Twentieth Century Dictators Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hitler

Hitler was able to take advantage of the scheming and secret agendas of many factions in the German establishment of the day. For instance, Papen and many non-Nazis thought having Hitler as chancellor was to their advantage. Other conservative members of the former aristocratic ruling class desired an end to the republic and a return to an authoritarian government that they thought would restore Germany to glory and bring back their old class privileges. For them, putting Hitler in power was just the first step toward achieving that goal since they thought it was likely he would wreck the republic.

Answer: Prokofiev

Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891 - 1953) was a Russian composer and pianist who came from the Ukraine. Many children have had their first real experience of orchestral music through listening to his musical story 'Peter and the Wolf'.

He also wrote many other great works including symphonies, concertos, piano sonatas, ballets and operas.
Prokofiev died of a brain haemorrhage on 5 March 1953. His death was hardly mentioned in the newspapers because the dictator Stalin died on the same day.

Answer: Argentina

Juan Domingo Perón (1895 - 1974) was an Argentine soldier and politician, who came to power after a coup in 1943, but was subsequently elected three times as President of Argentina and serving from 1946 to 1955 and from 1973 to 1974.

Answer: Myanmar

Senior General Than Shwe became the head of the ruling junta and took to controlling the army.

After working in the Burmese postal service, Than Shwe joined the army at the age of 20, and his career included a stint in the department of psychological warfare.

In 1992, he became acting head of state of Burma, and was initially seen as more relaxed than his predecessor, General Saw Maung. Some political prisoners were released, and human rights groups were allowed to visit Burma.
In 2003, he oversaw the re-arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Answer: Batista

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13, 1926) led the revolution overthrowing Fulgencio Batista in 1959, and shortly after was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Cuba.

He later became First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in 1965, and led the transformation of Cuba into a one-party socialist republic.

In 1976, he became president of the Council of State as well as of the Council of Ministers.

Answer: Nicolae Ceausescu

Ceauşescu's regime collapsed after a series of violent events in Timişoara and Bucharest in December 1989.

Answer: Kim Il Sung

Kim Il-sung (1912 - 1994) was the leader of North Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death. He held the posts of prime minister from 1948 to 1972, and president from 1972 to his death. North Korea officially refers to him as the "Great Leader" and he is designated in the constitution as the country's "Eternal President".

Answer: Dr Hastings Banda

Hastings Kamuzu Banda (1896 - 1997) was the leader of Malawi from 1961 to 1994. His official title was 'His Excellency the Life President of the Republic of Malaŵi, Ngwazi Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda'. The title Ngwazi means 'great lion' in Chicheŵa.

Answer: Idi Amin

The Guardian newspaper's obituary of Idi Amin is worth quoting in part: "While chief of staff of the Ugandan army, under Dr Milton Obote's civilian government, he seized power in 1971. He made himself president, with the rank of field marshal, and after eight years of power left Uganda a legacy of bloodthirsty killings and economic mismanagement."

Answer: Pol Pot

The death of Pol Pot in April 1998 brought to the end the brutal career of a man responsible for overseeing one of the worst genocides of the 20th century.

Between 1975 and 1979, his regime claimed the lives of more than one million people, through execution, starvation and disease.