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15 Key Moments When Benevolent Leaders Became Tyrants

Darren March 31, 2026 7 min

11. The Fall of Mengistu Haile Mariam

Mengistu Haile Mariam, initially a Marxist revolutionary in Ethiopia, led the Derg military junta after the 1974 overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie I. In 1977, he initiated the “Red Terror” campaign, a brutal crackdown targeting opposition groups and civilians, resulting in an estimated 30,000 to 750,000 deaths. This period marked a shift from revolutionary idealism to violent authoritarianism, highlighting the dangers of absolute power. (britannica.com)

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Darren

11. The Fall of Mengistu Haile Mariam

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