Who was the biggest mass murderer in history?

[Sultan Bhargash]

I just read in another thread that it was Mao Tse Tsongue. I always thought it was Stalin or Hitler. (I know Stalin technically killed more than Hitler, but thought there might exist euphemisms for some of it that spare the murder charge).

This isn't an opinion poll, this a plea for education...

 

[Zcylen]

when the europeans came to America, I think.
I cant say exactly who was the murderer then

 

[Kentonio]

That doesnt apply Zcylen, that wasnt the doing of any one individual. Sultan, I think Stalin probably applies for that dubious honour.

Kentonio

 

[Sultan Bhargash]

Yes Zcylen, I don't mean "what was the biggest mass murder", but what one was attributable to one leader.

 

[Yop73]

I'm not proud to say so, but it is believed that Belgian king Leopold II killed more than 10 million Africans, earning a spot in the top 10 mass-murderers of all time.

 

[Zcylen]

actually, I was thinking of that too when re-read the question.

I think Hitler and Stanlin are very close, cant think of anyother like them

 

[napoleon526]

Chairman Mao ruled for longer than Hitler or Stalin, so he probably tops the list. Millions died during his "Great Leap Forward" and the "Great Cultural Awakening." We'll probably never know the true numbers.

 

[Remorseless]

Timur the Lame probably wins the ancient contest, but I would agree that Mao/Stalin top the numbers contest.

And Zyclen is actually right -- the murderer's name is DISEASE. Took 80 percent of Native Americans in 1492-1600, took two-thirds of Europe during the Black Plague. Doubt that's what he was trying to get across, but it's true, nonetheless.

 

[Jimjam Jones]

Under Stalin's rule its estimated about 50 million Soviets were killed. However, didn't Genghis Khan of the Mongols kill far more people when he invaded China?

 

[Richard III]

In fairness to Stalin ( that was a sick joke) tens of millions of that 50 million - I think it's 20-25, right? - were killed by the invading Germans.

Not that I'm in a hurry to forgive him for the other half, or the Poles, Ukrainians and Finns he killed.

R.III

 

[smalltalk]

There was a lot of slaughter and massacre in history, but only one industrialized murder.

 

[Zcylen]

Originally posted by Remorseless

And Zyclen is actually right -- the murderer's name is DISEASE. Took 80 percent of Native Americans in 1492-1600, took two-thirds of Europe during the Black Plague. Doubt that's what he was trying to get across, but it's true, nonetheless.

eer...yes....yeah, actually, that's what I meant

 

[Shady]

Since facts are clouded we'll never know what numbers are in the ballpark. The man who carried out and headed the execution of the jews in the final solution was Adolf Eichmann and when a friend asked him privately, and mentioning that he did so as a historian, eichmann said simply "6 million". I would think that you shouldn't count casualties that are directly related to war so stalin and hitler get some slack (for whatever that's worth ) but those two I think definetly top my list. Of course, I'm uninformed about Mao so I don't know his numbers and where to rate Mao. King Leopold II is definetly one.

Charles V and Phillip II can count for something but they didn't intend the Indians to die, I'm sure, plus they were probably not too interested or informed about conditions in the new world. This wiped out millions upon millions of native americans.

There was a dude from Cambodia, can't remember his name, but he is supposed to have killed around 2 million.

You can accuse Churchill of being a mass murderer since he embraced civilian bombing unnecessarily and we all know how important and vital the bombing of dresden was. The only reason he didn't hang was, just like Stalin, he was one of the victors.

Truman can't compete quantitatively but ooooh when those 2 mushrooms get up in the air, then it's gettin hot and ruthless. That man should hang by today's standards for using MWD that way but back then international and humanitarian moralism wasn't as present as it is today.

 

[philippe]

We know Leopold II was a cruel dictator for the Congolians.
I believe sh3kel made a thread about this in OT

 

[napoleon526]

Originally posted by Shady
There was a dude from Cambodia, can't remember his name, but he is supposed to have killed around 2 million.

Pol Pot. His Khmer Rouge killed everyone in the country with a high school or higher level of education. They also got rid of anyone deemed "inferior;" people w/ disablities, etc, even people who wore glasses!

 

[Ancient Grudge]

Originally posted by napoleon526
They also got rid of anyone deemed "inferior;" people w/ disablities, etc, even people who wore glasses!

lucky for me i cant be botered to get glasses

 

[amadeus]

Proportionally speaking, Pol Pot was probably the worst. A third of the Cambodian population slaughtered.

 

[Ohwell]

I can't decide, although many killed more than him I'd say Hitler for ethnic cleansing of entire populations. I can sympathise with totalitarian slave camps more than ethnic cleansing, though both are horrible things.

 

[onejayhawk]

No one person in particular, but the Mongols. In their version of scorched earth, there was no one left to rebuild. They had peace in the acres of stinking corpses and no one alive to bury them sense.

J

 

[HighlandWarrior]

per capita, ghengis khan