Critical federal funds have been eliminated for public media. Your donation today keeps us strong.

DONATE NOW

We are currently experiencing a disruption of our service to our World and Create Channels. We are actively working to restore functionality. Thank you for your patience!

Stream live and on-demand content now on our new app:
RMPBS+
go back to Shows
The Dictator's Playbook show's poster

The Dictator's Playbook

Learn how six dictators, from Mussolini to Saddam Hussein, shaped the 20th century. How did they seize and lose power? What forces were against them? Learn the answers in these six immersive hours, each a revealing portrait of brutality and power.

Latest episode

RMPBS Passport

Please log in to your PBS Passport account to watch this video

Become a Member

Idi Amin

The Dictator's Playbook Episode 6 | 54m 11s | CC

See how Idi Amin used lessons learned in the colonial British army to build a powerful dictatorship in Uganda. Through a combination of populist charm and brutal violence, he ruled for eight years – until his strategic blunders brought him down.

Episodes

A Cream Production in association with Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. and PBS.

Related stories

History
'Nobody remembers history': A Colorado reenactor on telling the complete story of the West
Perez is a cowboy who has staged reenactments for four decades. Wild West shows of this kind date back more than 150 years, but Perez said his work has taken on more significance recently.
 | Ziyi Xu
History
No water, no power, just history: The untouched world of Ute Mountain Tribal Park
Located beside Mesa Verde National Park, the Tribal Park spans about 125,000 acres — more than twice the size of its neighbor.
 | Ziyi Xu
History
Sewing together the stories of Colorado’s Japanese American history
This comprehensive Colorado Japanese Women’s Quilt Project collects the quilts of over 80 Japanese-American families in Colorado.
 | Chase McCleary