Suffering from Depression isn't exactly the definition of "mentally unstable." Hitler is the go-to example of the mentally unstable modern ruler.
Most mentally unstable leader/monarch
- Thread starter Behemoth
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Suffering from Depression isn't exactly the definition of "mentally unstable." Hitler is the go-to example of the mentally unstable modern ruler.
As the democratic leader of a nation and commander in chief of the army, it would be advisable for the leader to suffer from episodes of depression which could cause them to fail in giving the best job.
He was somewhat cruel even by the standards of his era, but otherwise not really deserving of the reputation he received in later eras. After all, the states of the Holy Roman Empire had tons of horrifying laws regarding how to execute criminals on the books. He was decently successful otherwise, if I recall, so unlike other obviously insane rulers, he didn't mess his country up in the process. He actually cleaned up a lot of crime in Wallachia.
Prime Minister Detlev Monrad of Denmark is said to have been a manic-depressive.
He is after 1900, but Pol Pot is a textbook case of narcissism. Even after it was clear his agrarian utopia project had failed, he kept going, and killed 1/3 of his people in the process.
Ferdinand I. 'the Benign' of Austria.
Aside from mental issues and a speech impediment he suffered from up to 20 epileptic seizures a day.
Reportedly the only coherent command he ever gave was 'I am the Emperor, and I want dumplings!'
Instead of Ferdinand 'der Gütige' (Ferdinand 'the Benign') he eventually became known amongst his subjects as 'Gütinand der Fertige' (Goodinand the Finished).
Aside from mental issues and a speech impediment he suffered from up to 20 epileptic seizures a day.
Reportedly the only coherent command he ever gave was 'I am the Emperor, and I want dumplings!'
Instead of Ferdinand 'der Gütige' (Ferdinand 'the Benign') he eventually became known amongst his subjects as 'Gütinand der Fertige' (Goodinand the Finished).
Zhengde Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He set up a room named Leopard Chamber 豹房 inside Forbidden City for him to live, have sex, meditate, conduct religious rituals, and practice kungfu. He would disguise as ordinary people to dwell outside of Forbidden City for months, and sometimes would kidnap women he encountered and had been attracted to to his own Chamber and have sex with them. He also "disguised" as a Ming general under the knowledge of all the officials and encouragement by his trusted general, then joined military campaigns---he even made up a name for his character---and claimed "victories" AFTER the campaigns had practically ended and enemies surrendered. But he allowed his officials to issue financial reforms to fix economy and bolster trade. In all seriousness, he was just weird to be a legit emperor.
Not as batshit insane as this Chinese Emperor. In my opinion,Gao Yang has got to top the list for being one of most insane emperors.He would go around killing people randomly in the most outlandish ways.He also enjoys visiting the homes of his subjects and rape their daughters and wives.Even more insane is that fact that he enjoys traveling openly on the streets stark naked.At one point he raped his sister in law and killed one of his step-mothers after she refused to have sex with him.When his birth mother reprimanded him,he gathered all of his female relatives and then have them raped by his servants while threatening to do the same to his mother,only with a foreign barbarian.
It's probably something that runs in the family as well.Nearly all of the emperors from the Northern Qi dynasty were insane to some degree.
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The Taiping Emperor actually tried to ban sex and believed he was Jesus' half brother, and definately suffered from some kind of severe psychosis
Given how he still managed to be the best president in American history, I don't think it's enough to declare him the most mentally unstable anything. Even in American history.
Wasn't there a Pope who hated the last pope so much, that he had him put on trial after his death and excommunicated him. That guy was pretty unstable.
I disagree. Ludwig was many things, psychologically: alienated, irresponsible about his royal duties, lonely, impractical, emotionally and spiritually troubled due to his closeted homosexuality, and likely suffering from Depression (indeed, "melancholy" had been indicated in his time as a family trait of the Wittelsbachs, indicating that there was some likely genetic predisposition to Depression). But he had a good heart deep down, was peace-minded and tried to keep Bavaria out of the Prussian wars of that time, was kind and generous to the common people he encountered, and never set out to hurt anyone. His Depression, social anxiety/alienation, and eccentric behavior do indicate that he was undoubtably a very troubled man, but he wasn't malevolent or dangerous, and the "Mad King" label he's gotten is inaccurate.
He's basically what would happen if a hikikomori (those young Japanese people who give up on working or going to school, live off of their parents, and spend all of their days secluded in their homes surfing the Internet and playing video games) became a king.
I'd say Zhang Xianzhong, aka the Seven Kill Stele guy.
The whole "Seven Kill Stele" story appears to have been an exaggeration, but other than that... yeah, ridiculously evil - and probably mentally abnormal - Chinese peasant rebellion leader.
The whole "Seven Kill Stele" story appears to have been an exaggeration, but other than that... yeah, ridiculously evil - and probably mentally abnormal - Chinese peasant rebellion leader.
He also demanded the palace be flooded with Organ music 24/7 to keep his head from splitting open. To be fair to the guy he had enough self-realisation to know he was unfit for the purple and abdicated.
As for Nero, the actions he made towards his last "wife" are clearly deranged or the actions of a sadistic psychopath. Look up the sad life of Sporus for clarification.