Politicians Ousted From Their Office

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The Reluctant Exit of Power

There’s something almost poetic about politicians who ascend to power only to be forcibly escorted out—whether by a mob of angry citizens, a coup d’état in the dead of night, or the stern gavel of an impeachment hearing.

The corridors of power, as history teaches us, are lined with ambition, ego, and just a hint of delusion. But when that final exit looms, it is never graceful, no matter how practiced the politician.

From democratically elected leaders who felt untouchable to monarchs clinging to their thrones like a bad habit, the world has witnessed no shortage of political downfalls.

Deposed leaders remind us of one thing: power is fleeting, and the seat of authority can become a trapdoor at a moment’s notice.

What’s particularly entertaining—if you have a dark sense of humor—is how many of these ousted figures thought they were immune to the very fate they met. Call it hubris, call it blind optimism, but when the rug gets pulled out, the fall is rarely soft. And, depending on the method of their removal—coup, impeachment, invasion, or a forced abdication—the descent can be both swift and dramatic.

This list covers some of the most notable politicians who found themselves on the wrong side of power, showcasing the variety of exits that range from embarrassing to downright catastrophic.

Deposed head of state or government politicians

 

Year

Politician

Country

Title

Type

81 BCEGaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius CinnaRoman Republic Roman RepublicConsulsSulla’s civil war
48 BCEPompeyTriumvirAssassinated by Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator while attempting to flee to Egypt during Caesar’s civil war
44 BCEJulius CaesarDictator perpetuoAssassinated at the beginning of the Liberators’ civil war
33 BCEMark AntonyTriumvirWar of Actium
1659 CERichard CromwellCommonwealth of England Commonwealth of England, Scotland and IrelandLord ProtectorStuart Restoration
1840Pedro de Araújo LimaEmpire of Brazil Empire of BrazilRegent of BrazilMajority Coup
1841Bento Gonçalves da SilvaRiograndense Republic Riograndense RepublicPresident of the Riograndense RepublicImprisonment during the Ragamuffin War
1852Juan Manuel de RosasArgentina Argentine Confederation17th Governor of Buenos Aires Province, Ruler of ArgentinaBrazilian invasion during the Platine War
1861Sam HoustonRepublic of Texas Republic of TexasGovernor of TexasOpposed Texas’s secession from the Union and entry into the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War
1863José Antonio PáezVenezuela Venezuela5th President of Venezuela 
1865Jefferson DavisConfederate States of America Confederate States of AmericaPresident of the Confederate States of AmericaAmerican Civil War
1871Mariano MelgarejoBolivia Bolivia15th President of Bolivia 
1900Luis Gálvez Rodríguez de AriasRepublic of Acre Republic of AcrePresident of the Republic of AcreCoup d’état
1908Cipriano CastroVenezuela VenezuelaPresident of Venezuela1908 Venezuelan coup d’état, removed from office while abroad
1911Porfirio DíazMexico Mexico33rd President of MexicoMexican Revolution
1917Alexander KerenskyRussian Republic Russian RepublicMinister-President of the Russian RepublicOctober Revolution
1917, 1926Bernardino MachadoPortugal PortugalThird and eighth President of PortugalCoup d’état by Sidónio Pais
1930Washington LuísFirst Brazilian Republic Brazil13th President of BrazilBrazilian Revolution of 1930
1930Júlio PrestesPresident-elect of Brazil
1938Kurt SchuschniggFederal State of Austria AustriaChancellor of AustriaAnschluss
1938Edvard BenešCzechoslovakia CzechoslovakiaPresident of CzechoslovakiaOccupation of Czechoslovakia
