10 Real Life Historical Figures With The Highest Kill Counts
4. Chiang Kai-Shek
Chiang Kai-Shek ruled the Republic of China for around 46 years between 1928 and 1975. He rose to power by defeating a collation of warlords and reunifying China under a new nationalist government. However, after being defeated by the communists under Mao Zedong in 1948, Kai-Shek and company relocated to Taiwan, though he retained some power while in exile.
Kai-Shek's nationalist regime has been associated with several major human rights violations over the course of this lengthy reign. These include starving 1 million civilians in an effort to halt the communist advance during the Chinese civil war. Sadly, the loss of life due to lack of food didn't end there. Kai-Shek's organization confiscated grain from citizens and sold it for profit to government officials, thus causing the initial owners to starve. There were also millions that died during conscription campaigns due to a lack of proper nutrition and disease.
Moreover, atrocities like The Shanghai Massacre helped add to the massive body count associated with the controversial leader. All in all, somewhere between 6 and 18.5 million people died under Kai-Shek's administration.
Surprisingly, like so many members of our list, Chiang Kai-Shek would live to a ripe old age. At 87, he died of renal failure, back in 1975.