History UsefulNotes / IdiAmin

On 30th October, 1978, Idi Amin sent troops to invade the Kagera region of Tanzania (With extra military support from [[Muammar Gaddafi]]), starting the Uganda-Tanzania War. Unfortunately for him, Uganda's military was only trained to execute civilians, thus they had no clue how to fight a war against another country. As a result, Tanzania defeated Uganda's invasion attempt ''very'' easily, [[DisproportionateRetribution and in turn, ''they'' invaded Uganda]]. Idi Amin's regime demised and he fled to Libya and Saudi Arabia, where he lived in exile until his death on August 16, 2003.

On 30th October, 1978, Idi Amin sent troops to invade the Kagera region of Tanzania (With extra military support from [[Muammar Gaddafi]]), starting the Uganda-Tanzania War. Unfortunately for him, Uganda's military was only trained to execute civilians, thus they had no clue how to fight a war against another country. As a result, Tanzania defeated Uganda's invasion attempt ''very'' easily, [[ DisproportionateRetribution and in turn, ''they'' invaded Uganda]]. Idi Amin's regime demised and he fled to Libya and Saudi Arabia, where he lived in exile until his death on August 16, 2003.

Dissent within Uganda and Amin's attempt to annex the Kagera province of Tanzania in 1978 culminated in the Uganda–Tanzania War, which in turn led to the demise of his regime. Amin fled to Libya and Saudi Arabia, where he lived in exile until his death on August 16, 2003.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a dictator who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however, would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for [[CloudCuckoolander saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera]], almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. And when Britain was facing an economic crisis in the 70's, he mockingly started the "Save the British Fund". He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane has just landed on the London airport. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a dictator who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however, would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for [[CloudCuckoolander saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera]], almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. And when Britain was facing an economic crisis in the 70's, he mockingly started a "Save the British Fund". He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane has just landed on the London airport. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a dictator who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however, would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for [[CloudCuckoolander saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera]], almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane has just landed on the London airport. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

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* Comedian John Bird recorded an entire comedy album where he imitates Idi Amin, ''The Collected Broadcasts of Idi Amin'', with the catchy song ''Amazin' Man''.
* Music/TheSexPistols released a 1978 single, ''Nobody Is Innocent'', sang by criminal on the run Ronnie Biggs, where they praise various notorious people and also shout ''God Bless Idi Amin'' at one point. By the way, John Lydon had already left the group at this point and didn't want to have anything to do with it.

[[AC:Comic Strips]]

* ''ComicStrip/DeKiekeboes'': Idi Amin is also a regular villain in this comic book series, yet named Bibi Pralin Gaga. Again he is portrayed as a dumb tyrant with a career in boxing. Creator Merho commented: ''"Amin was already a comic book character. I just put him back in his original environment."''

Behind the scenes however, Amin's regime was characterized by [[BewareTheSillyOnes gross human rights abuse, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement]]. In 1972, Amin plunged his East African nation into economic chaos by expelling tens of thousands of Asians who had controlled the country's economy. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000. He was reported being a [[ImAHumanitarian cannibal]], a fact that remains unproven, but heads of his victims were found inside his fridge. He also ordered many people to be executed by being fed to crocodiles.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a dictator who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however, would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for [[Cloudcuckoolander saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera]], almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane has just landed on the London airport. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he launched a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, a dictator who was not aligned with their own political and economic interests. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however, would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera, almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane has just landed on the London airport. Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

Behind the scenes however, Amin's regime was characterized by [[BigBad gross human rights abuse, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement]]. In 1972, Amin plunged his East African nation into economic chaos by expelling tens of thousands of Asians who had controlled the country's economy. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000. He was reported being a [[ImAHumanitarian cannibal]], a fact that remains unproven, but heads of his victims were found inside his fridge. He also ordered many people to be executed by being fed to crocodiles.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he committed a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, who was a dictator who didn't follow their own political and economical interests enough. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however, would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera, almost appearing as [[PsychopathicManchild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane has just landed on the London airport! Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

Behind the scenes however, Amin's regime was characterized by [[BigBad gross human rights abuse, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement]]. In 1972, Amin plunged his East African nation into economic chaos by expelling tens of thousands of Asians who had controlled the country's economy. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000. He was reported being a [[ImAHumanitarian cannibal]], a fact that remains unproven, but heads of his victims were found inside his fridge. He ordered many people to be executed or fed to crocodiles.