1939Manuel AzañaSpain SpainPrime Minister of SpainSpanish Civil War
1940Paul ReynaudFrance French Third RepublicPrime Minister of FranceBattle of France
1940Konstantin PätsEstonia Estonia1st President of EstoniaSoviet invasion of Estonia
1940Antanas SmetonaLithuania Lithuania1st President of LithuaniaSoviet invasion of Lithuania
1940Kārlis UlmanisLatvia Latvia4th President of Latvia (self proclaimed)Soviet invasion of Latvia
1944, 1945Benito MussoliniItaly Italian Social RepublicDuceItalian campaign of World War II
1944Juan Federico Ponce VaidesGuatemala GuatemalaPresident of GuatemalaGuatemalan Revolution
1945Karl DönitzNazi Germany Nazi GermanyPresident of GermanyWorld War II
1945Isaías Medina AngaritaVenezuela VenezuelaPresident of Venezuela1945 Venezuelan coup d’état
1945Getúlio VargasBrazil Brazil14th and 17th President of Brazil1945 Brazilian coup d’état
1947Ferenc NagyHungarian Republic (1946–49) Hungary40th Prime Minister of Hungary, 1st Prime Minister of the Second Hungarian RepublicCoup d’état
1948Teodoro Picado MichalskiCosta Rica Costa RicaPresident of Costa RicaCosta Rican Civil War
1948Rómulo GallegosVenezuela VenezuelaPresident of Venezuela1948 Venezuelan coup d’état
1953Mohammad MosaddeghPahlavi Iran Iran35th Prime Minister of Iran1953 Iranian coup d’état
1954Jacobo ÁrbenzGuatemala GuatemalaPresident of Guatemala1954 Guatemalan coup d’état
1955Carlos LuzBrazil BrazilPresident of BrazilPreventative Coup of November 11
1955Café Filho
1956Imre NagyHungarian People's Republic HungaryChairman of the Council of Ministers of the Hungarian People’s RepublicSoviet invasion of Hungary
1956Bolesław BierutPoland PolandGeneral Secretary of the Polish United Workers’ PartyPolish October
1958Marcos Pérez JiménezVenezuela VenezuelaMilitary dictator of VenezuelaFled the country during the 1958 Venezuelan coup d’état
1959Fulgencio Batista[3]Cuba Cuba14th and 17th President of CubaCuban Revolution
1960Patrice LumumbaRepublic of the Congo (Léopoldville) Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)1st President of Congo-LeopoldvilleCongo Crisis
1960Syngman RheeSouth Korea South Korea1st President of South KoreaApril Revolution
1963Nazem al-QudsiSecond Syrian Republic SyriaPresident of Syria1963 Syrian coup d’état
1963Juan BoschDominican Republic Dominican RepublicPresident of the Dominican Republic1963 Dominican coup d’état
1963Ngo Dinh DiemSouth Vietnam South VietnamPresident of South Vietnam1963 South Vietnamese coup
1964Nikita Khrushchev[4]Soviet Union Soviet UnionFirst Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet UnionRemoved from office
1964João GoulartBrazil Brazil24th President of Brazil1964 Brazilian coup d’état
1966Kwame NkrumahGhana Ghana1st President of Ghana1966 Ghanaian coup d’état
1968Alexander DubčekCzechoslovakia CzechoslovakiaFirst Secretary of the Communist Party of CzechoslovakiaWarsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
1969Pedro AleixoBrazil BrazilPresident-designate of BrazilRemoved from the office by the Brazilian Military Junta of 1969
1973Eric GairyGrenada GrenadaPremier of Grenada 
1974Américo TomásPortugal PortugalPresident of PortugalCarnation Revolution
1974Richard NixonUnited States United States37th President of the United StatesResigned to avoid removal from office by impeachment process after the Watergate scandal
1975Gough WhitlamAustralia Australia21st Prime Minister of Australia1975 Australian constitutional crisis
1975Nguyễn Văn ThiệuSouth Vietnam South VietnamPresident of South Vietnam1975 spring offensive
1978Mohammed Daoud KhanRepublic of Afghanistan (1973–1978) Afghanistan1st President of AfghanistanSaur Revolution
1979Idi Amin[5]Uganda Uganda3rd President of UgandaUgandaTanzania War
