Manifestos are more than just bold declarations—they’re blueprints for revolution, terror, reform, and control. Some gave birth to new nations or movements. Others led to genocide and global warfare. Whether written in prison, exile, or a cluttered cabin in the woods, these documents reflect the raw, often radical visions of their authors. Here are 30 of history’s most influential and dangerous manifestos—and what they actually said.
30. William Pierce – The Turner Diaries (1978)
“We are in a war for the survival of our race… the future of our people depends on our victory.” Pierce’s white supremacist novel became America’s most dangerous book, inspiring Timothy McVeigh’s Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people. The former physics professor’s blueprint for racial genocide influenced over 200 murders. Pierce died in 2002, but his manifesto continues to radicalize extremists worldwide, earning an FBI classification as the radical right’s bible.
29. Theodore Kaczynski – Industrial Society and Its Future (1995)
“The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race.” The Unabomber’s manifesto outlined destroying technological civilization through terrorism. His 18-year campaign killed three and maimed 23. Captured in 1996, he remains in solitary confinement. Disturbingly, his anti-technology writings gained academic respectability, influencing environmental extremists and eco-terrorists worldwide.
28. Julius Evola – Revolt Against the Modern World (1934)
“The modern world is the kingdom of quantity… we must restore the world of quality and hierarchy.” Italian fascist Evola promoted spiritual racism and sacred kingship. His ideas influenced Nazi SS ideology and modern far-right leaders like Steve Bannon. Dying in 1974, his anti-democratic philosophy continues to inspire fascist movements seeking to dismantle liberal institutions.
27. Pol Pot – Revolutionary Program for Kampuchea (1975)
“We will burn the old grass and the new will grow… intellectuals must be eliminated.” Pol Pot’s manifesto launched Cambodia’s transformation through mass murder. The Khmer Rouge executed nearly two million people—25% of the population—targeting anyone with education. Pol Pot died in 1998, never facing trial. Cambodia remains traumatized, only beginning recovery through international tribunals.
26. Osama bin Laden – Declaration of War Against Americans (1996)
“The presence of USA Crusader military forces on land of the two Holy Places is the greatest disaster.” Bin Laden’s fatwa legitimized global jihad, preceding the 9/11 attacks that killed 2,977 people. His network conducted hundreds of attacks worldwide. Killed by Navy SEALs in 2011, his manifesto continues inspiring Islamic extremist groups from ISIS to Al-Shabaab.
25. Anders Breivik – 2083: A European Declaration of Independence (2011)
“Indigenous peoples of Europe are being ethnically cleansed… we must secure European peoples’ future.” Breivik’s 1,500-page manifesto detailed plans for anti-Muslim genocide. On July 22, 2011, he bombed Oslo and massacred 69 at a youth camp. Sentenced to 21 years, his manifesto inspired copycat attacks, including Christchurch, providing tactical guidance for future mass killings.
24. Sayyid Qutb – Milestones (1964)
“Mankind today is on the brink of a precipice… Islam alone can guide humanity back to truth.” Writing from Egyptian prison, Qutb called for violent jihad against secular governments. His ideas transformed political Islam, inspiring al-Qaeda and ISIS leaders. Executed in 1966, he became Islam’s most influential modern martyr, providing theological justification for killing civilians worldwide.
23. Ernst Röhm – SA Fighting Manual (1930)
“The German revolution has only just begun… we must destroy bourgeois society through permanent revolution.” Röhm’s brownshirt manual organized Nazi street violence. His three-million-strong SA terrorized opponents and Jews. Hitler executed him in 1934’s “Night of Long Knives,” but SA violence normalized political terror, paving the way for Holocaust and World War II.
22. Francisco Franco – The Spanish Falange Program (1933)
“Spain is a unity of destiny… we reject Marxist class struggle.” Franco’s fascist manifesto launched the 1936 coup, triggering the Spanish Civil War, killing 500,000. His 40-year dictatorship executed 150,000-400,000 political prisoners. Franco died peacefully in 1975, never facing justice. Spain only began confronting this history in recent decades, exhuming mass graves.
