Muammar Gaddafi, born in 1942 and died in 2011, was a former Libyan politician and military officer who ruled Libya from 1969 until his overthrow and subsequent death. He served as the de facto leader of Libya under a revolutionary socialist ideology, establishing a highly authoritarian regime during his four-decade-long rule. Gaddafi emerged to power through a coup d'état in 1969, overthrowing King Idris I and forming a government known as the Libyan Arab Republic.
Gaddafi's rule was characterized by a mix of socialist and nationalist policies, as well as tendencies towards autocracy and radicalism. Under his governance, he implemented policies such as nationalizing industries, redistributing wealth, and promoting pan-Arabism and pan-Africanism. Although initially popular due to his anti-colonial and anti-imperialist stances, Gaddafi's regime became increasingly oppressive and repressive, with policies fostering a cult of personality and suppressing political dissent.
His international relations were complex, with periods of isolation and ostracism from the international community due to his support for numerous armed groups, involvement in terrorist activities, and alleged human rights abuses. Notably, in 1988, Libya was implicated in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
Gaddafi's rule ended in 2011 during the Arab Spring uprisings, as demonstrations against his regime escalated into a civil war. Supported by NATO airstrikes, rebel forces eventually captured and killed Gaddafi in October of the same year. The legacy of Muammar Gaddafi is a controversial one, with supporters praising his anti-imperialist stance and investment in social welfare, while critics emphasize his human rights abuses and autocratic rule.
