila, the leader of the Huns from 434 to 453, managed to create a powerful state from the Volga to the Rhine. His troops terrified the European nations, and the Hun ruler himself went down in history as the greatest villain.
In the photo: Empire of the Huns at Attila
Gathering a large army, he made several attempts to conquer Constantinople, and in one of the campaigns came to Gaul. During the predatory raids, the Attila warriors spared neither children nor women.
Subsequently, historians praised his work as the embodiment of the most brutal barbarism, bringing death and destruction to Western civilizations.
2
Genghis Khan
The top of the most cruel rulers in the world, of course, includes the founder of the Mongol Empire Genghis Khan. By uniting a large number of nomadic tribes under his rule, only strict discipline and harsh orders could keep them in subjection.
Temujin was cruel not only in relation to his enemies, but also to his own subjects. For any fault there was collective responsibility. He escaped from the battlefield or was guilty alone, ten were executed.
Having conquered a large part of the Eurasian continent, by cruel methods kept them in dependence on the largest continental empire of that time.
3
Vlad III the Impaler
This Lord of Wallachia became the prototype for creating the literary character of Count Dracula, even during the life of Tepes they called Vlad Dracula.
This ruler, most likely, was very pleased with the violence and killing of people. According to various estimates of historians, the number of victims of a bloody ruler ranged from 40 to 100 thousand people.
But he got his nickname “Impaler” from the Turks, which means “count” in Turkic. His cruelty is often associated with the conditions of upbringing and the circumstances of life in Turkey, where Vlad was subjected to torture and humiliation in his youth.
4
Oliver Cromwell
The events of the English Revolution of the mid-17th century were brought to the top of Cromwell’s power. In the outbreak of the Civil War, he showed the talent of a commander and an astute leader.
He began as the captain of a small horse detachment, and later became the commander in chief of the parliamentary army that overthrew Charles I. Having come to power, he abolished the parliament, concentrating absolute power in his hands.
Oliver Cromwell brutally cracked down on Protestants in Scotland and Ireland. During the military campaigns organized by him in these countries, over 50 thousand people were killed.
5
Maximilian Robespierre
Robespierre also became a product of the revolution, and when he came to power in France, he established the most cruel Jacobin dictatorship. A special revolutionary tribunal was created for sentencing, which, along with the Convention, could issue laws.
The guillotine in Paris Square daily chopped heads disagreeable and counter-revolutionaries. But in the heat of the revolution, many innocents suffered, and Robespierre was accused of political reprisals against opponents.
In total, over 40 thousand people were executed or died during the years of the Jacobin dictatorship.
6
Leopold II
After the death of his father, Leopold ascended the Belgian throne, and a number of major events took place in the board in Belgium. One such event was the seizure by the Belgian forces of the Congo River Basin.
The king’s policy towards the local population was so tough that many consider it legitimate to recognize it as genocide. As a result of the persecution and ill-treatment, the Congo population was reduced from 30 million, by 1908 (the last year of Leopold's reign) was reduced to 15.
For the death of almost 20 million inhabitants of the Congo, the king is personally responsible.
7
Hitler
It is difficult to find in the twentieth century and generally in the pages of history a more cruel ruler than Hitler. Having come to power, on the initiative of the Fuhrer of the German people, laws were passed on the superiority of the German nation over the rest.
The ideology of fascism caused the destruction of millions of people, as well as the beginning of the most bloody war in the history of mankind. Only as a result of the Holocaust in the concentration camps, 6 million Jews were annihilated and executed.
The associates of the dictator were in the dock, but he himself escaped punishment by committing suicide on April 30, 1945.
By the way, on thebiggest.ru there are a lot of interesting articles about the Second World War. Use the search on the site to find them.
8
Pol Pot
One dictatorial regime in Cambodia was replaced by another, no less bloody and cruel. Power in the country was captured by the Khmer Rouge, headed by Pol Pot.
After the victory in the country, purges of the unwanted and supporters of the previous regime began. The situation in the country worsened, and the economic crisis led to hunger and poverty.
During the leadership of Pol Pot from 1973 to 1979, about 1 million people died from starvation, forced labor and executions in the country.
9
Augusto Pinochet
Another dictator of the twentieth century, Pinochet came to power as a result of the coup in Chile in 1974. Under President Salvador Allende Pinochet achieved high military posts.
A well-planned military operation brought the dictator to power, and the legitimate president of the republic and many of his supporters died. Chile established stringent rules and laws. And people dissatisfied with the regime were shot by thousands right at the stadiums.
After the resignation, there were several criminal cases regarding the activities of Pinochet, but not one episode involved in the killings of high-ranking officials was not fully proven.
10
Go amine
Amin seized power in Uganda as a result of a coup in January 1979, and until 2003 remained the sole president of this East African country.
During his reign, the country experienced a recession, which entailed a sharp impoverishment of the population. Constant persecution, political killings and executions accompanied the entire period of Amin's reign. People were unreasonably accused of espionage in favor of Israel, Russia, Saudi Arabia and other states.
To combat dissent, special decrees were enacted that included the death penalty. According to historians, the bloody regime cost the lives of 100 to 1.5 million people.
11
Stalin
Many are respectful of this politician. Yes, a strong hand and order attracts many people. After long political wars for power, Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union and began radical reforms in the country.
Industrialization and collectivization, perhaps this has significantly improved the country's economy, but what is the price of such accelerated development?
Historians tend to believe that at least 3 million people died in the camps or were shot during the reign of Stalin. Although, this value may be too low.
In addition, during the collectivization period, about 20 million people died from hunger, according to various estimates.
Conclusion
The most cruel rulers in the history of mankind undoubtedly deserve reprimand and condemnation. No means to achieve or maintain power justify millions of victims and genocide both in relation to their own people and to other nations and ethnic groups of the planet. TheBiggest.ru editors are asking you to write in the comments which, in your opinion, still cruel rulers should be on our list.