1979Anastasio Somoza DebayleNicaragua NicaraguaPresident of NicaraguaNicaraguan Revolution
1979Pol PotDemocratic Kampuchea Democratic KampucheaGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of KampucheaCambodian–Vietnamese War
1979Ian SmithRhodesia RhodesiaPrime Minister of RhodesiaRhodesian Bush War
1979Park Chung HeeSouth Korea South Korea3rd President of South KoreaAssassinated by Korean Central Intelligence Agency Director Kim Jae-gyu
1979Hafizullah AminAfghanistan AfghanistanGeneral Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party of AfghanistanOperation Storm-333
1982Bachir GemayelLebanon LebanonPresident-elect of LebanonLebanese Civil War
1983Hudson AustinGrenada GrenadaChairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of GrenadaUnited States invasion of Grenada
1986Jean-Claude DuvalierHaiti Haiti35th President of HaitiAnti-Duvalier protest movement
1986Ferdinand Marcos[6]Philippines Philippines10th President of the PhilippinesPeople Power Revolution
1987Habib BourguibaTunisia TunisiaFirst President of Tunisia1987 Tunisian coup d’état
1987Thomas SankaraBurkina Faso Burkina FasoPresident of Burkina Faso1987 Burkina Faso coup d’état
1987Chun Doo-hwanSouth Korea South Korea5th President of South KoreaJune Democratic Struggle
1988Ne WinSocialist Republic of the Union of Burma BurmaPresident of Burma8888 Uprising
1989Alfredo Stroessner[7]Paraguay Paraguay42nd President of Paraguay1989 Paraguayan coup d’état
1989Erich Honecker[8]East Germany East GermanyGeneral Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (effective leader of East Germany)Peaceful Revolution
1989Miloš JakešCzechoslovakia CzechoslovakiaGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of CzechoslovakiaVelvet Revolution
1989Wojciech JaruzelskiPoland PolandPresident of Poland & First Secretary of the Polish United Workers’ PartySolidarity Movement
1989Todor Zhivkov[9]BulgariaBulgariaGeneral Secretary of the Bulgarian Communist PartyRevolutions of 1989
1989Károly GrószHungary HungaryGeneral Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ PartyEnd of communism in Hungary
1989Manuel Noriega[10]Panama PanamaMilitary dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989United States invasion of Panama
1989Nicolae Ceaușescu[11]Romania RomaniaPresident of RomaniaRomanian Revolution
1990Hissène HabréChad Chad5th President of Chad1990 Chadian coup d’état
1991Siad BarreSomalia Somalia3rd President of SomaliaSomali Rebellion
1991Mengistu Haile MariamEthiopia EthiopiaFirst President of EthiopiaForced to flee when the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front began winning the Ethiopian Civil War
1991Mikhail GorbachevSoviet Union Soviet Union1st President of the Soviet UnionDissolution of the Soviet Union
1991Jean-Bertrand AristideHaiti Haiti39th President of Haiti1991 Haitian coup d’état
1992Mohammad NajibullahAfghanistan Afghanistan2nd President of AfghanistanAfghan Civil War
1992Joseph Saidu MomohSierra Leone Sierra Leone2nd President of Sierra LeoneSierra Leone Civil War
1992Fernando Collor de MelloBrazil Brazil32nd President of BrazilImpeachment and resignation
1993Carlos Andrés PérezVenezuela Venezuela40th President of VenezuelaImpeachment
1993, 1999Nawaz SharifPakistan Pakistan12th and 14th Prime Minister of Pakistan1999 Pakistani coup d’état
1994Juvénal HabyarimanaRwanda Rwanda2nd President of RwandaAssassinated by an unknown force before the Arusha Accords ending the Rwandan Civil War went into effect
1997Mobutu Sese SekoZaire ZairePresident of ZaireFirst Congo War
1998SuhartoIndonesia Indonesia2nd President of IndonesiaIndonesian Revolution of 1998
1999João Bernardo VieiraGuinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau2nd President of Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau Civil War
