Who was "literally Hitler" before Hitler?

by zazazazazazazaza

Prior to WW2, did Euro-Americans have an individual that was the metonymy of pure evil the way Hitler is today? Was there a person from history that could fill in the blank of "You're worse than _____"?

It seems like previous conquerors (Napoleon, Genghis Khan) were regarded more amorally or even admired for their ambition. I'm curious if there was a single go-to historical villain. Thanks!

Damnaged

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