Prior to WW2, was there a commonly used person who was the yardstick by which evil was measured, similar to how Hitler is today? IE Who was the “Hitler” in “He’s worse than Hitler” before Hitler? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

Prior to WW2, was there a commonly used person who was the yardstick by which evil was measured, similar to how Hitler is today? IE Who was the “Hitler” in “He’s worse than Hitler” before Hitler?

by acvdk

Like did people compare others to Ivan the Terrible, Genghis Khan, Caligula, Nero, etc.? Was there any particular people who were clearly the most common choice to represent evil?

KimberStormer

This question has come up enough to be found in the FAQ. You'll find linked there a thread I recommend with answers by u/Georgy_K_Zhukov and u/sunagainstgold and some follow-up back-and-forth worth reading in full.