These 30 Rulers in History Were Hated by All

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30. Vidkun Quisling’s last name became synonymous with betrayal

Vidkun Quisling was the prime minister of the Norwegian puppet government established after the German occupation of Norway during the Second World War. Though Quisling held little power independent of the Nazis he required little supervision carrying out German policies and programs. Quisling was a whole-hearted supporter of the Nazis, forcing the Norwegian security apparatus to support the Final Solution. Quisling supported the forced exile of Norway’s Jews, helped raise volunteers from Norway to serve in the SS, and created a single-party state in Norway. Over the course of the war, he made several trips to visit Hitler, hoping to secure independence for Norway from German control, with his country aligned as a German ally. After the war, the hated Quisling was tried, convicted, and executed for his actions during the coup which brought him to power and other crimes. Today the word quisling signifies a collaborator or traitor in several countries, in several languages.

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