10 Mind-Blowing Facts About Che Guevara

5. He Tried (And Failed) To Incite Revolutions In Congo And Bolivia

Che Guevara's legacy is inextricably linked to revolution. Whilst Cuba's lives most prominently in the minds of modern historians, Che dabbled in other revolutionary struggles throughout the world.

Teaming up with Fidel Castro in the aftermath of the Guatemalan coup, Che was initially a revolutionary insurgent, eventually rising to become Castro's second-in-command. His military career in Cuba was characterised by the use of guerrilla warfare tactics, whilst Castro noted Che's moral authority to command his troops as one of the key reasons the Cuban revolution was successful. However, much is made of Che's utter ruthlessness in commanding the loyalty and discipline of his subordinates. Several personal and biographical accounts exist depicting his executions of traitors - most famously Eutimio Guerra, whom received a '.32 pistol shot through the right side of his brain' for treason.

In later years, after the the Batista regime was overthrown, Che would comment to Castro that he was still 'loyal to the cause', and sought to bring the fight elsewhere. This included failed revolutionary exploits in Congo and Bolivia. Whilst Che's passion cannot be doubted, locals and insurgents noted his relentless penchant to engage in violence as a means of enacting revolution. Che perhaps overestimated the appetite for revolution elsewhere, and it was this precise lack of support that led to his capture in Bolivia. He is noted upon death to have remarked that whilst he is "only a man" and can be killed, one can never extinguish the "immortal revolution".

He was executed on October 9 1967, aged 39. Killed by Sergeant Teran of the Bolivian Special Forces.