21. Abimael Guzmán – The Shining Path Manual (1980)
“Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun… we must destroy the old state through people’s war.” Peru’s Maoist terrorists launched a 20-year insurgency, killing 70,000. His followers conducted public executions and displayed mutilated corpses. Captured in 1992, Guzmán received life imprisonment but continues inspiring Latin American guerrilla movements worldwide.
20. Idi Amin Dada – Economic War Declaration (1972)
“Africa is for Africans… the Asians have milked the cow but not fed it.” Uganda’s dictator expelled 80,000 Asian citizens, confiscating their property. His eight-year reign killed 300,000-500,000 Ugandans. Amin personally participated in killings, reportedly practicing cannibalism. Overthrown in 1979, he lived comfortably in Saudi Arabia until 2003.
19. Benito Mussolini – The Doctrine of Fascism (1932)
“War alone brings up human energy to its highest tension and puts the stamp of nobility upon peoples.” Mussolini’s manifesto glorified violence and totalitarian control, pioneering modern dictatorship techniques. His Ethiopian campaign used chemical weapons against civilians. Executed by partisans in 1945, his fascist ideology continues influencingauthoritarian movements and personality cults worldwide.
18. Huey Newton – Black Panther Party Platform (1966)
“We want freedom… the time has come for Black people to arm themselves.” Newton and Seale’s ten-point program demanded armed self-defense against police brutality. While promoting legitimate civil rights, their revolutionary rhetoric contributed to urban violence and police militarization. Newton was murdered in 1989; their legacy includes both beneficial community programs and ongoing police tensions.
17. Ayatollah Khomeini – Islamic Government (1970)
“Islam is a political religion… Islamic government is constitutional in that rulers are subject to divine law.” Khomeini’s exile manifesto outlined theocratic rule. His 1979 revolution established a brutal theocracy, executing thousands, suppressing women’s rights, and exporting terrorism. Dying in 1989, his system survives, continuing to oppress Iranians while funding terrorist groups globally.
16. Reinhard Heydrich – The Wannsee Protocol (1942)
“The Final Solution of the European Jewish Question… approximately 11 million Jews will be involved.” SS-Obergruppenführer Heydrich’s meeting minutes coldly organized Holocaust implementation. Known as the “Butcher of Prague,” he planned genocide with administrative efficiency. Assassinated in 1942, his protocol led to six million Jewish murders, demonstrating how bureaucratic language disguises mass murder.
15. Mao Zedong – Quotations from Chairman Mao (1964)
“Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun… revolution is not a dinner party.” The Little Red Book became the world’s second-most published book. Mao’s revolutionary doctrine caused history’s deadliest famine and cultural destruction. Dying in 1976 after killing 40-80 million Chinese, his manifesto inspired communist movements from Cambodia to Peru, spreading brutal methodology worldwide.
14. Vladimir Lenin – What Is To Be Done? (1902)
“Give us an organization of revolutionaries, and we will overturn Russia!” Lenin’s manifesto outlined professional revolutionary tactics. His Bolsheviks launched the Russian Civil War, killing millions, and established totalitarian surveillance. Dying in 1924, his revolutionary model inspired communist movements worldwide, demonstrating how small groups can capture state power through violence.
13. Radovan Karadžić – Serbian Republic of Bosnia Program (1992)
“Bosnian Muslims are fundamentalists threatening European Christian civilization.” The psychiatrist-turned-war criminal organized Sarajevo’s siege and the Bosnian genocide. He coordinated concentration camps and systematic rape while posing as poet and healer. Convicted of genocide in 2016, he received life imprisonment for shocking crimes.
12. Joseph Stalin – Marxism and the National Question (1913)
“A nation is a historically constituted, stable community… based on common language, territory, economic life.” Stalin’s manifesto justified forcible population transfers and ethnic cleansing. His policies killed millions through collectivization and purges. The engineered Ukrainian famine alone killed 3-5 million. Dying in 1953, his nationality policies influenced communist movements worldwide.
11. Francisco Macías Nguema – Equatorial Guinea Independence Speech (1968)
“We shall create a new nation… those who oppose progress will be eliminated.” Nguema launched Africa’s most brutal dictatorship, killing or exiling one-third of the population. He executed intellectuals, banned education, and destroyed the economy while proclaiming himself “Unique Miracle.” Executed by his nephew in 1979, his 11-year rule devastated the nation.
