The Life and Times of Idi Amin
of Uganda
(Ruled 1971-1979)
Rise to Power
• Served as a General for the British before
Uganda’s Independence
• Served as a favored General for postindependence President Obote, who eliminated
democracy and became a dictator in 1966
• Used his control of the military to seize power
from Obote in 1971 when he was demoted and
threatened to have his corruption exposed.
A Favorite of the West…
at first
• Great Britain rumored to have helped with the
coup bringing Amin to power; Israel almost
certainly did
• Great Britain and Israel sold weapons to Amin
shortly after he took power
• Amin immediately halted Obote’s plans to
“nationalize” over 50 large British-owned
businesses and put them under Ugandan control.
• Amin even suggested to Queen Elizabeth II that
he marry Princess Anne to improve
British/Ugandan relations
…And then he went off the deep end…
• In 1972 he suddenly turned on his Western
allies and declared them enemies,
• He kicked out Uganda’s 50,000 Asians (many
of them small business owners), destroying his
country’s middle class,
• Civil War soon broke out against Obote
loyalists based in neighboring Tanzania
• Most Europeans living in Uganda fled
…and it got even worse…
• Amin’s army killed tens of thousands of
presumed political opponents—especially
members of tribes loyal to Obote,
• Soldiers went on the rampage without fear of
punishment for looting,
• The economy collapsed due to civil war,
mismanagement, corruption, and the
expulsion of non-Africans
…And then it just got silly…
• Amin is rumored to have eaten prominent
political opponents (as well as one of his
wives) and served them to foreign visitors
• For some reason he began liking Scottish
culture and believed he was the true King of
Scotland
• He spent tremendous amounts of money on
weapons and foreign troops, as he no longer
trusted his fellow Ugandans
The End
• In 1979 Amin fled the country when faced
with opposition within his own country and
from Tanzania.
• Amin died in exile in Saudi Arabia in 2003.