Most interesting dictator?

[Virote_Considon]

Benito Mussolini. I also find Greece's cold war military rule to be quite interesting.

 

[Leifmk]

I'll go with Roman Ungern von Sternberg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Ungern_von_Sternberg

Abstract: Baltic German-Russian military commander, fought for the "Whites" in the Russian civil war, then tried going it alone as an independent warlord and briefly ruled Mongolia (with much grander designs) until the Red Army came in and crushed him. A very odd character who reportedly claimed to be both the reincarnation of Genghis Khan and some kind of Buddhist Messiah. Allegedly sponsored cannibalism among his troops, etc, etc.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I thought it was the other way around. Hitler didn't "worship" Mussolini! I don't remember the exact quote but Hitler said something like this, "If they want to be my ally I can defend them with one regiment. If not I can defeat them with one regiment."

I was talking about Mussolini himself, and Fascism, not the military prowess of the Italian state.

And one more thing, how do you know what Mussolini was thinking?

Because he said it?

And anyway, Italy was pathetic as an "empire". They got Libya on their own, and failed to capture Ethiopia without help from the Germans, they couldn't beat guys with Spears for Christ's sake...

That was in 1896 when they lost to Menelik II. I assure you, in the Second Italio-Abysinnian War, the Italians beat the living hell out of Ethiopia all by themselves, and that WAS Mussolini's doing.

As for Libya, the Italians took that again by themselves in a war with the Turks in 1912.

To put that in perspective, Mussolini came to power in 1922, and Hitler in 1933.

But in the end, I think both Hitler and Mussolini were both psychos in their own special way.

No one's arguing to the contrary.

 

[ParkCungHee]

And anyway, Italy was pathetic as an "empire". They got Libya on their own, and failed to capture Ethiopia without help from the Germans, they couldn't beat guys with Spears for Christ's sake.

Er, no, please go back and read history. There was no German support in the Abyssinia campaign. In fact, Hitler and Mussolini were each others greatest enemy in europe at this point.
Also, when handing credit out, Mussolini at least gets credit for what achievements he had, I don't think Hitler could say the same. Remember, one of the reasons Italy went in to Abyssinia was to avenge the national disgrace in the First Italo-Abyssinian war, and he clearly accomplished what his predecessors could not. Mussolini never created the mighty empire he dreamed of, but he took a 3rd Rate European power and moved it up to a second rate one. Italy was regarded as one of the Major Naval Powers in the world, at the outset of the wa, Italy had a larger U-boat fleet then Germany, as well as a significant capital ship fleet. It was no Roman Empire, but it was a key player in European politics.
Comparitively, Germany allready was the most powerful state in Europe. It was the most industrialized, and nearly the most populous nation in Europe. Its military staff was basicly untouched since the first world war thanks to Von Seekt. It had continuously been a technologically advanced nation since the days of Bismark, etc. etc. etc.
I find it very hard to think of a leader who couldn't wreak havoc on Europe given those assets.

 

[Sofista]

More interestingly, in his self-biography Albert Speer claimed that Nazi Germany never had the industrial power pre-WWI Germany had. One guesses training and doctrine really made magic for Wehrmacht.

 

[aelf]

That was in 1896 when they lost to Menelik II. I assure you, in the Second Italio-Abysinnian War, the Italians beat the living hell out of Ethiopia all by themselves, and that WAS Mussolini's doing.

Remember, one of the reasons Italy went in to Abyssinia was to avenge the national disgrace in the First Italo-Abyssinian war, and he clearly accomplished what his predecessors could not. Mussolini never created the mighty empire he dreamed of, but he took a 3rd Rate European power and moved it up to a second rate one.

With the help of illegal chemical weapons against an enemy that could not retaliate in kind? Come on. That was hardly an achievement.

 

[dutchking]

In fact Hitler admired Mussolini deeply and modeled his nazi party after Mussolini´s fascisti.

Whatever, Mussolini wasn't nearly as "successful" as Hitler...

 

[dutchking]

No one's arguing to the contrary.

Hehe, . I don't think anyone ever will...

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Whatever, Mussolini wasn't nearly as "successful" as Hitler...

Whatever?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

With the help of illegal chemical weapons against an enemy that could not retaliate in kind? Come on. That was hardly an achievement.

I wasn't advocating it, simply remarking that Mussolini acted on his own in Ethiopia and Eretrea, and that he had his timeline wrong, instead referring to the First Italo-Abysinnian War.

Whatever, Mussolini wasn't nearly as "successful" as Hitler...

Mussolini was much more successful in establishing a Fascist state than Hitler was, and that's what we're talking about in this thread.

