Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, commonly known as Muammar Qaddafi, was a Libyan revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He was born on June 7, 1942, in Qasr Abu Hadhi, a small village near Sirte in the Libyan Desert. Qaddafi's rule over Libya began in 1969 when he led a coup d'état against King Idris, establishing the Libyan Arab Republic.
Qaddafi was educated in Sebha at the local school and later joined the Libyan Military Academy. His military career began in the signal corps, where he was exposed to revolutionary ideas, particularly those of Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, which greatly influenced his political ideology.
On September 1, 1969, Qaddafi led a group of military officers known as the Free Officers Movement in a bloodless coup, overthrowing King Idris while he was abroad for medical treatment. Qaddafi then assumed the role of chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, effectively becoming Libya's de facto ruler.
In 1975, Qaddafi published "The Green Book," outlining his political philosophy known as the Third International Theory. This theory rejected both capitalism and communism in favor of a system that he described as direct democracy through the power of the people's congresses, although in practice, his rule was autocratic and authoritarian.
Qaddafi's foreign policy was often described as maverick, involving:
The Arab Spring protests in 2011 spread to Libya, leading to a civil war. Qaddafi's government responded with brutal force, prompting international intervention under UN Security Council Resolution 1973. NATO enforced a no-fly zone and supported the rebel forces. On October 20, 2011, after his hometown of Sirte fell to the rebels, Qaddafi was captured and killed.
Qaddafi's legacy is highly controversial. While some view him as a champion of anti-imperialism and a leader who brought modernization and education to Libya, others see his rule as tyrannical, marked by human rights abuses, suppression of dissent, and eccentric behavior. His death led to a power vacuum in Libya, resulting in ongoing political instability and conflict.