2000Slobodan Milošević[12]Serbia and Montenegro Yugoslavia3rd President of the Federal Republic of YugoslaviaOverthrow of Slobodan Milošević
2001Laurent-Désiré KabilaDemocratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo3rd President of the Democratic Republic of the CongoSecond Congo War
2001Joseph EstradaPhilippines Philippines14th President of the PhilippinesSecond EDSA Revolution
2001Mullah OmarAfghanistan Islamic Emirate of AfghanistanLeader of the Islamic Emirate of AfghanistanUnited States invasion of Afghanistan
2002Hugo ChávezVenezuela VenezuelaPresident of VenezuelaReportedly resigned before the 2002 Venezuelan coup d’état attempt
2003Saddam HusseinIraq Iraq5th President of IraqIraq War
2003Charles Taylor[13]Liberia Liberia22nd President of LiberiaSecond Liberian Civil War
2003Eduard ShevardnadzeGeorgia (country) Georgia1st President of GeorgiaRose Revolution
2004Rolandas PaksasLithuania Lithuania3rd President of LithuaniaImpeachment
2005Lucio GutiérrezEcuador Ecuador43rd President of EcuadorRemoved from office
2010Askar AkayevKyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan1st President of KyrgyzstanTulip Revolution
2006Thaksin ShinawatraThailand Thailand31st Prime Minister of Thailand2006 Thai coup d’état
2009Marc RavalomananaMadagascar Madagascar5th President of Madagascar2009 Malagasy political crisis
2009Manuel ZelayaHonduras Honduras52nd President of Honduras2009 Honduran coup d’état
2010Kurmanbek BakiyevKyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan2nd President of KyrgyzstanKyrgyz Revolution of 2010
2011Zine El Abidine Ben Ali[14]Tunisia Tunisia2nd President of TunisiaTunisian Revolution
2011Hosni Mubarak[15]Egypt Egypt4th President of Egypt2011 Egyptian revolution
2011Muammar GaddafiLibya LibyaBrotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution of LibyaFirst Libyan Civil War
2011Ali Abdullah SalehYemen Yemen1st President of YemenYemeni Revolution
2013Mohamed MorsiEgypt Egypt5th President of Egypt2013 Egyptian coup d’état
2014Viktor YanukovychUkraine Ukraine4th President of UkraineRevolution of Dignity
2014Yingluck ShinawatraThailand Thailand28th Prime Minister of Thailand2014 Thai coup d’état
2016Dilma RousseffBrazil Brazil36th President of BrazilImpeachment of Dilma Rousseff
2017Park Geun-hyeSouth Korea South Korea11th President of South KoreaImpeachment of Park Geun-hye
2017Robert MugabeZimbabwe Zimbabwe2nd President of Zimbabwe2017 Zimbabwean coup d’état
2017Yahya JammehThe Gambia The Gambia2nd President of the Gambia2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis
2018Serzh SargsyanArmenia Armenia3rd President of Armenia2018 Armenian revolution
2019Abdelaziz Bouteflika[16]Algeria Algeria7th President of Algeria2019 Algerian protests
2019Omar al-Bashir[17]Sudan Sudan7th President of Sudan2019 Sudanese coup d’état
2021Ashraf GhaniAfghanistan Afghanistan5th President of Afghanistan2021 Taliban offensive
2021Aung San Suu KyiMyanmar MyanmarState Counsellor of Myanmar2021 Myanmar coup d’état
2022Gotabaya Rajapaksa[18]Sri Lanka Sri Lanka8th President of Sri Lanka2022 Sri Lankan political crisis
2022Imran KhanPakistan Pakistan22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan2022 Pakistani constitutional crisis
2022Paul-Henri Sandaogo DamibaBurkina Faso Burkina FasoInterim President of Burkina FasoSeptember 2022 Burkina Faso coup d’état
2022Pedro CastilloPeru Peru63rd President of Peru2022 Peruvian self-coup d’état attempt
2023Ouhoumoudou MahamadouNiger Niger15th Prime Minister of Niger2023 Nigerien coup d’état
2023Ali Bongo OndimbaGabon Gabon3rd President of Gabon2023 Gabonese coup d’état
2024Sheikh HasinaBangladesh Bangladesh10th Prime Minister of Bangladesh2024 Non-cooperation movement

