The disastrous 24-year reign of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad came to an end this weekend after he and his Government were overthrown by rebel fighters.
‘Overwhelmed’ Syrians rejoiced across the country by welcoming rebel fighters, ransacking al-Assad’s palace and dragging down a statue of the dictator before riding it around his hometown.
As celebrations unfolded in Syria, al-Assad was onboard a plane to Russia, where he has been granted asylum, along with his family, on ‘humanitarian grounds’.
But how the feared dictator will likely spend time in his new ‘retirement’ home may surprise a few.
Following a leak of his iTunes emails 12 years ago, his surprising taste in music was revealed to the public.
Al-Assad is, or at least was, a fan of Chris Brown, Harry Potter, ‘Bizarre Love Triangle,’ by New Order and even ‘I’m Too Sexy,’ by Right Said Fred.
It also unveiled that al-Assad is a huge fan of American country music – an unusual passion as it’s typically known for chronicling tales of falling in love, heartbreak, drinking beer and riding in pick-up trucks.
His emails showed that a day after the Siege of Homs in 2011, during which 61 innocent Syrians died, al-Assad sent the Blake Sheldon tune ‘God Gave Me You’ to his wife.
In the song, Sheldon sings: ‘The person that I’ve been lately, ain’t who I wanna be, but you stay here right beside me, watch as the storm goes through.’
If the lyrics are anything to go by, al-Assad perhaps felt some remorse following the siege. Or, most likely, the dictator just fancied kicking back in his palace with some country music blasting in his headphones.
While his music taste for his new life in Russia is unclear, if the experiences of other overthrown dictators are anything to go by, he should probably tune into the latest Chris Brown songs while he can.
Here, Metro takes a look at how some of history’s most revered dictators spent their, albeit short, retirements.
Adolf Hitler
Arguably the most brutal dictator in history, leader of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler did not enjoy any sort of retirement by choice.
With the Second World War drawing to a close and Soviet forces encroaching into Berlin, the most powerful man in Germany spent his final days in retreat in the Führerbunker.
Far from what you’re probably picturing, the bunker was actually pretty huge and consisted of 30 small conference rooms, Hitler’s private quarters and accommodation.
But as Hitler’s days in the underground bunker dwindled on, his mental health began to crumble and, after hearing of the execution of Italian leader Benito Mussolini, he accepted that the war had been lost.
In his final hours, Hitler married his long-term partner Eva Braun in the bunker before the pair committed suicide – Hitler by shooting, Braun by ingesting cyanide.
The couple’s bodies were carried outside and set on fire, as per the Hitler’s orders.
Saddam Hussein
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people during his 23-year reign of terror.
The revered dictator disappeared from the public eye shortly after the US’ 2003 invasion of Iraq, marking the beginning of one of the most intense manhunts in history.
US soldiers spent nine months searching for Hussein in the sandy deserts before being tipped off that the dictator was hiding somewhere near his birthplace of Tikrit.
Search teams visited a an innocuous nearby farm, where one soldier lifted up a blanket to reveal a small hole – he had found Hussein.
The Iraqi leader had been in hiding, with a pistol by his side, in the tiny hole, which was barely big enough for a man to lie down. The hiding place was equipped with a pipe, poking above ground level, through which the dictator breathed fresh air.
In a video seen by millions, Hussein emerged from his dire hole to say: ‘I am Saddam Hussein. I am the president of Iraq, and I am willing to negotiate.’
An American soldier responded: ‘President Bush sends his regards’, before the soldiers captured him.
After being convicted of crimes against humanity, Hussein was executed by hanging on 30 December 2006.
Muammar (Colonel) Gaddafi
When protests against the rule of Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi broke out in February 2011, the dictator’s response was to shoot the protestors – sparking all-out civil war.
After eight months of intense conflict, Gaddafi found himself cornered and isolated in the coastal city of Sirte, his hometown, moving between abandoned homes to avoid being bombed.
He, along with his son, tried to escape the country in a group of vehicles but following attacks on the convoy, the Libyan leader fled to two drainage pipes beneath a nearby road.
When Gaddafi was found soon after, Mistrata fighters kicked and punched him until he was almost lifeless, before hewas shot and killed.
Nicolae Ceaușescu
During the 34-year reign of communist Nicolae Ceaușescu, who was just 5ft2, the people of Romania suffered immense hardship which many believe is still being felt to this day in Eastern Europe.
While much of the country lived in poverty, the dictator was intent on splurging millions on elaborate buildings such as the People’s Palace – still one of the world’s largest buildings.
His rule came to an end on Christmas Day 1989, however, after what could be described as a Kangaroo Court.
The ruler and his family were dragged into a toilet block in a military base, lined up and fatally shot – with footage of the killing shown to a shocked world.
Benito Mussolini
The world’s first fascist, Benito Mussolini, led Italy into the Second World War in co-operation with the Nazis.
Italy’s involvement was far from successful during WWII, however, as the country’s weak military was exposed during defeats in North and East Africa and the Balkans.
When Allied troops landed in Sicily, southern Italy, in July 1943, the Italian dictator was overthrown and imprisoned by his own colleagues in the Fascist Government. He was later installed by a government in the north of the country but his diminishing power meant that was short-lived.
In a last ditch attempt at gaining freedom in 1945, Mussolini donned a German greatcoat and helmet to try and cross the Swiss border unnoticed.
His plan was far from a well-formed one though, as an Italian partisan soon recognised him and shouted: ‘We’ve got big head!’
The dictator was executed in Italy the next day, with his corpse strung upside down in a Milan square.
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