The person responsible for killing the most people in history is Mao Zedong, the leader of the People's Republic of China from 1949 to 1976. Mao's policies, particularly the Great Leap Forward, caused the deaths of an estimated 45 million people due to famine between 1958 and 1962. Overall, Mao is believed to have been responsible for approximately 65 million deaths, with some estimates exceeding 80 million
. Other historical figures with extremely high death tolls include:
- Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, responsible for around 40 million deaths through purges, forced famines, and labor camps
- Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire, estimated to have caused about 40 million deaths during his conquests
- Adolf Hitler, responsible for approximately 35.2 million deaths including the Holocaust and World War II casualties
- Hong Xiuquan, leader of the Taiping Rebellion in China, responsible for around 30 million deaths
- King Leopold II of Belgium, whose exploitation of the Congo Free State led to about 10 million deaths
In terms of wars, World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing an estimated 70 to 85 million deaths globally, including military and civilian casualties
. Thus, Mao Zedong holds the grim distinction of having caused the highest number of deaths attributed to a single leader in history.