Deposed head of state or government monarchs

 

Year

Monarch

Country

Title

Type

587 BCE

ZedekiahKingdom of JudahKing of JudahFall of Jerusalem
539 BCENabonidusNeo-Babylonian EmpireKing of the Neo-Babylonian EmpireFall of Babylon
331 BCEDarius III Achaemenid EmpireKing of KingsBattle of Gaugamela
320 BCEPerdiccasMacedonian EmpireRegent of MacedoniaFirst War of the Diadochi
207 BCEQin Er ShiQin dynastyEmperor of ChinaFall of the Qin
316 BCEOlympiasMacedoniaQueen of MacedoniaSecond War of the Diadochi
310 BCEAlexander IV of Macedon and RoxanaKing and Queen of MacedonAssassinated by Cassander during the Third War of the Diadochi
168 BCEPerseus of MacedonBasileus of MacedoniaThird Macedonian War
63 BCEMithridates IV of PontusKingdom of PontusKing of PontusThird Mithridatic War
47 BCEPtolemy XIII Theos PhilopatorPtolemaic Kingdom of EgyptPharaoh of EgyptAlexandrian war
30 BCECleopatraQueen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of EgyptWar of Actium
41 CECaligulaRoman Empire Roman EmpireRoman emperorAssassinated by the Praetorian Guard and the Roman Senate in favor of his uncle Claudius and attempted abolition of the Principate
68NeroOutlawed and killed during rebellion by Gaius Julius Vindex
69GalbaAssassinated by the Praetorian Guard during the Year of the Four Emperors
69OthoDefeated by Vitellius at the First Battle of Bedriacum
69VitelliusDefeated by Vespasian at the Second Battle of Bedriacum
193CommodusAssassinated at the beginning of the Year of the Five Emperors
193PertinaxAssassinated by the Praetorian Guard during the Year of the Five Emperors
193Didius JulianusAssassinated in revolt by Septimius Severus during the Year of the Five Emperors
193Pescennius NigerKilled by the Imperial Roman army while retreating from Antioch
197Clodius AlbinusClaim to the emperorship defeated during the Year of the Five Emperors, decisively defeated at the Battle of Lugdunum
220Emperor Xian of HanHan dynastyEmperor of ChinaEnd of the Han dynasty
235Severus AlexanderRoman Empire Roman EmpireRoman emperorAssassinated by the Imperial Roman army at the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century
238Maximinus ThraxAssassinated by the Legio II Parthica during the siege of Aquilea
238Gordian ICommitted suicide after defeat of his forces at the Battle of Carthage
238Gordian IIRoman Empire Roman EmpireCo-emperorKilled at the Battle of Carthage
238PupienusRoman emperorAssassinated by Balbinus during the Year of the Six Emperors
238BalbinusAssassinated by the Praetorian Guard during the Year of the Six Emperors
249Cao ShuangCao WeiRegent of Cao WeiIncident at the Gaoping Tombs
251Decius and Herennius EtruscusRoman Empire Roman EmpireRoman emperorsGothic War
260Valerian IRoman emperorBattle of Edessa
307Severus IICivil wars of the Tetrarchy
312MaxentiusBattle of the Milvian Bridge
324ValensEastern Roman emperorBattle of Adrianople
475Julius NeposWestern Roman Empire Western Roman EmpireWestern Roman emperorDefeated in rebellion by Orestes
476Romulus AugustulusFall of the Western Roman Empire
493OdoacerKingdom of ItalyKing of ItalyKilled by Theodoric the Great during the Ostrogothic conquest of Italy
626Emperor Gaozong of TangTang dynastyEmperor of ChinaXuanwu Gate Incident
628Khosrow IISasanian Empire Sasanian EmpireKing of KingsSasanian civil war of 628–632
649Emperor Taizong of TangTang dynastyEmperor of ChinaTransition from Sui to Tang
652Yazdegerd IIISasanian Empire Sasanian EmpireKing of KingsMuslim conquest of Persia
695Justinian IIRoman Empire Roman EmpireRoman EmperorJustinian II
705Wu ZetianZhou dynastyEmpress of ChinaCoup d’état by Emperor Zhongzong of Tang
960Guo ZongxunLater Zhou dynastyEmperor of ChinaCoup at Chen Bridge
1013Æthelred the UnreadyEngland EnglandKing of EnglandOverthrown by Danish invasion
1126Emperor QinzongNorthern Song dynastyEmperor of ChinaJingkang incident
1167Diarmaid mac MurchadhaKingdom of LeinsterKing of LeinsterDeposed by the Irish High King Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair for allegations that he had kidnapped Derbforgaill ingen Maeleachlainn
1206Alexios IV Angelos and Alexios V DoukasByzantine Empire Byzantine EmpireEastern Roman emperorFourth Crusade
1248Sancho II of PortugalKingdom of Portugal Kingdom of PortugalKing of PortugalDeposed by Pope Innocent IV in the bull Grandi non immerito
1279Zhao BingSouthern Song dynastyEmperor of ChinaMongol conquest of China
1298Adolf, King of the RomansHoly Roman Empire Holy Roman EmpireKing of the RomansDeposed by prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire
1327Edward II of England[1]England EnglandKing of EnglandForced to abdicate by Parliament of 1327
1370Toghon TemürYuan dynastyEmperor of ChinaRed Turban Rebellions
1399Richard II of England[2]England EnglandKing of EnglandInvasion of England by Henry Bolingbroke
1400Wenceslaus, King of the RomansHoly Roman Empire Holy Roman EmpireKing of the RomansDeposed by Sigismund of Luxembourg in favor of Rupert III
1453Constantine XI PalaiologosByzantine Empire Byzantine EmpireEastern Roman emperorFall of Constantinople, conquest of the former Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire
1461Henry VI of EnglandEngland EnglandKing of EnglandWars of the Roses
1470Edward IV of England
1483Edward V of EnglandAbducted to the Tower of London during the Wars of the Roses
1532HuáscarInca Empire Inca EmpireSapa IncaInca Civil War
1533AtahualpaSpanish conquest of the Inca Empire
1567Mary, Queen of ScotsKingdom of Scotland Kingdom of ScotlandQueen of Scotland 
1572Túpac AmaruNeo-Inca State Neo-Inca StateSapa Inca 
1623Gwanghaegun of Joseon JoseonKorean EmperorOverthrown by the Westerner faction in favor of Injo of Joseon
1640Philip III of PortugalKingdom of Portugal Kingdom of Portugal

