Mussolini was the first to exploit brand new mass media. ibid.
Mussolini’s showmanship impressed one person in particular, and with terrible consequences. ibid.
Was there something about their era that made fascism inevitable? ibid.
They loved the camera and the camera loved them. ibid.
Throughout the course of history there’s been many viciously cruel dictators. But few as deranged as Muammar Gaddafi. Yet for over 40 years the Libyan leader terrifies, tortures and torments the world with one horrific act after another. This is the story of the Middle East’s longest serving dictator. Evolution of Evil s1e1: Gaddafi: Mad Dog of the Middle East, History 2015
Suddenly, the Colonel’s convey is hit by a Nato air-strike forcing the once almighty tyrant to take refuge in a sewer pipe. But how has it come to this? ibid.
1969: After more than ten years in the planning Gaddafi is ready to make his move. With King Idris out of the country receiving medical treatment in Turkey, the mission he calls Operation Jerusalem is a go … ‘Probably one of the most peaceful coups that has happened in history. ibid.
He will pursue any Libyan that opposes him. ibid.
And he will fight his war dirty. ibid.
Gaddafi is US public enemy number one: ‘This mad dog of the Middle East.’ ibid.
The United Nations imposes tough sanctions. ibid.
His methods would become ever more deranged. ibid.
‘The Liberace of the Arab world.’ ibid.
‘The most prolific rapist in history.’ ibid.
Adolf Hitler is the very personification of evil … The most malevolent dictator the world has ever seen. Evolution of Evil s1e2: Hitler: The Benchmark of Evil
For the Fuhrer, he and the German state are one. What he wants, it wants. ibid.
‘Wherever I went I now saw Jews … and became an anti-Semite.’ ibid. Hitler
He is blinded by a British gas attack. ibid.
In 1933 the Nazis become the largest party in parliament. ibid.
Within six weeks Poland is crushed. ibid.
By December 1941 his final solution is underway. ibid.
The Jews are made responsible for their own misery. ibid.
His speeches leave Italy bewitched. But behind all Benito Mussolini’s bluster and posturing lies a dark heart of violence and brutality. Evolution of Evil s1e7: Mussolini: The Father of Fascism
By now Mussolini has completely turned his back on the left. He wants to forge his own path, one based on the glory of Italy and its Roman past. ibid.
They call themselves fascists; many of them wear the black shirt. ibid.
It’s the beginning of Italy’s descent into hell. ibid.
All political parties are closed down except the fascists. ibid.
FDR says he is deeply impressed by him. ibid.
At first it’s Hitler who apes his great hero. ibid.
Mussolini drops mustard gas on Ethiopia. ibid.
The invasion of Greece is a disaster … The war is becoming a humiliation for Italy. ibid.
Pyongyang, North Korea July 8th 1994: In North Korea a nation is in mourning. Their dictator for the past 48 years Kim Il-sung is dead. But the myth of Kim’s divinity concealed a darker truth: behind the facade was a brutal ruler. The regime imprisoned, tortured and killed tens of thousands. Dictators Rulebook s1e1: Kim Il-sung, National Geographic 2018
1910: Japan colonises the country … decades of suffering are about to begin. ibid.
By 1948 the Soviets are convinced Kim has a firm hold on the country and they begin to pull out. ibid.
Kim invades South Korea … a major miscalculation. ibid.
Kim takes out suspected opponents: 2,500 in just four years. ibid.
By the mid-60s Kim Il-sung has created a culture of fear that enveloped 12 million North Koreans. ibid.
The caste system weeds out enemies of the state. ibid.
2003: Following a swift and lethal invasion, American-led forces now occupy Iraq. One of the most brutal regimes of the 20th century has come to an end. Dictators Rulebook s1e2: Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq with an iron fist for over 30 years. To maintain power for so long he used fear, intimidation and violence … He believed he was invincible. ibid.
He becomes an enforcer for the [Ba’ath] Party … a man unafraid of violence. ibid.
Just five days after taking office Saddam calls a meeting of the Revolutionary Command Council, Iraq’s secret governing elite … Saddam forces the remaining government officials to personally execute their arrested colleagues. ibid.
1991: The America-led coalition sets out to make Saddam pay for his invasion of Kuwait. ibid.
He is found in a hole in the ground just ten miles from his birthplace. ibid.
Europe 2018: From the UK to Germany, Sweden to Greece, extreme right-wing politics are on the rise fuelled by xenophobia and a promise to fight for the rights of white Europeans. Dictators’ Rulebook s1e3: Benito Mussolini
Italy’s Benito Mussolini: has been dismissed as a buffoon, a small-time tyrant who ruled in the shadow of Hitler and Stalin. But he was no-one’s disciple … He called it fascism. ibid.
‘Again and again he keeps getting in trouble for knifing people.’ ibid. Matthew Feldman
He uses an essential tool of dictatorship: creating an enemy. ibid.
The fascist army is publicly unleashed on the communists. ibid.
Mussolini and a handful of fascists are elected to parliament. ibid.
1924: Fascist thugs are posted outside of polling stations throughout the country. ibid.
It is time to build an empire … Mussolini orders his generals to burn Ethiopian villages and to use poison gas on civilians. ibid.
2017: A mass grave is revealed; it is but one of two thousand mass burial sites across the nation. This is the legacy of General Francisco Franco, victor of the Spanish Civil War. After taking control of the country in 1939 he consolidates his hold on the nation. Dictators Rulebook s1e4: Francisco Franco
The Spanish people move to establish a republic. And weeks later a general election is held: the majority of seats are won by left-leaning parties. ibid.
November 1933: Spain swings to the right as a coalition of conservative parties wins the next election … The right-wing government turns to Franco who welcomes the chance to restore order. ibid.
The pendulum swings and the right-wing government is ejected … A military coup is the ultimate gamble. ibid.
Franco intensifies his attack on civilians. ibid.
December 20th 1989: 27,000 US troops descend on Panama City. It’s the biggest American invasion since the Vietnam War. Ambition: to capture one man: Panama’s military dictator Manuel Noriega. US soldiers scour Panama City hunting Noriega but he’s nowhere to be found. Noriega’s turbulent six-year rule has been marked by violence, deception and excess. Dictators Rulebook s1e5: Manuel Noriega, National Geographic 2018
By the mid-1970s Noreiga is the most important asset the US has in Central America. But little do they know he’s not just spying on the Cubans in the US, he’s spying on the US and the Cubans. ibid.
He strikes a deal with Pablo Escobar, the leader of Colombia’s Medellin drug cartel. ibid.
Soon, Noriega is not just running drugs, he’s running arms for the Americans. ibid.
June 11 1975: Ugandan dictator Idi Amin is right where he wants to be: at the centre of an international diplomatic crisis. A British citizen living in Uganda, Denis Hills, is about to publish a book critical of Amin. Enraged that his authority has been questioned, Amin wants Hills to face a firing squad. The British know this is no idle threat. Idi Amin has been in the business of capital punishment for years. Dictators Rulebook s1e6: Idi Amin