Idi Amin’s early life experiences and lack of education influenced his reign as dictator. As a boy, Idi Amin and his mother moved to Lugazi. There his mother tried to keep her son from starvation by practicing spells and creating potions for anyone willing to pay a few pennies (Klein 152). This would occur near the army barracks and Uganda was still under British rule who had a large military presence. Amin grew up in awe of the British army and was impressed by the uniforms worn by the King’s African Rifles (Klein 153). Without a father, Amin looked up to these men and soon joined the army. The admiration of the British army that Amin gained as a young boy propelled him to start a career in the military. Overall, The soldiers took the place as male role models to power hungry Amin which impacted his views. Since he was seen as below the army asking them for money, this could have made him ambitious and power hungry leading to his rise to power. Amin obtained only an elementary school education. Amin could not read or write throughout his life. In addition, he could not concentrate on any serious topic for half a morning and found it impossible to sit in an office for a day while he served as dictator (Klein 159). The fact that Amin was uneducated influences his reign as dictator. It starts a hatred towards educated people because of his ignorance towards them. The educated people reminded him of his inadequacy. He “brags that if he could rule the country well, then there is no need for highly educated people” (Klein 159). In addition, he is illiterate, so he does not focus on the economic part of his job, but rather on the brutality he showed ruling as dictator. He does not have any political standards or morals but his own standards which grew from his lack of education, influence of the army, and overall his lack of awareness. When Amin was a young boy was a impulsive person, a trait that grew and grew as he became a dictator. Through all of his actions and the influence of the educated he “acted rather than governed” (Robins and Post 256). He would blame others for his issues and he became paranoid. The influences of being less powerful and uneducated leads Amin down a path of physiological issues and paranoia. He becomes impulsive as he comes to power and does what it takes to achieve his goal while enacting torture on others for opposing him. The early life influences of Amin created a burning desire to be powerful within him.
Idi Amin’s family, military experience, and his overall surroundings led to his harsh, murderous reign as dictator. His mother was doing witchery which is a spiritual and unobserved practice could have influenced Amin to be fake in his own way. Amin was change his mind and betray others. Obote trusted Amin and left him in power while he travelled to a prime minister’s conference. Amin took over power while he was gone. Also, he was reported to officials of torturing and stabbing Turkana cattle rustlers (Klein 153). He presents himself as one thing in front of the important people, but does not allow for opposition and obstacles in the way of his rise to power. Also, he was reported to officials of torturing and stabbing Turkana cattle rustlers. Amin knew that he had to show respect to his superiors and he “acquitted himself so well in front of the tribunal that he was cleared of any wrongdoing” (Klein 153). Amin’s facade helped him to gain control and trust of the people around him.Amin showed little to no regrets through his acts as dictator. He had “significant megalomania… who thought he could bully his way onto the world stage” (Klein 158). He claimed the the United States had asked for help and believed that he was important to them. Amin was self absorbed and it was critical to him to believe that he was important and involved throughout the world. He was a man who “saw nothing wrong with his tyrannical, not to mention violent, methods of oppression” (Klein 158). This relates to his lack of education and growing up solely around the army. His main social aspect was with the army and it is unknown what he observed with his mother around the army. Amin had always been a person that showed dominance through physical skills. He rose in the Ugandan armed forces from private to major general in 22 years skillfully, while gaining a cruel and violent reputation leading to his reign as dictator (“Idi Amin” History.com”). In addition, he was victorious in the light heavyweight boxing championship held in Uganda displaying his athletic nature (“Idi Amin” History.com). Without education, Amin’s power became strength in the military. His achievements in the army impressed his superiors and made him feel that specialness and sense of dominance that he craved throughout his life. He valued being superior and having control over others shown through his quick rise in the military.
He obtained the multitude of control by his military experience and influences that led him to become a power hungry individual.