 Kingdom of the Algarve

King of Portugal

King of the Algarve

Portuguese Restoration War
1644Chongzhen EmperorMing dynastyEmperor of ChinaLate Ming peasant rebellions
1645Li ZichengShun dynastyTransition from Ming to Qing
1649Charles I of EnglandEngland England

Kingdom of Scotland Kingdom of Scotland

King of England

King of ScotlandKing of Ireland

English Civil War
1688James II of EnglandEngland England

Kingdom of Scotland Kingdom of Scotland

Kingdom of Ireland Kingdom of Ireland

King of England

King of ScotlandKing of Ireland

Glorious Revolution
1695Zumbi dos PalmaresPalmaresKing of Palmares 
1735Stanisław LeszczyńskiPolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthKing of Poland and Grand Duke of LithuaniaWar of the Polish Succession
1790Maria Christina and Albert Casimir Austrian NetherlandsGovernor of the Austrian NetherlandsBrabant Revolution
1792Louis XVIKingdom of France Kingdom of FranceKing of FranceFrench Revolution
1795Stanisław August PoniatowskiPolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthKing of Poland and Grand Duke of LithuaniaThird Partition of Poland
1806Francis IIHoly Roman Empire Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman EmperorDissolution of the Holy Roman Empire at the end of the War of the Third Coalition, remained Emperor of Austria
1807Selim IIIOttoman Empire Ottoman EmpireSultan of the Ottoman EmpireOttoman coups of 1807–1808
1808Mustafa IV
1809Gustav IV Adolf Sweden

 Finland

King of Sweden

Grand Prince of Finland

Finnish War and Coup of 1809
1810Ferdinand VII of SpainSpanish Empire Spanish EmpireKing of Spain and the IndiesForced to abdicate by Napoleon at the beginning of the Peninsular War, which also led to the Spanish American wars of independence in which Spain lost most of its colonies
1814Christian FrederickDenmark–Norway Denmark-NorwayKing of NorwaySwedish–Norwegian War (1814)
1814-15Napoleon IFirst French Empire First French EmpireEmperor of the FrenchExiled to Elba after defeat in the War of the Sixth Coalition, returned and restored control of France but was defeated again in the Battle of Waterloo and exiled in Saint Helena
1815Louis XVIII Kingdom of FranceKing of FranceBriefly deposed in Napoleon’s Hundred Days
1823Augustin I of MexicoFirst Mexican Empire First Mexican EmpireEmperor of MexicoCasa Mata Plan Revolution
1830Charles X Kingdom of FranceKing of FranceJuly Revolution
1848Louis Philippe IFrance Kingdom of FranceFrench Revolution of 1848
1858Bahadur Shah Zafar[19]Mughal EmpireMughal emperorBritish defeat of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
1864Christian IX of Denmark Duchy of Schleswig

