Quiet life in the hinterland, suicide, execution on the air and other stories about how the tyrants left

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Dictators who committed atrocities do not always receive just retribution after their resignation or overthrow. Many of them have secured a prosperous and quiet old age in advance, and when the reins of government are gone, they turn into quiet citizens. Who live out their days in happiness and peace. However, there are those who were overtaken by punishment during their lifetime.

Bennito Mussolini

In 1922, Benito Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy. He was the founder of Italian fascism, establishing a totalitarian regime in the country. Then he endowed himself with the official title of the Duce of Fascism. In addition, he formed an alliance with Hitler, becoming his "junior partner".

In July 1943, Mussolini was removed from power and arrested. However, he was imprisoned for only a couple of months, and in September he was rescued during a German special operation. He was taken to Germany, and then to Northern Italy.

In the spring of 1945, Duce, together with his wife, tried to flee to Spain, but this venture failed miserably. Even then, he had a presentiment of his imminent death. And I was not mistaken. The red partisans took them prisoner, and soon shot them. The corpses of the dead were taken to Milan, where they were paraded hung upside down. People passing by did not hesitate to throw stones at them or spit on them. Posthumous photographs of their corpses were especially popular. Mostly they were bought as horrible souvenirs.

Adolf Gitler

The last days of his life, Adolf Hitler spent in a refuge under the establishment of the department of the Reich Chancellery. At this time, Berlin was occupied by Soviet troops, so the Fuhrer had no choice but to take refuge in a safe place. He didn't want to give up or admit defeat so easily. After the execution of Mussolini and the desecration of his body, Hitler had a presentiment that a similar fate was being prepared for him, so in the bunker he conducted experiments on substances that would give him the opportunity to "leave" on his own terms. He tested capsules with poison on the dog of the German Reich Minister. In order to avoid the desecration of his body, Hitler firmly decided that it must be completely destroyed. On the eve of his suicide, he ordered the lieutenants to get cans of gasoline, and after his death, burn the body.

In April 1945, Eva Braun and Adolf Hitler went down to their chambers, from where they never left. His wife was found dead in the room, without visible damage - she swallowed potassium cyanide, while the Fuhrer himself shot himself.

Nicolae Ceausescu

Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu was the country's last communist leader. In December 1988, riots swept across the country. Dissatisfied with poverty, lawlessness and dictatorship of the ruler, civilians took to the streets with protests and a great desire to overthrow the tyrant. Ceausescu tried to suppress the rebellion through his fiery speech, but this did not bring the expected result. On December 21, he and his wife, who was also an influential person, fled by helicopter from Bucharest. This happened shortly before an angry crowd of people burst into the couple's house.

However, the flight did not save the situation; they were soon taken into custody. For corruption and genocide, the Ceausescu couple were sentenced to death, which was carried out a couple of days later. Having tied their hands and holding them to the wall, they were shot.

READ ALSO: How the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife were executed, and why in Romania they now respectfully remember him >>

Muammar Gaddafi

Libyan statesman Muammar Gaddafi did a lot for his people. During his reign, there were noticeable improvements in all spheres of life: health care, social policy, education. However, he repeatedly interfered in the affairs of other states. Providing material support to terrorist organizations has often led to military coups and conflicts, including civil wars.

In 2011, Gaddafi was indicted by the International Criminal Court for illegal detention and murder. He should have been arrested. However, he managed to escape from Libya and successfully hide for several months. But after a while he was discovered and captured by the Libyan armed forces.

There are several versions about the death of Gaddafi. According to one of them, it follows that the ruler was killed in a shootout, but this fact is refuted by another version, more truthful. Unknown persons filmed a video on a mobile phone, in which it is clearly visible that the military dragged a living Gaddafi in an unknown direction, and then beat him. In addition, the former ruler is also tortured and soon killed with a shot in the head.

Gaddafi's body was displayed in the refrigerator.

Saddam Hussein

Iraqi statesman Saddam Hussein officially assumed power in 1979. Having eliminated all opponents from the political arena, he received dictatorial powers, which allowed him to unleash a war with Iran. As a result, this led not only to huge human losses, but also to a decline in the economy, a decline in living standards and a difficult financial situation in the country. But this did not prevent Hussein from unleashing new wars, leaving behind devastation and chaos.

In 2003, the US military invaded Iraqi territory. Hussein was forced to hide. Repeatedly, the American command reported the death of the tyrant, but this was not true. Only six months later, the leader of Iraq was found in the basement of one of the villages.

The investigation over him lasted two years, but even then it was obvious that Hussein would face imminent execution. By the way, after the occupation the death penalty was abolished, but in order to put an end to the tyrant, it was restored again.

Hussein has been charged with a number of war crimes, including the genocide of the Kurds in Iraq and the organization of the massacre of 148 Iraqi Shiites. In 2006, he was hanged, and the execution was filmed on camera.

Francois Duvalier

From 1957 to 1971, François Duvalier was the permanent president of Haiti. Before coming to power, he was a highly respected person. During his medical practice fighting tropical diseases, Duvalier was affectionately nicknamed "Papa Doc" by his patients.

He won the 1957 elections because he played on the Haitian faith, openly supported the cult of Voodoo, and he also practiced it himself. He also brought his image in line with mysticism. After several years of reign, the intelligent Pope Doc changed into a bloodthirsty dictator. He legalized executions and torture, expelled all like-minded people of his rivals from the country. It is known that sometimes he even spoke with the severed heads of enemies.

For all his antics, Duvalier got off quite easily. For a long time he suffered from health problems, which ultimately became the cause of his death. In 1971, he died of heart problems and diabetes.

And in continuation of the theme, a story about great dictators who left their mark in world literature.