Idi Amin constantly needs attention, and he chased what he lacked leading to his rise to power as dictator. Amin took over power from Obote. He said “For my part, I can only wish great luck and good sailing to the Uganda Second Republic. My government will at the right time make arrangements for honest, fair and completely free general elections… I shall then go back to the barracks and take orders form whoever is elected president. My Government firmly believes in peace and the international brotherhood of man… I will maintain good relations with all countries of the world… I don’t believe in a one party system” (Klein 156). Amin was telling the people what they wanted to hear. However, he did not follow through with what he said to the people. His tyranny began with killing sprees. Amin used his voice and demeanor to look as a liberator to get the people on his side in order to secure his power and dictatorship as the main ruler.Amin named himself “His Excellency President for Life Field Marshal Al Hadj Dr. Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and the Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular”(Robbins and Post 256). He believes that he is the most important person in the world which causes him to act any sort of torture out on others because he is above them and they do not concern him.Amin was a narcissistic individual. In this case, a hijacked plane landed in the Entebbe airport by Palestinian hijackers that were demanding the release of freedom fighters imprisoned in other countries, if not the plane along with the passenger would be blown up (Klein 160). Amin sent his troops in to surround the air terminal and ‘guard’ the passengers while the terrorists were allowed to bathe and eat (Klein 160). The passengers ended up being freed by Israeli commandos, but Dora Bloch was left behind. She ended up being killed by Amin. In addition, Amin was hunting and killing any citizens that had expressed contradictory feelings towards the Israeli mission to save the hostages (Klein 161). Amin is delighted that this big event is occurring in his state because he becomes the center of attention around the world (Klein 160). He enjoys the sense of control of this sensitive situation and the fact that the whole world will be watching because he did not have this as a child especially without a father. He makes the narcissistic claim that the British were jealous because he has yet to marry a British woman (Klein 161). He changed the situation of the death of their loved one to his own beliefs and ego towards himself. His lack of compassion or consideration of these people is portrayed throughout his rise to power and his reign killing anyone in his path.
Amin acted brutally towards numerous groups of people. He was a nationalist, “he forced white residents of Kampala to carry him on a throne and kneel before him as photographers captured the moment for the world to see” (Kaufman). He believed that certain groups were to blame. Furthermore, he carried these beliefs into his rule as dictator with the killing of 300,000 people through torture. A person that criticized, associated with a certain group, or opposed him were under threat of these acts. Often times, these victims were those of random and of ease to end up in the path of brutality. The chosen included those “coming from the wrong tribe, or having a beautiful girlfriend,…or being too strict at the office, or asking a messenger boy to make you a cup of tea, was a potential death sentence” according to Wycliffe Kato who served under Amin (Robins and Post 263). The feeling of superiority and lack drives him to torture and kill these people like a game. For example, he would have men line up for death by hammer to the head, before which they would perform ont their fellow victim of Amin’s torture (Klein 160). Overall, he craves control which rooted from his experience in the military, lack of education, and early life including his lack of a father. Amin did not want any opposition or people that viewed things differently from him. He executed anyone that sympathized with his former friend and leader Obote (Klein 156). Also, “Mr. Amin announced that all Ugandans of Asian origin holding British passports, some 40,000 in all, would have to leave the country within 90 days.. allowed to take only what they could carry” (Kaufman). Amin dispersed and executed opposition like the Asians who were treating the Africans badly. He was “using them as a scapegoat for all the country’s economic ills” (Klein 156) that reflected badly on him. He was exerting power on others just as he witnessed as a child. Idi Amin’s egotistical impulses manipulative continue and continued to use his desire to gain control of the entirety of Uganda.
Idi Amin and Cassius have manipulative personalities that crave more power. Amin and Cassius are both manipulators, and overthrow their friends or leaders. Amin manipulates people by saying, “For my part, I can only wish great luck and good sailing to the Uganda Second Republic. My government will at the right time make arrangements for honest, fair and completely free general elections… I shall then go back to the barracks and take orders form whoever is elected president. My Government firmly believes in peace and the international brotherhood of man… I will maintain good relations with all countries of the world… I don’t believe in a one party system” (Klein 156). Cassius manipulates Brutus to join the conspiracy to kill Caesar. Cassius appeals to Brutus’s pride by throwing letters threw his window. Cassius appears to his pride through speeches as well saying, “Brutus and Caesar — what should be in that “Caesar”? Why should that name be sounded more than yours?” (Shakespeare I.ii. 143-146). Amin is trying to get the the people on his side and gain their support in order to take power. He was saying it to persuade rather than act on his words. This is like Cassius who is persuading Brutus to get his support for a cause because he knows he needs his help, like Amin needing the people to support him until he took power. The words and propaganda used is meant rally people or a person to their side, so the leaders gain the support of the people. Also, Cassius and Brutus kill Caesar taking power from him behind his back, comparing to how Obote is unaware that Amin is seizing power from him. Therefore, both men craved more power which resulted and rooted in their manipulative personalities.