 Duchy of Holstein  Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg

Duke of Schleswig

Duke of Holstein Duke of Lauenberg

Second Schleswig War
1866Franz Joseph I of Austria German ConfederationPresident of the German ConfederationAustro-Prussian War
1866George V of Hanover HanoverKing of Hanover
1866Frederick William, Elector of Hesse HesseElector of Hesse
1866Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg NassauDuke of Nassau
1867Maximilian I of Mexico MexicoEmperor of MexicoDefeat of Second French intervention in Mexico
1868Isabella II of Spain SpainQueen of SpainGlorious Revolution (Spain)
1871Napoleon III Second French EmpireEmperor of the FrenchFranco-Prussian War
1889Pedro II of Brazil Empire of BrazilEmperor of BrazilDecline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil
1893LiliʻuokalaniHawaiian Kingdom Hawaiian KingdomQueen of the Hawaiian IslandsOverthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom
1896Frederick William Koko Mingi VIII of NembeNembe KingdomKing of NembeDeposed by the British Empire
1898Guangxu Emperor ChinaEmperor of ChinaDefeat of Hundred Days’ Reform
1908Abdul Hamid II[20] Ottoman EmpireSultan of the Ottoman EmpireYoung Turk Revolution
1910Manuel II of Portugal PortugalKing of Portugal5 October 1910 revolution
1912Puyi ChinaEmperor of China1911 Revolution
1914Peter I of Serbia SerbiaKing of SerbiaSerbian campaign of World War I
1917Nicholas II of Russia RussiaEmperor of all the RussiasFebruary Revolution
1918Charles I of Austria Austria-HungaryEmperor of Austria and King of HungaryDissolution of Austria-Hungary as a result of World War I
1918Wilhelm II, German Emperor GermanyGerman EmperorGerman Revolution of 1918–1919
1922Mehmed VI Ottoman EmpireSultan of the Ottoman EmpireDissolution of the Ottoman Empire during the Turkish War of Independence
1931Alfonso XIII SpainKing of SpainAbdicated after the monarchists were overwhelmingly defeated in the 1931 Spanish local elections
1939Zog I of Albania Albanian KingdomKing of AlbaniaItalian invasion of Albania
1940Charlotte LuxembourgGrand Duchess of LuxembourgGerman invasion of Luxembourg
1940Wilhelmina of the Netherlands NetherlandsQueen of the NetherlandsGerman invasion of the Netherlands
1941Reza Shah IranShah of IranAnglo-Soviet invasion of Iran
1941George II of Greece GreeceKing of GreeceGerman invasion of Greece
1947George VI British RajEmperor of IndiaIndependence of India
1947Michael I of Romania RomaniaKing of RomaniaSoviet occupation of Romania
1952Farouk of Egypt[21] EgyptKing of EgyptEgyptian revolution of 1952
1958Faisal II of Iraq IraqKing of Iraq14 July Revolution
1962Muhammad al-Badr North YemenKing and Imam of YemenNorth Yemen Civil War
1964Jamshid bin Abdullah of Zanzibar ZanzibarSultan of ZanzibarZanzibar Revolution
1967Constantine II of Greece GreeceKing of Greece1967 Greek counter-coup
1969Idris of Libya[22] LibyaKing of Libya1969 Libyan coup d’état
1973Mohammed Zahir Shah AfghanistanKing of Afghanistan1973 Afghan coup d’état
1974Haile Selassie[23] EthiopiaEmperor of Ethiopia1974 Ethiopian coup d’état
1975Sisavang Vatthana LaosKing of LaosLaotian Civil War
1978Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Imperial State of IranShah of IranIranian Revolution
1987Elizabeth II of Fiji FijiQueen of Fiji

Fijian monarchy abolished after the 1987 Fijian coups d’état

Deposed politicians and monarchs at subnational level

Year

Politician

Division

Country

Title

Type

1660Salvador de SáCaptaincy of Rio de Janeiro State of Brazil

Kingdom of Portugal Kingdom of Portugal

Governor of the Captaincy of Rio de JaneiroCachaça Revolt
1662Frederick Coyett Governorate of FormosaDutch Republic Dutch RepublicGovernor of FormosaSiege of Fort Zeelandia
1666Jerônimo de Mendonça FurtadoCaptaincy of Pernambuco State of Brazil

