https://short-history.com/from-genghis-khan-to-pol-pot-the-10-most-brutal-rulers-in-history-cb598ef6a962

4. Mao Zedong —Dictator of China 毛泽东——中国的独裁者

Death toll: 80 million

死亡人数:8 000万

毛泽东（1893年至1976年执政）把中国从半殖民地带到了世界领先地位。

然而，毛的政策造成了大量饥荒、监狱劳动和大规模处决的死亡。

20世纪50年代，毛泽东发动了大跃进，适得其反，导致了历史上最严重的饥荒。 1959年至1961年期间，超过5 500万人死于饥饿。

毛泽东的文化大革命（1966年至1976年）造成了多达700万人的死亡。

“当食物不够时，人们就会饿死。 最好让一半的人死去，让另一半的人吃饱。”

— 毛泽东

Mao Zedong (reigned 1893–1976) took China from a semi-colony to the world’s leading power.

However, Mao’s policies caused an enormous number of deaths through famine, prison labor, and mass executions.

In the 1950s, Mao launched the Great Leap Forward, which backfired and resulted in the deadliest famine in history. Over 55 million people died of hunger during 1959–61.

Mao’s Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) resulted in the deaths of up to 7 million people.

“When there is not enough to eat, people starve to death. It is better to let half of the people die so that the other half can eat their fill.”

— Mao Zedong

中国大饥荒——人类历史上最严重的饥荒1959-61年中国大饥荒造成5500万人死亡

https://short-history.com/great-chinese-famine-1e156d0910b

中国大饥荒——人类历史上最严重的饥荒1959-1961年的中国大饥荒导致5500万人死亡为了生存，人们求助于吃人。 家人吃自己的孩子，远方的旅行者被谋杀了。

The Great Chinese Famine — The Deadliest Famine In The Human History

The Great Chinese Famine of 1959-61 resulted in 55 million deaths

To survive, people resorted to cannibalism. Families ate their own children, remote travellers were murdered for food.

Mao Zedong believed each sparrow ate 4.5 kilograms (9.9 pounds) of grain per year. Consequently, the government proclaimed sparrows as the enemies of communism and systematically exterminated them.The lack of sparrows allowed locusts and other insects to over-multiply and destroy crops. 毛泽东相信每只麻雀每年吃4.5公斤（9.9磅）的谷物。 因此，政府宣布麻雀为共产主义的敌人，并系统地消灭它们。麻雀的缺乏使蝗虫和其他昆虫过度繁殖并毁坏庄稼。

Forcing farmers to switch to the steel industry 迫使农民转向钢铁工业

Totalitarianism in China brutally suppressed any criticism. Mao Zedong was considered infallible. There was no manoeuvering room for fixing mistakes. 中国的极权主义残酷地压制了任何批评。 毛泽东被认为是万无一失的。 没有改正错误的回旋余地。

The cannibalism during the Great Chinese Famine occurred on a scale unprecedented in history. 中国大饥荒期间发生的食人事件规模空前。

“She sliced up the girl’s flesh and spiced it with chilli peppers before steaming and eating it.”

— Zhou Xun, a historian retelling the story of the old lady’s cannibalism

“她把姑娘的肉切成薄片,用辣椒调味,然后蒸着吃.”— 历史学家周迅重述老太太吃人的故事

The peasants were tortured, killed, or buried alive for reporting realistic harvest results, refusing to hand over the remaining bits of food, or for stealing food.

“Liu Desheng, guilty of poaching a sweet potato, was covered in urine… He, his wife, and his son were also forced into a heap of excrement. Then tongs were used to prise his mouth open after he refused to swallow excrement. He died three weeks later.”

— Frank Dikötter, a Dutch historian

这些农民因报告实际收获结果、拒绝交出剩余的粮食或偷窃粮食而遭受酷刑、杀害或活埋。

“刘德胜，偷猎红薯罪，尿液沾满……” 他和他的妻子以及他的儿子也被逼进了一堆粪便。 当他拒绝吞咽粪便后，用钳子撬开他的嘴。 三个星期后他去世了。”

— 荷兰历史学家弗兰克·迪克特