 

[aelf]

I wasn't advocating it, simply remarking that Mussolini acted on his own in Ethiopia and Eretrea, and that he had his timeline wrong, instead referring to the First Italo-Abysinnian War.

Well, you sounded like you wanted to give the man the credit for beating the living daylights out of the Ethiopians. I would give that credit to gas To him and the Italians at that time, I would give the credit for being absolute bullies and cowards.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, I give him "credit" for using the gas. It is of course an atrocity and inexcusable yadda yadda yadda, but he did use it, after all, and he was the only European power to even briefly occupy Ethiopia. (I think, right?)

 

[ParkCungHee]

Unless you count the brief period of British Control after the Italians had been driven out, before they returned sovereignty to Hallie Selassie.

 

[Virote_Considon]

With the help of illegal chemical weapons against an enemy that could not retaliate in kind? Come on. That was hardly an achievement.

What the hell is an illegal weapon?

 

[amaterasu]

ooh tough choice

stalin and mao for ideaology come to mind, but pol pot and ayatollah are also very interesting for the sheer creepiness of it all.

 

[Sofista]

What the hell is an illegal weapon?

Illegal according to the Geneva Protocol (1925), banning "the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare". Italy had signed.

 

[1889]

Abysinia and Ethiopia had not signed though so they can't really complain right?

Spoiler states participating by date :

Done at Geneva, June 17, 1925
Entered Into Force February 8, 1928*

1. States Parties:
A = Accession
R = Ratification
D = Declaration of Succession
Afghanistan December 9, 1986 A
Albania December 20, 1989 A
Algeria (*) January 27, 1992 A
Angola (*) November 8, 1990 A
Antigua and Barbuda April 27, 1988 D
Argentina May 12, 1969 A
Australia (2) May 24, 1930 A
Austria May 9, 1928 R
Bahrain (*) December 9, 1988 A
Bangladesh (*) May 20, 1989 A
Barbados July 16, 1976 D
Belgium (3) December 4, 1928 R
Benin December 9, 1986 A
Bhutan February 19, 1979 A
Bolivia August 13, 1985 A
Brazil August 28, 1970 R
Bulgaria (4) March 7, 1934 R
Burkina Faso March 3, 1971 A
Cambodia (*) (5) March 15, 1983 A
Cameroon July 20, 1989 A
Canada (6) May 6, 1930 R
Cape Verde October 15, 1991 A
Central African Republic July 31, 1970 A
Chile (7) July 2, 1935 R
China (*) (8) July 13, 1952 D
Côte d’Ivoire July 27, 1970 A
Cuba June 24, 1966 A
Cyprus December 12, 1966 D
Denmark May 5, 1930 R
Dominican Republic December 8, 1970 A
Ecuador September 16, 1970 A
Egypt December 6, 1928 R
Estonia (10) August 28, 1931 R
Ethiopia October 7, 1935 R
Equatorial Guinea May 20, 1989 A
Fiji (*) March 21, 1973 D
Finland June 26, 1929 R
France (11) May 10, 1926 R
Gambia, The November 5, 1966 D
Germany April 25, 1929 R
Ghana May 3, 1967 A
Greece May 30, 1931 R
Grenada January 3, 1989 D
Guatemala May 3, 1983 A
Guinea Bissau May 20, 1989 A
Holy See October 18, 1966 A
Hungary October 11, 1952 A
Iceland November 2, 1967 A
India (*) April 9, 1930 R
Indonesia January 21, 1971 D
Iran November 5, 1929 A
Iraq (*) September 8, 1931 A
Ireland (12) August 29, 1930 A
Israel (*) February 20, 1969 A
Italy April 3, 1928 R
Jamaica July 28, 1970 D
Japan May 21, 1970 R
Jordan January 20, 1977 A
Kenya July 6, 1970 A
Korea (Republic of) (*) January 4, 1989 A
Korea (Democratic People's Republic of) (*) January 4, 1989 A
Kuwait (*) December 15, 1971 A
Laos May 20, 1989 A
Latvia June 3, 1931 R
Lebanon April 17, 1969 A
Lesotho March 10, 1972 D
Liberia June 17, 1927 A
Libya (*) December 29, 1971 A
Liechtenstein September 6, 1991 A
Lithuania June 15, 1933 R
Luxembourg September 1, 1936 R
Madagascar August 2, 1967 A
Malawi September 14, 1970 A
Malaysia December 10, 1970 A
Maldives December 27, 1966 D
Malta September 21, 1964 D
Mauritius March 12, 1968 D
Mexico May 28, 1932 A
Monaco January 6, 1967 A
Mongolia (13) December 6, 1968 A
Morocco October 13, 1970 A
Nepal May 9, 1969 A
Netherlands (18) October 31, 1930 R
New Zealand (15) May 24, 1930 A
Nicaragua (14) October 5, 1990 R
Niger April 5, 1967 D
Nigeria (*) October 15, 1968 A
Norway July 27, 1932 R
Pakistan (*) April 15, 1960 D
Panama (16) December 4, 1970 A
Papua New Guinea (*) September 2, 1980 D
Paraguay (17) October 22, 1933 A
Peru August 13, 1985 A
Philippines June 8, 1973 A
Poland February 4, 1929 R
Portugal (*) July 1, 1930 R
Qatar October 18, 1976 A
Romania (19) August 23, 1929 R
Russia (21) April 5, 1928 R
Rwanda May 11, 1964 D
St. Kitts & Nevis April 27, 1989 D
St. Lucia December 21, 1988 D
St.Vincent & the Grenadines April 23, 1999 D
Saudi Arabia January 27, 1971 A
Senegal June 15, 1977 A
Sierra Leone March 20, 1967 A
Slovakia (22) (23) January 1, 1993 D
Solomon Is. (*) June 1, 1981 D
South Africa (1) May 24, 1930 A
Spain (9) August 22, 1929 R
Sri Lanka January 20, 1954 A
Sudan December 17, 1980 A
Swaziland July 23, 1991 A
Sweden April 25, 1930 R
Switzerland July 12, 1932 R
Syria (*) December 17, 1968 A
Tanzania April 22, 1963 A
Thailand June 6, 1931 R
Togo April 5, 1971 A
Tonga July 19, 1971 D
Trinidad & Tobago August 31, 1962 D
Tunisia July 12, 1967 A
Turkey October 5, 1929 R
Uganda May 24, 1965 A
United Kingdom (20) April 9, 1930 R
United States April 10, 1975 R
Uruguay April 12, 1977 R
Venezuela February 8, 1928 R
Vietnam (*) December 15, 1980 A
Yemen (24) March 11, 1971 A

