Who is the worst person/dictator in world history?
Francisco Solano Lopez, dictator of Paraguay from 1862-1870. He started the War of the Triple Alliance against Brazil,Argentina, and Uruguay, which lasted from 1864-1870. By the end of the war, Paraguay’s population had declined from 1,400,000 to 221,000, of which only 29,000 were adult males.Combined civilian and military deaths for the countries opposed to him were 1 million.Further, the entire country had been ransacked by the allies during the war, and all gold, jewellery, other valuables, including even furniture, removed.The treaty after the war forced Paraguay to pay reparations to all 3 allied countries for their entire costs during the war, including damage done to private property in these countries by Paraguayan forces (which was considerable).Paraguay also had to cede territory to Brazil and Argentina. I would therefore say that Lopez was the worst dictator ever in terms of deleterious effects on his own country and people.
Adolf Hitler. He ordered the deaths of over 10 million people, 6 million of them Jews. Idi Amin. He terrorised Uganda while appearing to be a jolly old fellow to the rest of the world. Is said to have fed his political opponents to crocodiles before displaying their heads to dinner guests. But my picks are Pol Pot and Saddam Hussein. Pol Pot forced people to work in rice fields where they succombed to disease and death. People were killed for being intellectuals. That was his vision for Cambodia. Hussein and his sons and government ministers tortured their fellow citizens, polluted their country, and spread fear throughout Iraq. We all sat back and thought Hitler was a quirky old chap. We marveled at the suave, enticing Amin, little knowing they were killing millions of their own people. We are doing the same thing today with Mahmoud Ahmabinejad.