Dissent within Uganda and Amin's attempt to annex the Kagera province of Tanzania in 1978 led to the Uganda–Tanzania War and the demise of his regime. Amin later fled to exile in Libya and Saudi Arabia, where he lived until his death on August 16, 2003.

Dissent within Uganda and Amin's attempt to annex the Kagera province of Tanzania in 1978 led to the Uganda–Tanzania War and the demise of his regime. Amin later fled to exile in Libya and Saudi Arabia until his death on August 16, 2003.

'''Works featuring Amin'''

!! Tropes associated with Idi Amin
* AxCrazy: People were so frightened of him that during a swimming contest, caught on camera, they let him jump ahead and slowly swam behind him.
* TheCaligula: The West allowed this crazy dictator to stay in power for almost an entire decade.
* CloudCuckooLander: Amin was a very eccentric character, ranging between charmingly joyful then brutal and violent within seconds. Some claim he might have been bi-polar, insane or suffering of syphilis.
* ColdBloodedTorture: Resorted to this to make his enemies disappear.
* EvilIsHammy: Listen to what he does and says in archive footage.
* EvilLaugh: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0y7NxvJE5M As befitting of a dictator.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: Amin was a charming MagnificentBastard sometimes.
* ForeignCultureFetish: Amin was fascinated by Scottish culture, going as far as proclaiming himself "the last king of Scotland".
* TheGeneralissimo: The {{Expy}} of all African dictator stereotypes.
* GloriousLeader: Just look at the title used to announce him.
* IAmAHumanitarian: Believed to have been a cannibal, but this is not proven.
* IconicOutfit: His blue uniform, with countless medals.
* KarmaHoudini: Was never put on trial for his crimes and lived for almost 25 years in peace and quiet in Saudi Arabia.
* MeetTheNewBoss / FullCircleRevolution: The dictator Obote is overthrown by Amin, who's replaced by Obote again, whose forces also end up abusing human rights and killing thousands of people in the Ugandan Bush War.
* MinionWithAnFInEvil: Bob Astles, a white British colonial, who was an associate of Amin.
* MoodSwinger: As many people who knew him, have told.
* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: Many people were thrown for the crocodiles under his regime.
* OverlyLongTitle and TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard: ''"His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular"''.
* {{Polyamory}}: Married at least five women, three of whom he divorced.
* PsychopathicManchild and ScaryBlackMan: He fit both tropes.
* StuffedIntoTheFridge: After being deposed people found several dead bodies and decapitated people in Amin's fridge.
* VagueAge: Idi Amin was born in the 1920s, but the exact year is unknown.
* YouNoTakeCandle: Spoke pidgin English.

* KarmicTrickster and KarmicDeath: Was never put on trial for his crimes and lived for almost 25 years in peace and quiet in Saudi Arabia.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was originally a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he committed a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, who was a dictator who didn't follow their own political and economical interests enough. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however, would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera, almost appearing as [[PsychoticManChild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane has just landed on the London airport! Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

* EvilIsHammy: Listen to what he does and says in archive footage.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he committed a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, who was a dictator who didn't follow their own political and economical interests enough. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however, would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera, almost appearing as [[PsychoticManChild a child in an adult body]]. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane has just landed on the London airport! Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

All these reports turned Amin in one of the most colorful and frequently mocked politicians of TheSeventies. As the decade went on he was subject of many sensationalized exploitation ''documentaries'' and ''biopics'' that focused on his gruesome deeds.

