picturesofwar:

The headquarters of Benito Mussolini and the Italian Fascist party in Italy.

The imposing face on the front entrance is that of Benito Mussolini himself.

1934.

(via monocled--misanthrope)

Niyazov was president of Turkmenistan and later promoted himself to President for Life. He seized power after the breakup of the Soviet Union, filling the vacuum left by Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin. He also looked like Emeril Lagasse.

Niyazov had a penchant for renaming things. He renamed the months of the year, with January named “Turkmenbashi,” which means Father of the Turkmen, a name he gave himself. He also changed the names of the days of the week to things like “Young Day” and “Spirituality Day” (“Twinkie Twin Day” was presumably discussed but ultimately not selected). He also changed the word “bread” to “Gurbansoltan” which incidentally was the name of his mother, suggesting that one of his fantasies was to see his mother eaten alive by poor people.

Niyazov outlawed beards on men and makeup on television anchors, and prohibited both chewing tobacco and lip-syncing on Turkmenistan soil. In lieu of tobacco, he suggested that people chew on bones, which he argued would strengthen their teeth. The types of bones and how to obtain them were left to the imagination of the populace.

He also wrote a book called Ruhnama, which meant “Book of the Soul.” Students were required to study it in schools and mosques had to give it equal respect to the Quran or be demolished. Memorization of the book was even required for getting a driver’s license. Niyazov told his people that as a result of a pact made between him and Allah, anybody who read his book three times would automatically go to heaven.

Then in 2005, Niyazov launched a copy of it into space for aliens to read. This is as good a time as any to mention that Niyazov was illiterate.

Finally, to cement his legacy of batshit lunacy, he ordered that an ice palace be built in the capital of Turkmenistan, which as you may know is a desert country.

What happened to him?

Niyazov’s life was marred by assassination attempts that probably surprised nobody but himself. But blessed by the spirits of the Turkmen, he escaped every one of them before dying of cardiac arrest in 2006, which may have been a result of being poisoned, presumably by some 16-year-old Turkman who failed his driver’s license exam.

source

fuckyeahhistorycrushes:

Ludwig II of Bavaria

Rudolf II (July 18, 1552 – January 20, 1612), Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary & Croatia, King of Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria. Member of the Austrian Hapsburg dynasty (of which Marie Antionette was also a member). He was an Emperor ahead of his time. He was a staunch supporter of the arts & culture, rumored to have had many affairs with both women and men, and had an obsession with the Occult. His policies are generally viewed as unfavorable and which may have lead to the 30 Years War.

[Source]

Note: my expertise is in Ancient History, so don’t hang me if any of this is wrong. However, to the best of my knowledge the following will show you how strange this man was.

Türkmenbaşy, or Saparmurat Niyazov was the “President for Life” of Turkmenistan and he was a bit nutty. He renamed all the months and days of the week after himself, his mother, and important days and people. 

September was renamed Ruhnama after the holy book which he had written (supposedly.) This book, also known as “The Green Book” was the guiding path to being a holy, proper citizen. It was required of any government official that they could pass a test on the contents and any citizen had to know the book if they wished to get their drivers license. This was no problem as this book was a primary part of the education system in the country. 

He was able to speak with God directly and God told him that anyone who read the book three times would be allowed access into heaven when they died.

There is a statue (no idea if it still stands) which includes a giant version of this book which opens up with a light show every night at 8 PM and plays an audio recording of a passage from the book.  

Anonymous asked: Hi! When I found this blog my first thought was of the former dictator of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov or, as he insisted, "Turkmenbashi". Would you be willing to do a post on just now nutty this man was?

I’m afraid I don’t know too much about him, and while I’d be more than willing to do a bit of research about him in order to make a post, it would be fantastic if someone a little more familiar with him (perhaps even you, Anon) could submit something.

We’re always dying for submissions, they only come once in a blue moon.

enigmaland:

chek-away:

Sir, do you understand Russian? I don’t either.

(via crookedsin)

(via crookedsin)

anachronistic-and-impulsive:

“What are you doing? What, what, what are you doing?!”

“I suspect the men under my command are Trotskyites scheming to aid my enemies, or are plotting to overthrow me themselves! They cannot be trusted in positions of power!”
“So we kill all of them? Kill all of them?! Jo, the only person plotting against you is a tiny-moustached vegetarian in Germany. Slow down crazy. Slow down.” 
“But Hitler and I signed a nonaggression pact!”

“Honey, marriage contracts are by their nature nonaggressive, but that doesn’t mean it won’t turn into a bloodbath when the mistress shows up to the family barbecue! Speaking of bloodbaths, do you see what he’s doing to Poland? All of that crazy is pointed straight at the motherland and you’re sitting here ignoring the intelligence that Hitler’s going to drop the Nonaggression Pact like a mouthbreathing blind date! Look at your life, look at your choices.”  

“But he and I also agreed to split Poland. He gave his word that Germany would not attack Russia!”
“I think you’re 58 and an idiot.”
“Well…maybe I should be less paranoid about immediate threats with Trotsky all the way in Mexico, and consider what the fascists are doing.”
“Good. Now you’re going to listen to your intelligence, then have a sleepover with your generals and talk about how you’re going to prepare for an invasion, and not kill anyone. P.S. - this is the best your moustache has ever looked!”
“Really?!”
“Really! Let’s get out of here, you crazy bitch.”