Idi Amin
East African tyrant
Idi Amin was a Ugandan military dictator who ruled from 1971 to 1979.
His regime killed an estimated 100,000 to 500,000 people through ethnic persecution, political purges, and extrajudicial killings.
He expelled Uganda's Asian population and cultivated an eccentric public image—claiming titles like "Conqueror of the British Empire." His name now evokes brutal African despotism: He's turning into another Idi Amin.
Ruler with absolute power
- autocratSole wielder of power
- tyrantCruel, absolute ruler
- strongmanPowerful lifter or despot
- oppressorOne who dominates cruelly
totalitarian · authoritarian · iron-fisted · ruthless · brutal · merciless · repressive · regime
Uganda's seat of government
- EntebbeUgandan city near Kampala
- Lake VictoriaEast African inland sea
- East AfricaContinental region by Indian Ocean
- Nile RiverAfrica's longest watercourse
Swahili · Bantu · Commonwealth
Organized land-based military
- generalWidespread, not specialized
- coupAbrupt seizure of power
- colonelSenior military officer
- commanderPerson with authority over others
soldiers · forces · uniform · barracks · military junta · seizure of power · martial · infantry
Large-scale unlawful killing
- tortureDeliberate infliction of suffering
- disappearanceAct of going missing
- executionCompleting a planned task
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
ethnic cleansing · death squads · political prisoners · human rights abuses · mass graves · Nile crocodiles · purges · victims
Fourth decade, twentieth century
- colonialismDomination through foreign settlement
- independenceFreedom from external control
- Cold WarProlonged East-West standoff
- economic collapseCatastrophic failure of finances
British rule · rise to power · fall from power · exile · Saudi Arabia · legacy · aftermath
French national airline
- documentaryFactual film about reality
- OscarAcademy's golden award
- filmMovie or coating
- biopicFilm about real life
dramatization · media · caricature · interviews · propaganda
despot
Ruler with absolute power
oppressor · totalitarian · authoritarian · iron-fisted · ruthless · brutal · merciless · repressive · regime · coup
Kampala
Uganda's seat of government
- EntebbeUgandan city near Kampala
- Lake VictoriaEast African inland sea
- East AfricaContinental region by Indian Ocean
Nile River · Swahili · Bantu · Commonwealth
army
Organized land-based military
commander · soldiers · forces · uniform · barracks · military junta · seizure of power · martial · infantry · regiment
massacre
Large-scale unlawful killing
- tortureDeliberate infliction of suffering
- disappearanceAct of going missing
- executionCompleting a planned task
persecution · ethnic cleansing · death squads · political prisoners · human rights abuses · mass graves · Nile crocodiles · purges · victims · terror
1970s
Fourth decade, twentieth century
- colonialismDomination through foreign settlement
- independenceFreedom from external control
- Cold WarProlonged East-West standoff
economic collapse · British rule · rise to power · fall from power · exile · Saudi Arabia · legacy · aftermath
Air France
French national airline
Forest Whitaker
- documentaryFactual film about reality
- OscarAcademy's golden award
- filmMovie or coating
biopic · dramatization · media · caricature · interviews · propaganda
Idi AminNelson Mandela
Mahatma Gandhi · Desmond Tutu · Martin Luther King Jr. · Dag Hammarskjöld · Jimmy Carter
Idi AminNelson Mandela
Idi AminNelson Mandela
Mahatma Gandhi · Abraham Lincoln · Winston Churchill · Franklin D. Roosevelt · nation builder