2. Signatory:
El Salvador June 17, 1925

 

[Sofista]

Nope, theoretically it bound signataries to abstain from use - although it said nothing about production and storage - ah, those naive times!
However many countries signed with reservations, although Italy didn't put forth any.

China: On 13 July 1952, the People's Republic of China issued a statement recognizing as binding upon it the accession to the Protocol in the name of China. The People's Republic of China considers itself bound by the Protocol on condition of reciprocity on the part of all the other contracting and acceding powers.

France: France had entered the following reservation which was withdrawn in 1996 -- "(1) The said Protocol is only binding on the government of the French Republic as regards States which have signed or ratified it or which may accede to it. (2) The said Protocol shall ipso facto cease to be binding on the government of the French Republic in regard to any enemy State whose armed forces or whose allies fail to respect the prohibitions laid down in the Protocol."

Russia: The USSR (for which Russia is the successor state for the purposes of this protocol) had entered the following reservation on ratification which was withdrawn by Russia in 2000 -- "(1) The said Protocol only binds the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in relation to the States which have signed and ratified or which have definitely acceded to the Protocol. (2) The said Protocol shall cease to be binding on the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in regard to any enemy State whose armed forces or whose allies de jure or in fact do not respect the prohibitions which are the object of this Protocol."

UK: The UK had entered the following reservation on ratification which was withdrawn in relation to biological weapons in 1991 and in relation to chemical weapons in 1997 or 2002 (see note below) -- "(1) The said Protocol is only binding on His Britannic Majesty as regards those Powers and States which have both signed and ratified the Protocol or have finally acceded thereto. (2) The said Protocol shall cease to be binding on His Britannic Majesty towards any Power at enmity with Him whose armed forces, or the armed forces of whose allies, fail to respect the prohibitions laid down in the Protocol."

USA: The USA entered the following reservation -- "The protocol shall cease to binding on the government of the United States with respect to the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and all analogous liquids, materials, or devices, in regard to any enemy State if such State or any of its allies fails to respect the prohibitions laid down in the Protocol."

Source: http://www.sipri.org/contents/cbwarfare/cbw_research_doc/cbw_historical/cbw-hist-geneva-parties.html

 

[Emperor2]

Santa Anna. (s=Santa and m=mexico)

SA "I'm BACK!!!"
M "Oh, no your not." Kicks across pond
SA "Oh, yes I am." Crawls out of pond
M "Uh, no your not."
SA "Listen, either I'm coming back, or else."
later...
M "Uh, we don't want you here any more." kicks into pond.
SA "Uh, yeah you do."
M "Hmmm...nah."
SA "Listen, I am coming back there NOW!" crawls out of pond.
Slips and falls.
M "Uh, No your not."

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Not a major player in world politics but definitely "interesting":
Jean Bedel Bokassa, cannibal and self proclaimed emperor.