Jean-Bédel Bokassa: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Bokassa_colored.png|thumb|Jean-Bédel Bokassa during his 1970 [[wikipedia:State visit|state visit]] to Romania]]'''Jean-Bedel Bokasa '''was the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_state head of state] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Republic Central African Republic] and its successor state, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire], from his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27%C3%A9tat coup d'état] on 1 January 1966 until 20 September 1979. Of this period, he served almost eleven years (1 January 1966 – 4 December 1976) as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President president] ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_for_life president for life] in 1972–1976), and for almost three years he reigned as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_of_Central_Africa emperor] (4 December 1976 – 20 September 1979). Following his overthrow, the Central African Republic was restored. Although Bokassa was formally crowned in December 1977, his imperial title did not achieve worldwide diplomatic recognition.

Born in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], the son of a village chief, Jean-Bedel Bokassa was orphaned at age 12. Educated in mission schools, he joined the French colonial army in 1939 as a private. He distinguished himself in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Indochina_War war in Indochina], winning medals and rising to the rank of captain. When French Equatorial Africa gained its independence as the Central African Republic in 1960, the new president [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dacko David Dacko] invited Bokassa to head the armed forces. In 1966, Bokassa used his position to oust Dacko and declared himself president. He then began a reign of terror, taking all important government posts for himself.~~~~He personally supervised judicial beatings and introduced a rule that thieves would have an ear cut off for the first two offenses and a hand for the third. In 1977, in emulation of his hero [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon Napoleon], he crowned himself emperor of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire] in a ceremony costing $20 million, practically bankrupting the country. His diamond-encrusted crown alone cost $5 million.~~~~ In 1979 he had hundreds of schoolchildren arrested for refusing to wear uniforms made in a factory he owned, and personally supervised the massacre of 100 of the schoolchildren by his Imperial Guard.

Born in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], the son of a village chief, Jean-Bedel Bokassa was orphaned at age 12. Educated in mission schools, he joined the French colonial army in 1939 as a private. He distinguished himself in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Indochina_War war in Indochina], winning medals and rising to the rank of captain. When French Equatorial Africa gained its independence as the Central African Republic in 1960, the new president [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dacko David Dacko] invited Bokassa to head the armed forces. In 1966, Bokassa used his position to oust Dacko and declared himself president. He then began a reign of terror, taking all important government posts for himself.He personally supervised judicial beatings and introduced a rule that thieves would have an ear cut off for the first two offenses and a hand for the third. In 1977, in emulation of his hero [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon Napoleon], he crowned himself emperor of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire] in a ceremony costing $20 million, practically bankrupting the country. His diamond-encrusted crown alone cost $5 million. In 1979 he had hundreds of schoolchildren arrested for refusing to wear uniforms made in a factory he owned, and personally supervised the massacre of 100 of the schoolchildren by his Imperial Guard.

On 20 September 1979, French paratroopers deposed him and re-installed Dacko as president. Bokassa went into exile in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France] where he had chateaux and other property bought with the money he had embezzled.~~~~ After his overthrow in 1979, Central Africa reverted to its former name and status as the ''Central African Republic''. In his absence, he was tried and sentenced to death. He returned to the Central African Republic in 1986 and was put on trial for treason and murder. In 1987, he was cleared of charges of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism cannibalism], but found guilty of the murder of schoolchildren and other crimes. The death sentence was later commuted to life in solitary confinement, but just six years later, in 1993, he was freed. He lived a private life in his former capital, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui], and died in November 1996.

On 20 September 1979, French paratroopers deposed him and re-installed Dacko as president. Bokassa went into exile in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France] where he had chateaux and other property bought with the money he had embezzled. After his overthrow in 1979, Central Africa reverted to its former name and status as the ''Central African Republic''. In his absence, he was tried and sentenced to death. He returned to the Central African Republic in 1986 and was put on trial for treason and murder. In 1987, he was cleared of charges of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism cannibalism], but found guilty of the murder of schoolchildren and other crimes. The death sentence was later commuted to life in solitary confinement, but just six years later, in 1993, he was freed. He lived a private life in his former capital, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui], and died in November 1996.

