Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. History is full of rulers who used terror not just as a tool, but as a philosophy.
Picture: A painting of Nero playing the lyre while Rome burns in the background.
Nero (Roman Emperor). He’s the archetype of the mad tyrant. While he didn’t actually “fiddle while Rome burned,” he did use the great fire of 64 AD as an excuse to build a massive golden palace. He also murdered his own mother and wife. He was known for extravagant parties and brutal persecutions of Christians. He was the first emperor to be declared a public enemy by the Senate.
Picture: A stained glass window depicting Vlad the Impaler in a church, often associated with Dracula.
Vlad the Impaler (Wallachia). The inspiration for Dracula. His preferred method of execution was impalement: putting a sharp pole through a person and letting gravity pull them down. He used this to terrorize invading Ottoman armies and his own nobles. It’s estimated he killed tens of thousands of people. But in Romania, he’s still considered a folk hero for defending his land.
Picture: A painting of Ivan the Terrible embracing his dying son, which he had just struck in a fit of rage.
Ivan the Terrible (Russia). He was the first Tsar of Russia. He started as a reformer but became paranoid after his wife died. He created a secret police force called the Oprichnina who rode black horses with a dog’s head on their saddle, symbolizing their job: to sniff out traitors. He personally beat his own son to death in a rage, an act he later deeply regretted.
Picture: A black and white photo of the Khmer Rouge’s Tuol Sleng prison, showing a photograph of prisoners.
Pol Pot (Cambodia). In the 20th century, Pol Pot attempted to create an agrarian utopia by emptying cities and forcing everyone into labor camps. He abolished money, schools, and religion. Anyone suspected of being an intellectual was executed. In just four years (1975-1979), his regime killed an estimated 2 million people through execution, starvation, and overwork.
Picture: A propaganda poster of Leopold II of Belgium.
Leopold II (Belgium). He never ruled Belgium directly; he ruled the Congo Free State as his own private property. He exploited it for rubber. When villages didn’t meet quotas, his private army would cut off the hands of men, women, and children as punishment. It was one of the most brutal colonial regimes in history, causing the deaths of an estimated 10 million people.