Abstract

On October 20, 2011, the 42 year rule of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi came to a violent end after months of intense and brutal fighting. The violence in which Gaddafi died and the ensuing abuse of his dead body by his killers was captured on film and broadcast around the world. This gruesome end was the antithesis to his rise to power in 1969, where he was welcomed as a savior and a hero. Until his death, Gaddafi was the longest-serving non-monarchical Head of State and was considered by most scholars more likely to die of natural causes than be overthrown by his people. So what happened in those 42 years that caused Gaddafi to go from beloved liberator to hated oppressor? And what is his lasting legacy for the country he ruled for over four decades?