* ComicStrip/{{Nero}}: Featured in three albums. In the first, "De Wensring", the author was forced to make Amin unrecognizable by scribbling a beard on his face, because he was considered to be a "friend" of the Belgian government and the newspaper publishers didn't want to offend him. In later appearances, such as "De Zweefbonbons" and "Daris Doet Het" Amin had already fallen out of favor with the West and thus Sleen was allowed to portray him uncensored. Amin is portrayed as a dumb and cruel brute with boxing gloves that continually drip with blood. He considers Nero to be his friend, yet locks him up in "De Wensring" because he doesn't want him to leave. In "Daris Doet Het" Nero and Idi Amin have a fall-out because Nero takes away Amin's dinner to feed it to the hungry population. Later in the story Amin is eaten by crocodiles.
* ComicStrip/DeKiekeboes: Idi Amin is also a regular villain in this comic book series, yet named Bibi Pralin Gaga. Again he is portrayed as a dumb tyrant with a career in boxing. Creator Merho commented: "Amin was already a comic book character. I just put him back in his original environment."

* He appears in "Raid On Entebbe"(1977), "Victory at Entebbe" (1976) and the Israeli film "Operation Thunderbolt" (1977), all about the historic Israeli rescue operation of the same name.
* He is the subject of the sprawling, fantastically sleazy (yet surprisingly historically accurate) exploitation epic, "AminTheRiseAndFall"(1981). Kenyan actor Joseph Olita, who played Amin, later reprised it in a cameo for the film "Mississippi Massala", about the 1972 deportation of the Ugandan Asians.
* The subject of the 1974 documentary "General Idi Amin Dada: An Autoportrait", created by filmmakers who were careful to put his already infamous regime in context, but depicted it primarily through interviews with Amin in which he related his....colourful views on various subjects and was depicted in normal interactions with his subjects.

* "The Collected Bulletins of Idi Amin" and "The Further Bulletins of Idi Amin" (1974 and 1975): Books compiled from the "Punch" magazine columns of the British humourist Allan Coren. While today they would no doubt be considered highly offensive, Coren's lampooning of Amin's famously garbled pidgin English (a consequence of his sadly illiterate upbringing), and penchant for public acts of buffoonery that mingled hideously with his known penchant for crimes against humanity guarantees a hearty (if somewhat guilt-filled) laugh to the contemporary reader. The books were later recorded as the 1975 album "The Collected Broadcasts of Idi Amin", recited with a suitably comically insensitive accent by the comedian John Bird.

* Series/SpittingImage: He was also featured as a puppet on the show, but didn't appear that much, because his political role was already over at the time this series aired.

* Music/TheSexPistols released a 1978 single, ''Nobody Is Innocent'' where they praise several dubious criminals and also shout ''God Bless Idi Amin'' at one point.

* AxCrazy: People were so frightened of him that during a swimming contest, caught on camera, they let him jump ahead and slowly swam behind him.
* IAmAHumanitarian: Believed to have been a cannibal, but this is not proven.

* CloudCuckooLander: Amin was a very eccentric character, ranging between charmingly joyful and brutal and violent within seconds. Some claim he might have been bi-polar, insane or suffering of syphilis.

* EvilIsHammy: Seeing and hearing Amin talk in archive footage.

* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: Many people were thrown to the crocodiles under his regime.
* OverlyLongTitle and TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard: "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular".

* MinionWithAnFInEvil: Bob Astles, an associate of Amin.

* Sidekick: Bob Astles, a British white colonial officer, who was an associate of both Obote and Amin.

Idi Amin Dada ([[VagueAge 1923? 1925? 1928?]] - 2003) was President of UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} from 1971 to 1979. He was a former boxer in the army who rose to the rank of Colonel. In 1971 he committed a coup that ousted president Milton Obote from power. The British were glad to get rid of Obote, who was a dictator who didn't follow their own political and economical interests enough. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Amin, however, would turn out to be far worse]]. The dictator became notorious in the international press for saying incredibly stupid and silly things on camera, almost appearing as a child in an adult body. For instance, in regard to the Watergate affair, he personally sent UsefulNotes/RichardNixon a letter wishing him a ''speedy recovery'' and advising him ''to imprison the leaders of the opposition'' when his nation's stability was in danger. He was fond of watching children's cartoons, nicknamed himself ''the last king of Scotland'' and once arrived in the UK for an official state visit, only informing the Royal Palace of his arrival when the plane has just landed on the London airport! Many foreign media depicted him as a harmless clown and countless cartoons, parodies and comic strips only added to this image.

