10 Real Life Historical Figures With The Highest Kill Counts

Mao Zedong was the son of an impoverished farmer who would eventually become the founding father of the People's Republic of China. The communist revolutionary turned dictator rose to power after ousting Chiang Kai-Shek, who we previously covered.

While Zedong would succeed Kai-Shek as the ruler of China he would also exceed his former rival in the number of deaths associated with his reign.

During his rule, Zedong introduced a land reform campaign in which landlords and wealthy peasants were rounded up and beaten to death, so their property could be given to poor citizens in an effort to reduce economic inequality. Many of these previously well off citizens were sent to forced labor camps (where they eventually perished), as opposed to being murdered outright.

His social programs like the Great Leap Forward, for example, caused millions to use their household supplies (including cooking utensils) to produce steel that would end up being worthless. The ensuing poverty and inability to prepare food caused millions to starve.

Zedong also formed a group of young men called the 'Red Guards' to help eliminate political adversaries and intellectuals.

The previously mentioned acts are only a small sample of the actions that led to deaths of between 49 to 70 million citizens.

In 1976, Mao Zedong died of a heart attack at the age of 82.