I humbly submit Lee Teng-Hui as the best example of an authoritarian who democratized his country (Taiwan). Unlike Washington, Lee came to office as an actual dictator. Unlike Gorbachev, he did not rely on murderous repression to extend his own rule. Lee led Taiwan's transition to democracy, putting himself up for re-election in 1996 (he…
I humbly submit Lee Teng-Hui as the best example of an authoritarian who democratized his country (Taiwan). Unlike Washington, Lee came to office as an actual dictator. Unlike Gorbachev, he did not rely on murderous repression to extend his own rule. Lee led Taiwan's transition to democracy, putting himself up for re-election in 1996 (he won; the election was widely confirmed as open and fair). He was known as "Mr. Democracy" to his people.
I humbly submit Lee Teng-Hui as the best example of an authoritarian who democratized his country (Taiwan). Unlike Washington, Lee came to office as an actual dictator. Unlike Gorbachev, he did not rely on murderous repression to extend his own rule. Lee led Taiwan's transition to democracy, putting himself up for re-election in 1996 (he won; the election was widely confirmed as open and fair). He was known as "Mr. Democracy" to his people.