Your name is your ancestry, but what if that name is Hitler, Stalin, or Mao? YPT take a look at the decedents of despots, what they are doing now and whether they relish, or recoil from their family’s past.
This list consists of seven of the best descendants of despots… For now. After all, we plan to keep adding to the list!
Descendants of Despots – Sar Patchata – Daughter of Pol Pot
Pol Pot should really need little introduction, but in case you do need a recap, he managed to kill up to 1/3 of the Cambodian population during the Democratic Kampuchea regime. Solath Sar, his real name, had a number of children, one of whom was his daughter Sar Patchata who he is often pictured with. She was married in 2014 and is currently is currently living a low key life as a rice farmer in the countryside of Cambodia. She has said she’d like to talk to her father in the afterlife, something he ironically did not believe in.
Descendants of Despots – The last in the line of the Hitler’s
Adolph Hitler and Eva Braun historically did not have any children, after what is often described as the worst marriage in history. Hitler did however have cousins and siblings, which means there is still a very definitive Hitler bloodline, although perhaps not for much longer. William Patrick Stuart-Houston (né Hitler; 12 March 1911 – 14 July 1987) was the half-nephew of Adolph, and after allegedly trying to win favour with Hitler, ended up emigrating to the USA and even fighting against the Nazis. He had four sons: Alexander Adolf (b. 1949), Louis (b. 1951), Howard Ronald (1957–1989), and Brian William (b. 1965). That he would give Adolph as a middle name to one of his sons certainly begs the question of how much of a Third Reich sympathizer he was.
Regardless none of his children have had kids and despite denying there has been any kind of “pact” all remain childless to this day.
Descendants of Despots – Granddaughter of Benito Mussolini
Not to say that Mussolini was good, but he was at least a far less murderous figure than Hitler. This has meant that in right-wing circles the old fascist regime and even the Mussolini name still holds an enormous amount of cache. Alessandra Mussolini first found fame as an actress and model, before following her grandfather into politics in 2013. This has made here a big star of the far-right in Italy and she has been particularly vocal about the regime and legacy of grandfather. As well as getting into online scraps with Jim Carrey for some reason.
Jacob Jugashvili – Great-Grandson of Joseph Stalin
The name Stalin is still a rather polarizing one. Some people and even states still revere him as the greatest communist leader, while others put him akin to Hitler in terms of barbarity. Regardless of what you might think, it cannot be denied that he was terrible husband and father. His first son shot herself, one of his daughters fled to the west, and as for alcoholic Vasily Stalin one could write a whole book about him. Nowadays even his descendants have a mixed opinion of him. Jacob Jugashvili used to be embarrassed about his relationship to Stalin but now embraces it. He earns his money as an artist, something his grandfather wold ironically not have approved of were he still alive.
Ilir Hoxha and Sokol Hoxha – Sons of Enver Hoxha and Nexhmije Hoxha
When you travel around the former Eastern Bloc there is a lot of nostalgia for communist times, with a few very notable exceptions. One of these is Albania where you will find scant good words about the Hoxha regime. One of the biggest insults in Albania is currently to call someone “Hoxha’s Niece”, something we very much utilized when we filmed Castle Freak. Nexhmije Hoxha only died last year at the ripe old age of 99, still a firm believer in her husbands legacy and even a member of the reformed Party of Albanian Labour.
Of her sons, Ilir Hoxha has proved the most controversial and spent many years in prison for his links to the old regime. He has since written a book about his relationship with his father and what impact his death had on the family, rather than the nation. Sokol Hoxha less is known about, other than he is Chairman of the Tour Operators and Travel Agencie at the ATA (Albanian Tourism Association)
Mao Xinyu- Grandson of Chairman Mao
We would balk at calling Mr Mao a despot, but he is still an important enough figure to make the list. Chairman Mao famously had three sons, Mao Anying, Mao Anqing and Mao Anlong. Mao Anying, the oldest and supposed heir to throne died fighting in the Korean War in 1950, you can read more about him here. Mao Along died at the age of 3, or 4. This left Mao Anqing, who despite suffering from schizophrenia, managed to lead a semi-normal life. His son Mao Xinyu is the last surviving male heir to the Mao dynasty. He previously had a good career in the Peoples Liberation Army, but is now a teacher of Mao-Ze-Dong Thought, not to be confused with Maoism.
Descendants of Despots – Jean-Serge Bokassa – Son of “Emperor” Bokassa
Less well known than Nazism, Polpotism, or even Idi Amin and his crazy days. Bokassa was the President-For-Life of the Central African Republic, before turning the country into the Central African Empire, making himself the royal ruler and
spunking 1/3 of the nations wealth on his coronation. Was finally overthrown after having a number of schoolchildren murdered over uniforms. Despite allegations of cannibalism and confirmed atrocities he has since being largely rehabilitated as a kind of national here.
Jean-Serge Bokassa has not only been front and foremost in his fathers rehabilitation, but the former prince has also been a minister of a number of CAR governments, as well as unsuccessfully running for President, probably dashing any hope that he might royally rule supreme again.
And that is our descendants of despots article, this is one we will continue to add to as and when great candidates pop-up!
About Post Author