Kingdom of Portugal Kingdom of Portugal

Governor of the Captaincy of PernambucoImprisionment during the Conjuration of Our Father
1789César-Constantin-François de Hoensbroeck Prince-Bishopric of LiègeHoly Roman Empire Holy Roman EmpirePrince-Bishop of LiègeLiège Revolution
1870William Woods HoldenNorth Carolina North CarolinaUnited States United StatesGovernor of North CarolinaImpeachment
1871David ButlerNebraska NebraskaGovernor of Nebraska
1913William SulzerNew York (state) New YorkGovernor of New York
1917James Edward FergusonTexas TexasGovernor of Texas
1923Jack WaltonOklahoma OklahomaGovernor of Oklahoma
1929Henry Simpson JohnstonOklahoma OklahomaGovernor of Oklahoma
1930João PessoaParaíba ParaíbaBrazil BrazilGovernor of ParaíbaAssassinated
1988Evan MechamArizona ArizonaUnited States United StatesGovernor of ArizonaImpeachment
1992Edmundo PintoAcre (state) AcreBrazil BrazilGovernor of AcreAssassinated
2005Diepreye Alamieyeseigha Bayelsa StateNigeria NigeriaGovernor of Bayelsa StateImpeachment
2006Rasheed Ladoja Oyo StateGovernor of Oyo State
2006Ayo Fayose Ekiti StateGovernor of Ekiti State
2006Joshua Dariye Plateau StateGovernor of Plateau State
2006Peter Obi Anambra StateGovernor of Anambra State
2009Rod BlagojevichIllinois IllinoisUnited States United StatesGovernor of IllinoisImpeachment and removed from the office
2009Marcelo MirandaTocantins TocantinsBrazil BrazilGovernor of TocantinsRemoved from the office by the Superior Electoral Court
2014Murtala Nyako Adamawa StateNigeria NigeriaGovernor of Adamawa StateImpeachment
2020Wilson WitzelRio de Janeiro (state) Rio de JaneiroBrazil BrazilGovernor of Rio de Janeiro

Impeachment of Wilson Witzel

Deposed politicians and monarchs at local level

Year

Politician

Place

Division

Country

Title

Type

1865Philip Tomppert LouisvilleKentucky KentuckyUnited States United StatesMayor of LouisvilleImpeachment
1964Pelópidas da SilveiraRecife RecifePernambuco PernambucoBrazil BrazilMayor of RecifeImprisionment during the 1964 Brazilian coup d’état
1965Edgard Grecco MauáSão Paulo (state) São PauloMayor of MauáImpeachment
2011Hélio de Oliveira SantosCampinas CampinasMayor of Campinas
2011Demétrio VilagraCampinas Campinas
2015Juan Rosario Mazzone El Bordo SaltaArgentina ArgentinaMayor of El Bordo
2022Jorge Muñoz WellsLima LimaLima Lima ProvincePeru PeruMayor of Lima
2024Alice Guo BambanPampanga Pampanga PhilippinesMayor of BambanDismissal by Ombudsman

The Illusion of Invincibility

Many of the leaders on this list had one thing in common: they believed their positions were secure, perhaps forgetting that political power is as sturdy as a house of cards. Whether toppled by coups, ousted by military invasions, or ceremoniously impeached, they all faced the harsh reality of political mortality.

It’s funny how quickly an iron grip on power can slip when the tides turn. A general’s once-loyal army suddenly turns its guns, a parliament loses confidence, or a neighboring country decides to redraw borders—whatever the case, the invincibility cloak slips off. And so, these political figures tumble down from their high towers, some landing softer than others.

Even in countries with democratic safeguards, the process of removal can be just as ruthless. Impeachments are rarely about justice; they’re about politics, pure and simple. And when power becomes inconvenient for those who hold the keys to the machinery, even the most well-entrenched leaders find themselves packing their bags.

When the Throne Becomes a Trapdoor

Deposed leaders often have two choices: walk out with whatever dignity remains or be dragged out kicking and screaming. History has seen both. Forced abdications usually involve a veneer of civility, a carefully orchestrated exit where everyone pretends it’s for the good of the country. But behind the closed doors of palaces and presidential offices, it’s another story—a tale of backroom deals, whispered threats, and quiet desperation.

And then there are the invasions. These are the hard exits, where leaders barely have time to grab their personal effects before they’re escorted out, sometimes in chains. In these cases, the notion of sovereignty gives way to the reality of might, and the once-proud leaders are left to navigate the uncertain waters of exile.

In the end, the fate of these deposed figures becomes a lesson in the precariousness of power. Whether by coup, impeachment, invasion, or forced abdication, the result is the same—a leader is out, and the question remains: who will be next?

The Aftermath of Political Ousting

For some, exile in a friendly country, far from the political fray, is a comfortable retirement. For others, it’s a life of perpetual paranoia, always looking over their shoulder for the next attempt on their lives. A few even manage to stage comebacks, finding their way back to power or at least public sympathy. Yet, for most, the end of their political careers marks the beginning of an obscure, quiet life—or a not-so-quiet one behind bars.

The stories of deposed leaders serve as cautionary tales, reminding those currently in power that their position is anything but permanent.

Disclaimer:The content provided in this post, including but not limited to bills and legislative documents, is sourced from various governmental and public domain sources. I do not claim ownership of any of the content uploaded. All rights and credits belong to the respective owners and creators. This material is made available for informational and educational purposes only.

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