[War & Business] The Tears of Dictators

[Image source=Israel Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum homepage]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Adolf Hitler, known as the main culprit of World War II, was called a "tearful leader" before starting the war. Benito Mussolini, the dictator of Italy who allied with Hitler to start World War II, also frequently shed tears. After meeting Hitler for the first time, Mussolini wrote in his diary that "Hitler appeared to be a sentimental person who often cried. He looked at me with tears in his eyes, sincerely respecting my fascism."

Hitler was known to shed tears especially often during talks with foreign leaders. In September 1938, just before the outbreak of World War II, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who held the historic Munich Conference with Hitler, saw Hitler tearfully admiring Britain's advanced civilization and himself throughout the talks. Chamberlain said, "Hitler is not a person who likes war," and pursued peace negotiations with Germany. However, just six months later, Hitler overturned this historic Munich Agreement and started World War II.

Hitler reportedly honed the skill of showing sincere tears in front of others through daily acting practice. To do this, he watched American Hollywood movies, which were banned from import due to German government censorship at the time, every night. It is known that he smuggled and repeatedly monitored Charlie Chaplin's satirical film "The Great Dictator" through Portugal. Hitler's case remains a major example of how the hypocritical dictator's "crocodile tears" were used as a diplomatic weapon.

In China, the historical figure known for shedding the most tears in their history is Liu Bei, the protagonist of the Three Kingdoms period during the Later Han Dynasty. While in Korea he is depicted as a symbol of justice in contrast to Cao Cao, in China Liu Bei is portrayed as a very cunning figure who built all his power through tears. In 1911, Chinese social reformer Li Zhongwuran criticized Liu Bei as "a person who deceived the world with tears and established his own country," calling him the epitome of 'huh?i'?a person with a thick face and a dark heart. Since then, evaluations of Liu Bei have not been favorable.

Liu Bei was especially known for shedding many tears in front of other warlords who were stronger than him. According to Li Zhongwu, many warlords underestimated Liu Bei, who was a tearful warrior, as not a serious threat. Quietly expanding his power, Liu Bei defeated other warlords and established one of the Three Kingdoms. The lesson is that dictators skilled in tears that deceive enemies and cause misjudgments, like Hitler or Liu Bei, are even more dangerous figures that should not be forgotten.