The 10 Most Genocidal Leaders in World History

There must be a special place in Hell for the dictators on this list. The majority of them found Communism and/or Socialism to be the ultimate tool in committing mass murder. If you ever wonder how one person can kill millions just remember that government can be the most dangerous instrument known to mankind.

1. Ho Chi Minh

The man responsible for the spread of communism in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh is said to have slaughtered 1.7 million Cambodians, 2 million Vietnamese, and an estimated 230,000 in Laos as well as being responsible for the 1.1 million military war dead.

2. Josef Stalin

This brutal Communist Dictator ruled Russia (USSR) for 30 years after the death of Lenin and while doing so he murdered 20 million of his own people along with 20 million during World War II for a total of 40 million souls. Manufactured famines, forced labor and executions are included in this 20 million death toll of his own citizens.

3. Mao Zedong

Mao Zedong is said to be responsible for killing at least 65 million of his own people in order to create a new Socialist China. He was infamous for killing scholars and bragging that he had them buried alive. His version of forced famine killed the majority of his victims. Most Chinese villages lost 50% of their populations under Mao’s vicious reign.

4. Vladimir Lenin

Lenin was the founder of the Russian Communist Party and the leader of the Bolshevik revolution in 1917. He became the Head of the Soviet Union he created where he began to crack down on his enemies while privatizing all aspects of the Russian economy. It’s said he’s responsible for 2.3 million deaths during the Russian Civil war. Many others were placed in Gulags so the number is vague.

5. Adolf Hitler

Hitler was the leader of the National Socialist German Worker’s Party from 1921 -1945 where he was responsible for the deaths of at least 20 million Germans including, but not limited to the handicapped, mentally retarded, infirmed, addicted, chronically homeless and unemployed as well as at least 10 million Jews.

6. Pol Pot

Pol Pot was the leader of the Communist Khmer Rouge political party that reigned over Cambodia from 1975-1979. During his dictatorship an estimated 2 million souls died from starvation, forced labor, disease and execution. The Khmer Rouge attempted to socially engineer a classless communist society in which intellectuals, ethnic Vietnamese and religious leaders were targeted for death.

7. Ismail Enver Pasha

Ismail Enver Pasha led the Young Turk Revolution in 1908. He became the leader of the Turkish Ottoman Empire from 1912-1918. He oversaw the Armenian genocide that took place in Turkey starting in 1915. Some 2 million Armenians were living in Turkey when the leadership decided to expel and slaughter them. By the end approximately 1.5 million Armenians were dead. As of today it’s still illegal to speak about the Armenian genocide in Turkey even though the current Turkish leadership says it never happened.

8. Leopold II of Belgium

Leopold II of Belgium also known as “The Butcher of Congo” laid claim to the free African state of Congo in the late 1800’s during European colonization. He manufactured a guise of doing missionary work while creating the International African Assoc. to promote westernization of Africans. He enslaved the Congolese people and is responsible for killing and maiming no fewer than 15 million innocent Africans.

9. Idi Amin

General Idi Amin led the coup that overthrew the Ugandan elected Government in 1971. After declaring himself the President he ruled for 8 years and is said to be responsible for some 300,000 civilian deaths. He declared that all Pakistani and Indian citizen should be removed from his country in 1972. His poor leadership and overspending led to the economic downfall of Uganda. He fled Uganda in 1979 when his citizens took over the capital and ousted him. He was never brought to justice as he ran to Saudi Arabia to live out his life in exile.

10. Kim Il Sung

Kim Il Sungruled the Communist country of North Korea form 1948 to 1987. As the leader of “The People’s Democratic Republic of Korea” (North Korea) he is accused of killing 3.5 million of his own people. Unfortunately there is no firm numbers thanks to Kim’s absolute control over his brutal regime. Best estimates are provided by historians and successful defectors who claim millions have died from starvation, disease, executions and forced labor.