==Early life==

Bokassa was born on 22 February 1921 as one of 12 children to Mindogon Mgboundoulou, a village chief, and his wife Marie Yokowo in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobangui Bobangui], a large [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%27Baka M'Baka] village in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobaye Lobaye] basin located at the edge of the equatorial forest, then a part of colonial [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], some 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp7-2 [2]] Mgboundoulou was forced to organise the rosters of his village people to work for the French Forestière company. After hearing about the efforts of a prophet named Karnu to resist French rule and forced labour,[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-3 [3]] Mgboundoulou decided that he would no longer follow French orders. He released some of his fellow villagers who were being held hostage by the Forestière. The company considered this to be a rebellious act, so they detained Mgboundoulou, and took him away bound in chains to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mba%C3%AFki Mbaïki].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp7-2 [2]] On 13 November 1927, he was beaten to death in the town square just outside the prefecture office. A week later, Bokassa's mother, Marie Yokowo, unable to bear the grief of losing her husband, committed suicide.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp7-2 [2]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-AppiahGatesp278-4 [4]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-5 [5]]

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Bokassa remained in the CAR for the rest of his life. In 1996, as his health declined, he proclaimed himself the 13th [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Apostles Apostle] and claimed to have secret meetings with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope Pope]. Bokassa died of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myocardial_infarction heart attack] on 3 November 1996 in Bangui, at the age of 75. He had 17 wives and a reported 50 children.

[[Category:List]]

[[Category:Male Villains]]

[[Category:Absolute Evil]]

[[Category:Dictator]]

~~[[Category:Male Villains]]~~

~~[[Category:Deceased Villains]]~~

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[[Category:Leader]]

[[Category:Evil Ruler]]

[[Category:~~Absolute Evil~~]]

[[Category:Villains With Mental Illness]]

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[[Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction]]

[[Category:Villains ~~With Mental Illness~~]]

[[Category:Imprisoned Villains]]

