10 Real Life Historical Figures With The Highest Kill Counts

10. Suharto

Suharto was a former general who would go on to become the second President of Indonesia. He was responsible for a military coup that resulted in the ousting of the nation's first president, Sukarno.

To put it mildly, Suharto was not fond of communism. During his rise to power, the ex-general was a key figure in a communist purge that would come to be known as the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-66 (aka the 1965 Tragedy). Among those killed were ethnic Abangan Javanese, Gerwani women, and (alleged) Chinese leftists.

In total, it is estimated that between 1 and 3 million people died as a result of the purge.

During his (roughly) 33 year rule, events like the Indonesian occupation of East Timor and the Papua conflict also significantly added to Suharto's body count.

In total, it is believed that the former military leader turned president is responsible for the deaths of between 900,000 to 3.4 million people.

In 1996, Suharto died of heart failure at the age of 86.