1. Caligula (Roman Empire) – Infamous for his sadistic cruelty, extravagant spending, and erratic behavior. He declared himself a god and even made his horse a priest.
2. Nero (Roman Empire) – Blamed for the Great Fire of Rome, he persecuted Christians, murdered his family members, and focused more on his music than ruling.
3. Ivan the Terrible (Russia) – Started as a progressive ruler but descended into paranoia and brutality, executing thousands — including his own son.
4. Leopold II of Belgium – Responsible for the deaths of millions in the Congo Free State through forced labor and horrific exploitation.
5. Pol Pot (Cambodia) – Led the Khmer Rouge, overseeing a genocide that killed around 2 million people — about 25% of Cambodia’s population.
6. Idi Amin (Uganda) – Known as the "Butcher of Uganda," he ruled with extreme violence, causing an estimated 300,000 deaths and destroying the economy.
7. Adolf Hitler (Germany) – Orchestrated the Holocaust, leading to 6 million Jewish deaths and sparking World War II, which killed millions more.
8. Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union) – Responsible for mass purges, labor camps, and famine policies that killed millions of his own people.
9. Genghis Khan (Mongol Empire) – Built one of the largest empires in history through relentless invasions, causing the deaths of 40 million people — though he also revolutionized trade and culture in some regions.
10. Kim Jong-il (North Korea) – Created a dictatorship built on fear, starvation, and propaganda, leading to famine and severe human rights abuses.
11. Queen Ranavalona I (Madagascar) – Known as the "Mad Queen," she isolated Madagascar from the world, killed thousands through forced labor, and persecuted Christians.
12. Vlad the Impaler (Wallachia) – The real-life inspiration for Dracula, he impaled his enemies on spikes — sometimes whole armies — to terrify opponents.
13. Enver Hoxha (Albania) – Turned Albania into a paranoid, isolated, poverty-stricken state, building 750,000 bunkers while his people starved.
14. Francisco Macías Nguema (Equatorial Guinea) – Declared himself "The Unique Miracle," banned education, executed opponents, and wrecked the country’s economy, killing a third of the population.
15. Papa Doc Duvalier (Haiti) – A brutal dictator who ruled with his secret police, the "Tonton Macoute," killing tens of thousands and using voodoo to terrify his people.
The Worst Rulers In History....