10. Ante Pavelić – Croatian State Program (1941)
“Croatia for Croatians… Serbs, Jews, and Roma are enemies who must be eliminated.” The Ustaše leader’s fascist manifesto established Nazi puppet Croatia. His forces murdered 300,000-600,000 people in concentration camps using medieval torture. Children were systematically murdered alongside adults. Escaping to Argentina, he died peacefully in Spain in 1959.
9. Ratko Mladić – Bosnian Serb Military Manual (1992)
“We fight for Serbian lands… Muslim presence must be eliminated through all necessary means.” General Mladić organized ethnic cleansing, including the Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys. His forces conducted mass rape campaigns and siege warfare killing 100,000. Convicted of genocide in 2017, he received life imprisonment.
8. Augusto Pinochet – National Security Doctrine (1973)
“Marxism is a cancer that must be extirpated… national security requires eliminating internal enemies.” Chile’s dictator justified the coup overthrowing Allende. His 17-year dictatorship murdered 3,200, tortured thousands, and “disappeared” opponents. His secret police pioneered international assassinations. Dying in 2006, his doctrine influenced Latin American military dictatorships.
7. Enver Hoxha – Albanian Labor Party Program (1944)
“We shall build socialism through revolutionary violence… enemies must be liquidated without mercy.” Hoxha established Europe’s most isolated Stalinist regime. His 40-year dictatorship banned religion, executed thousands, and created a paranoid police state. Dying in 1985, his regime fell in 1991, revealing mass graves and traumatized populations.
6. Omar al-Bashir – Salvation Revolution Program (1989)
“Islamic law is governance foundation… non-Muslims threaten national unity.” Sudan’s dictator launched 30 years of terror, killing hundreds of thousands in Darfur. His forces conducted genocide, mass rape, and ethnic cleansing. The regime enslaved thousands and recruited child soldiers. Overthrown in 2019, he faces International Criminal Court charges.
5. Jean-Paul Akayesu – Hutu Power Manifesto (1993)
“The Tutsi are cockroaches who must be exterminated… every Hutu has a duty to kill Tutsis.” Rwanda’s mayor helped organize the 1994 genocide, murdering 800,000 in 100 days. Radio stations broadcast kill lists coordinating systematic slaughter. Convicted of genocide, he became the first prosecuted for rape as genocide weapon.
4. Yahya Jammeh – New Vision Program (1994)
“We shall cleanse the nation of homosexuals, witches, and Western influence.” Gambia’s dictator launched a 22-year dictatorship characterized by witch hunts and human rights abuses. His forces murdered opponents while he claimed magical powers. His “witch doctors” poisoned hundreds during purification campaigns. He was forced into exile in 2017.
3. Slobodan Milošević – Memorandum on Kosovo (1989)
“Kosovo is Serbian civilization’s cradle… Albanian separatists threaten our existence.” Serbia’s president launched the Yugoslav Wars, killing 200,000 and displacing millions. His forces conducted ethnic cleansing while portraying Serbs as eternal victims. Indicted for genocide, he died in the Hague prison in 2006 before trial completion.
2. Adolf Eichmann – Madagascar Plan (1940)
“The Jewish Question requires a territorial solution… four million Jews must be relocated to Madagascar under police supervision.” SS-Obersturmbannführer Eichmann’s manifesto outlined the initial “Final Solution.” He organized deportation trains and managed the genocide’s bureaucratic machinery with meticulous efficiency. Captured in Argentina, tried in Jerusalem, and executed in 1962, his manifesto revealed how ordinary bureaucrats orchestrate mass murder through administrative procedures.
1. Adolf Hitler – Mein Kampf (1925)
“The stronger must dominate and not blend with the weaker… the volkish state must make race the center of all life.” Hitler’s prison manifesto outlined antisemitic ideology and territorial expansion. His rise led to World War II and Holocaust, killing over 70 million worldwide. Committing suicide in 1945, his manifesto directly caused humanity’s greatest catastrophe.