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Warfare History

15 Key Moments When Benevolent Leaders Became Tyrants

Darren March 31, 2026 7 min

14. Vladimir Lenin’s Red Terror

14. Vladimir Lenin's Red Terror
Lenin’s Red Terror (1918) marked a brutal crackdown on dissent during the Bolshevik Revolution.

Vladimir Lenin, aiming to establish a classless society, authorized the Red Terror in 1918 to eliminate perceived enemies of the revolution. This campaign, led by the Bolshevik secret police (Cheka), involved mass arrests, executions, and the establishment of concentration camps. The Red Terror resulted in an estimated 140,000 deaths and set a precedent for political repression in Soviet history. More details are available at Britannica.

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Darren

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