Ousted Regimes

Egyptian protesters celebrated in the streets when President Hosni Mubarak decided to step down after 30 years in power. Get the latest news about his departure. Who is in control now? In honor of this historic moment, we take a look at other regimes that have been toppled.
President Zine el Abidine ben Ali
Country: Tunisia
Time in power: 1987-2011

Ben Ali was appointed to lead the tiny nation of Tunisia after another leader was declared unfit to fulfill his presidential duties. Under Ben Ali’s leadership, Tunisia had several controversies, including the high-profile arrest of a journalist and riots over unemployment that led to his ouster. The small country’s uprising is said to have sparked Egyptians to take a stand for their rights.

Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Country: Iran
Time in power: 1941-1979

Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s ouster was led by the Iranian Revolution. His reign was often criticized for his relationship with the United States and economic shortages. The overthrow allowed an infamous dictator to return to Iran after years in exile. How old was the Shah when he died?

Saddam Hussein
Country: Iraq
Time in power: 1979-2003

Hussein served as president during several crises, including the Iran-Iraq war and the Persian Gulf War. His reign came to an end 2003 after George W. Bush claimed that Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction. The United States invaded Iraq and Hussein was captured. Three years later, he was executed.

Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh
Country: Iran
Time in power: 1951-53

Mossadegh was overthrown in a rift with Britain. His biggest claim to fame was the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry. A dispute over oil led to protests in 1952 and heightened tensions with Britain. It also fueled other fears. What happened to Mossadegh?Who succeeded him?

Jacobo Arbenz Guzman
Country: Guatemala
Time in power: 1951-54

Arbenz was overthrown in the 1954 Guatemalan coup d’etat , which was organized by the CIA as fears of Communism heightened.  Arbenz ultimately resigned and the CIA launched another operation to get proof that Guatemala was a rising Soviet state.  Who replaced him?


Prime Minister Pol Pot
Country: Cambodia
Time in power: 1976-79

The infamous dictator  was responsible for the deaths of nearly 2 million people. The number of deaths led to Cambodia being tainted with a gruesome nickname. His high-profile conflict with a neighboring country ultimately led to his ouster. Pol Pot died under house arrest, but rumors persist about the nature of his death.


Czar Nicholas II
Country: Russia
Time in power: 1894-1917

Czar Nicholas II was overthrown in the February Revolution, although it happened in March. He received a gruesome nickname because of the Khodynka Tragedy and Bloody Sunday. His removal prompted the end of an empire, the beginning of another and the start of a war

Prime Minister Benito Mussolini
Country: Italy
Time in power: 1922-43

Mussolini is known as one of the fathers of fascism  His official title was not modest. He often had a contentious relationship with another dictator, but later joined forces against Britain and France in World War II. Ironically, it was his former colleagues who overthrew him. What happened to him?

Prime Minister Ion Antonescu
Country: Romania
Time in power: 1940-44

Antonescu created a fascist dictatorship, which also supported the Axis Powers. While he won support for domestic reforms, he was known as the mastermind behind a brutal massacre. He was overthrown in 1944 and later executed for war crimes. What was one of his famous last quotes?

President Idi Amin
Country: Uganda
Time in power: 1971-79

Amin was known as one of the most brutal dictators that Africa has ever seen. The number of people killed under his rule ranges from 100,000 to 500,000. The arrogant leader dubbed himself this royal nickname . On April 11, 1979, he fled the Ugandan capital as liberation forces moved in. He died in 2003 in Saudi Arabia.


President Slobodan Milosevic
Country: Yugoslavia
Time in power: 1997-2000

Milosevic, who earned this dubious honor, resigned after demonstrators protested the 2000 presidential election. Shortly after his resignation, he was arrested for embezzlement and later ordered to stand trial for war crimes. Who represented him at his trial? The trial ended without a verdict.