Behind the scenes however, Amin's regime was characterized by gross human rights abuse, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement. In 1972, Amin plunged his East African nation into economic chaos by expelling tens of thousands of Asians who had controlled the country's economy. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000. He was reported being a cannibal, a fact that remains unproven, but heads of his victims were found inside his fridge. He ordered many people to be executed or fed to crocodiles.

The infamously brutal dictator of Uganda from 1971 to 1979.

Works featuring Amin;

Comics
* ComicStrip/{{Nero}}: Featured in three albums. In the first, "De Wensring", the author was forced to make him unrecognizable by scribbling a beard on his face, because Amin was considered to be a "friend" of the Belgian government and the newspaper publishers didn't want to offend him. In later appearances, such as "De Zweefbonbons" and "Daris Doet Het" Amin had already fallen out of favor with the West and thus Sleen was allowed to portray him uncensored. Amin is portrayed as a dumb and cruel brute with boxing gloves that continually drip with blood. He considers Nero to be his friend, yet locks him up in "De Wensring" because he doesn't want him to leave. In "Daris Doet Het" Nero and Idi Amin have a fall-out because Nero takes away Amin's dinner to feed it to the hungry population. Later in the story Amin is eaten by crocodiles.

Film
* Film/TheLastKingOfScotland- Giles Foden's novel as well as the film adaptation

Liberature
* "The Collected Bulletins of Idi Amin" and "The Further Bulletins of Idi Amin" (1974 and 1975): Books compiled from the "Punch" magazine columns of the British humourist Allan Coren. While today they would no doubt be considered highly offensive, Coren's lampooning of Amin's famously garbled pidgin English (a consequence of his sadly illiterate upbringing), and penchant for public acts of buffoonery that mingled hideously with his known penchant for crimes against humanity guarantees a hearty (if somewhat guilt-filled) laugh to the contemporary reader. The books were later recorded as the 1975 album "The Collected Broadcasts of Idi Amin", recited with a suitably comically insensitive accent by the comedian John Bird.

The infamously brutal dictator of Uganda from 1971 to 1979

* TheLastKingofScotland-Giles Foden's novel as well as the film adaptation

* "The Collected Bulletins of Idi Amin" and "The Further Bulletins of Idi Amin" (1974 and 1975): Books compiled from the "Punch" magazine columns of the British humourist Allan Coren. While today they would no doubt be considered highly offensive, Coren's lampooning of Amin's famously garbled pidgin English (a consequence of his sadly illiterate upbringing, and penchant for public acts of buffoonery that mingled hideously with his known penchant for crimes against humanity guarantees a hearty (if somewhat guilt-filled) laugh to the contemporary reader. The books were later recorded as the 1975 album "The Collected Broadcasts of Idi Amin", recited with a suitably comically insensitive accent by the comedian John Bird.

* "The Collected Bulletins of Idi Amin" and "The Further Bulletins of Idi Amin" (1974 and 1975): Books compiled from the "Punch" magazine columns of the British humourist Allan Coren. While today they would no doubt be considered highly offensive, Coren's lampooning of Amin's famously garbled pidgin English (a consequence of his sadly illiterate upbringing, and penchant for public acts of buffoonery that mingled hideously with his known penchant for crimes against humanity guarantees a hearty (if somewhat guilt-filled) laugh to the contemporary reader. The books were later recorded as the 1975 album "The Collected Bulletins of Idi Amin", recited with a suitably comically insensitive accent by the comedian John Bird.

* He is the subject of the sprawling, fantastically sleazy (yet surprisingly historically accurate) exploitation epic, "Amin:TheRiseAndFall"(1981). Kenyan actor Joseph Olita, who played Amin, later reprised it in a cameo for the film "Mississippi Massala", about the 1972 deportation of the Ugandan Asians.