In this new season of Dictators, we're looking at a unique kind of tyrant: the pirate captain. Leading dictatorial democracies, these captains held onto freedom with an iron grip. Today, we'll investigate Captain Henry Every's murky origins and the fateful mutiny that led to his career as the first pirate king.

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Franco was one of the only European dictators left standing after WWII, but times were changing. As much as the Generalissimo wanted — and tried — to establish a new monarchy, the tides were shifting against totalitarianism… and toward democracy.

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Spanish dictator Francisco Franco came to power during the Spanish Civil War, just in time to face the rise of Hitler and Mussolini in Europe. As the world went to war, Franco saw he would have to choose sides — or would he?

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Elected president in 1946, Perón spent nine years in office. His regime became increasingly corrupt and repressive, and in 1955, he was excommunicated by the Catholic Church. But Juan Perón would not stay in exile forever.

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He rose through the ranks as an ambitious infantry officer in the Argentine army, learning to play politics and enact coups. In the 1940s, after years of pulling the strings of power behind the scenes, Juan Perón became the most powerful man in Argentina. 

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Embarrassed by a failing presidential campaign in 1952, Batista orchestrated a military coup that seated him in power. But as the populist leader became corrupt and violent, a young lawyer inspired thousands to bring Batista’s regime to an end. 

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An ambitious young man from a poor family, Batista worked his way up through the turmoil of early 20th century Cuba to become a reform-minded leader. But when his power started to wane, Batista decided to hold onto it by whatever means necessary.

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