Worse than Hitler
Memorial for Russian Hockey Players
When we think about terrible things in history, we often remember Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. But there are moments in our past that are even worse. Let’s explore the dark side of our history.
Pol Pot, whose real name was Saloth Sar, was the leader of the Khmer Rouge, a communist revolutionary group that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. During his regime, Pol Pot implemented radical and brutal policies that resulted in one of the most devastating genocides in modern history, known as the Cambodian Genocide.
His goal was to create an agrarian, classless society by eliminating perceived enemies of the state, including intellectuals, professionals, and those associated with the previous government. The Khmer Rouge forcibly evacuated urban areas, abolished currency, and implemented communal farming. People were subjected to forced labor, torture, and mass executions.
Estimates of the number of people killed during Pol Pot’s regime vary, but it is widely accepted that the Khmer Rouge was responsible for the deaths of at least 1.7 million people, out of a population of around 8 million. This figure represents a staggering 21% of Cambodia’s population at the time. The killings were a result of executions, forced labor, torture, starvation, and disease.
(https://dccam.org, https://campuspress.yale.edu/cgp/)
King Leopold II of Belgium was the monarch who owned and exploited the Congo Free State as his personal colony from 1885 to 1908. During his brutal and exploitative rule, Leopold’s administration was responsible for widespread atrocities and human rights abuses, resulting in the suffering and death of millions of Congolese people.
Leopold’s exploitation of the Congo was driven by a desire for profit, primarily from the extraction of rubber and ivory. Forced labor, enslavement, and harsh conditions were imposed on the local population to maximize productivity. The consequences were devastating, with estimates suggesting that the population of the Congo Free State declined dramatically during his rule.
The exploitation and brutality in the Congo Free State under Leopold’s rule are widely considered one of the most egregious examples of colonial abuse in history.
Estimates of the number of people who died during Leopold’s rule vary, but it is commonly acknowledged that several million (between 2 and 10 millions) people lost their lives due to the harsh conditions, forced labor, and violence. The exact number is difficult to determine with precision due to the lack of accurate historical records.
(https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53017188, https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/gabinetpostal/lestat-lliure-del-congo-un-genocidi-a-lombra/?lang=en)
Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953, was responsible for significant human rights abuses, purges, and mass atrocities. The exact number of people who died as a result of Stalin’s policies is a subject of debate among historians, and estimates vary widely.
Stalin’s leadership was marked by forced collectivization of agriculture, industrialization, and the implementation of Five-Year Plans. However, these policies also resulted in widespread famine, such as the Holodomor in Ukraine in the early 1930s, which led to millions of deaths due to starvation.
One of the most infamous periods of Stalin’s rule was the Great Purge, also known as the “Great Terror,” which occurred in the late 1930s. During this time, Stalin orchestrated a series of mass arrests, show trials, and executions to eliminate perceived political rivals, dissenters, and anyone deemed a threat to his regime. The purges targeted a wide range of individuals, including party members, military officials, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens.
Estimates of the total number of deaths under Stalin’s rule, including those caused by famine, executions, and forced labor, vary widely. Some historians suggest that the total may range from several million to tens of millions.
Mao Zedong, the founding father of the People’s Republic of China and the leader of the Chinese Communist Party from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976, played a central role in shaping the course of Chinese history. Mao’s policies and campaigns, however, also led to widespread human rights abuses and significant loss of life.
One of the most devastating periods of Mao’s rule was the Great Famine (1959-1961), which resulted from the disastrous policies of the Great Leap Forward—a campaign aimed at rapidly transforming China from an agrarian society to a socialist society through rapid industrialization and collectivization. The combination of forced collectivization, inefficient agricultural practices, and natural disasters led to a catastrophic famine. Estimates of the death toll during the Great Famine vary, but it is believed to have resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people.
Mao Zedong’s political campaigns also included the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), during which he sought to reassert control over the Chinese Communist Party and eliminate perceived enemies of the state. This campaign led to widespread persecution, purges, and violence. Many intellectuals, party officials, and ordinary citizens were targeted, leading to imprisonment, torture, and execution. The exact number of deaths during the Cultural Revolution is difficult to ascertain, but estimates range from hundreds of thousands to several million.
https://www.chinafile.com/library/nyrb-china-archive/who-killed-more-hitler-stalin-or-mao
Now that we talked a little about those mass murders, the question is one, why and how ?
The ability of individuals or regimes to cause large-scale loss of life is often attributed to a combination of political, social, economic, and ideological factors. The reasons behind such atrocities are complex and multifaceted, and they can vary depending on historical, cultural, and geopolitical contexts. Here are some common factors that contribute to the large-scale loss of life orchestrated by leaders like Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, and others:
- Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism: Leaders who hold authoritarian or totalitarian power often have the ability to control state institutions, the military, and the media. This centralized control allows them to enforce policies without checks and balances, leading to unchecked power that can be wielded ruthlessly.
- Propaganda and Ideological Indoctrination: Totalitarian regimes often use propaganda and ideological indoctrination to control and manipulate the population. This can create an environment where dissent is suppressed, and loyalty to the leader or the state becomes paramount.
- Purges and Elimination of Opposition: Leaders like Stalin and Mao engaged in purges to eliminate perceived threats to their power. These purges involved mass arrests, show trials, and executions of political rivals, intellectuals, and anyone deemed a potential enemy. This consolidation of power often came at the expense of individual freedoms and human rights.
- Military Aggression and Imperialism: Leaders engaging in aggressive military campaigns, as seen with Hitler’s expansionist policies or Japan’s actions in World War II, can cause immense human suffering. The conquest of territories and subjugation of populations can lead to forced labor, mass killings, and displacement.
- Social Engineering and Economic Policies: Attempts to rapidly transform societies, as seen in the case of the Great Leap Forward in China under Mao Zedong, can have catastrophic consequences. Policies such as forced collectivization and rapid industrialization can result in famine, economic collapse, and significant loss of life.
- Dehumanization of Targeted Groups: Leaders often employ rhetoric that dehumanizes specific groups, making it easier to justify acts of violence against them. This dehumanization can be based on factors such as ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation.
- Lack of Accountability: In many cases, the absence of effective checks and balances, an independent judiciary, and a free press allows leaders to act with impunity. This lack of accountability enables them to carry out oppressive policies without fear of consequences.
Unfortunately, today we’re still facing those problems with the ongoing wars and it seems like we can’t learn from the past.
People don’t want wars. Governments decide them.
Countries committed to peace should join forces and play a pivotal role in resolving conflicts through diplomatic means.