[[Category:Deceased Villains]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:Bokassa_colored.png|thumb|Jean-Bédel Bokassa during his 1970 [[wikipedia:State visit|state visit]] to Romania]]'''Jean-Bedel Bokasa '''was the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_state head of state] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Republic Central African Republic] and its successor state, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire], from his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27%C3%A9tat coup d'état] on 1 January 1966 until 20 September 1979. Of this period, he served almost eleven years (1 January 1966 – 4 December 1976) as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President president] ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_for_life president for life] in 1972–1976), and for almost three years he reigned as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_of_Central_Africa emperor] (4 December 1976 – 20 September 1979). Following his overthrow, the Central African Republic was restored. Although Bokassa was formally crowned in December 1977, his imperial title did not achieve worldwide diplomatic recognition.
-Born in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], the son of a village chief, Jean-Bedel Bokassa was orphaned at age 12. Educated in mission schools, he joined the French colonial army in 1939 as a private. He distinguished himself in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Indochina_War war in Indochina], winning medals and rising to the rank of captain. When French Equatorial Africa gained its independence as the Central African Republic in 1960, the new president [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dacko David Dacko] invited Bokassa to head the armed forces. In 1966, Bokassa used his position to oust Dacko and declared himself president. He then began a reign of terror, taking all important government posts for himself.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Nigel_Cawthorne_1-0"></sup>He personally supervised judicial beatings and introduced a rule that thieves would have an ear cut off for the first two offenses and a hand for the third. In 1977, in emulation of his hero [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon Napoleon], he crowned himself emperor of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire] in a ceremony costing $20 million, practically bankrupting the country. His diamond-encrusted crown alone cost $5 million.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Nigel_Cawthorne_1-1"></sup> In 1979 he had hundreds of schoolchildren arrested for refusing to wear uniforms made in a factory he owned, and personally supervised the massacre of 100 of the schoolchildren by his Imperial Guard.
+Born in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], the son of a village chief, Jean-Bedel Bokassa was orphaned at age 12. Educated in mission schools, he joined the French colonial army in 1939 as a private. He distinguished himself in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Indochina_War war in Indochina], winning medals and rising to the rank of captain. When French Equatorial Africa gained its independence as the Central African Republic in 1960, the new president [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dacko David Dacko] invited Bokassa to head the armed forces. In 1966, Bokassa used his position to oust Dacko and declared himself president. He then began a reign of terror, taking all important government posts for himself.He personally supervised judicial beatings and introduced a rule that thieves would have an ear cut off for the first two offenses and a hand for the third. In 1977, in emulation of his hero [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon Napoleon], he crowned himself emperor of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire] in a ceremony costing $20 million, practically bankrupting the country. His diamond-encrusted crown alone cost $5 million. In 1979 he had hundreds of schoolchildren arrested for refusing to wear uniforms made in a factory he owned, and personally supervised the massacre of 100 of the schoolchildren by his Imperial Guard.
-On 20 September 1979, French paratroopers deposed him and re-installed Dacko as president. Bokassa went into exile in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France] where he had chateaux and other property bought with the money he had embezzled.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Nigel_Cawthorne_1-2"></sup> After his overthrow in 1979, Central Africa reverted to its former name and status as the ''Central African Republic''. In his absence, he was tried and sentenced to death. He returned to the Central African Republic in 1986 and was put on trial for treason and murder. In 1987, he was cleared of charges of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism cannibalism], but found guilty of the murder of schoolchildren and other crimes. The death sentence was later commuted to life in solitary confinement, but just six years later, in 1993, he was freed. He lived a private life in his former capital, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui], and died in November 1996.
+On 20 September 1979, French paratroopers deposed him and re-installed Dacko as president. Bokassa went into exile in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France] where he had chateaux and other property bought with the money he had embezzled. After his overthrow in 1979, Central Africa reverted to its former name and status as the ''Central African Republic''. In his absence, he was tried and sentenced to death. He returned to the Central African Republic in 1986 and was put on trial for treason and murder. In 1987, he was cleared of charges of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism cannibalism], but found guilty of the murder of schoolchildren and other crimes. The death sentence was later commuted to life in solitary confinement, but just six years later, in 1993, he was freed. He lived a private life in his former capital, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui], and died in November 1996.
 ==Early life==
 Bokassa was born on 22 February 1921 as one of 12 children to Mindogon Mgboundoulou, a village chief, and his wife Marie Yokowo in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobangui Bobangui], a large [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%27Baka M'Baka] village in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobaye Lobaye] basin located at the edge of the equatorial forest, then a part of colonial [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], some 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Titleyp7_2-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp7-2 [2]]</sup> Mgboundoulou was forced to organise the rosters of his village people to work for the French Forestière company. After hearing about the efforts of a prophet named Karnu to resist French rule and forced labour,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-3 [3]]</sup> Mgboundoulou decided that he would no longer follow French orders. He released some of his fellow villagers who were being held hostage by the Forestière. The company considered this to be a rebellious act, so they detained Mgboundoulou, and took him away bound in chains to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mba%C3%AFki Mbaïki].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Titleyp7_2-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp7-2 [2]]</sup> On 13 November 1927, he was beaten to death in the town square just outside the prefecture office. A week later, Bokassa's mother, Marie Yokowo, unable to bear the grief of losing her husband, committed suicide.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Titleyp7_2-2">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp7-2 [2]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-AppiahGatesp278_4-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-AppiahGatesp278-4 [4]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-5 [5]]</sup>
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 Bokassa remained in the CAR for the rest of his life. In 1996, as his health declined, he proclaimed himself the 13th [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Apostles Apostle] and claimed to have secret meetings with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope Pope]. Bokassa died of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myocardial_infarction heart attack] on 3 November 1996 in Bangui, at the age of 75. He had 17 wives and a reported 50 children.
+[[Category:List]]
+[[Category:Male Villains]]
+[[Category:Absolute Evil]]
 [[Category:Dictator]]
-[[Category:Male Villains]]
-[[Category:Deceased Villains]]
-[[Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction]]
 [[Category:Murderer]]
-[[Category:Imprisoned Villains]]
 [[Category:Cannibals]]
 [[Category:Embezzlers]]
@@ Line 101: / Line 100: @@
 [[Category:Leader]]
 [[Category:Evil Ruler]]
-[[Category:Absolute Evil]]
+[[Category:Villains With Mental Illness]]
 [[Category:Deaths in prison]]
-[[Category:List]]
+[[Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction]]
-[[Category:Villains With Mental Illness]]
+[[Category:Imprisoned Villains]]
+[[Category:Deceased Villains]]