8. Ivan VI: The Baby Emperor
Few rulers embody underqualification more than Ivan VI of Russia, crowned emperor as an infant in 1740. Helpless and incapable of any real governance, Ivan’s reign was manipulated by regents and swiftly ended within months. His tragic fate—imprisonment for most of his short life—serves as a stark reminder of the perils of placing power in the hands of those utterly unprepared, even through no fault of their own.
