Jul 14, 2024
By: ankush.banerjee@timesinternet.in
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Political assassinations and attempts have left indelible marks on history, driven by motives ranging from ideological clashes to personal vendettas. Here are 10 of the most famous examples, with added details on the motivations behind each assassination.
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Roman dictator assassinated by a group of senators including Brutus and Cassius. The senators feared Caesar's growing power and aimed to restore the Republic by eliminating him.
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16th President of the United States, assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Booth, a Confederate sympathiser, aimed to avenge the South's defeat in the Civil War and destabilise the Union government.
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His assassination in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip triggered World War I. Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist, sought to end Austro-Hungarian rule over Bosnia and create a Greater Serbia.
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Indian independence leader, assassinated by Nathuram Godse. Godse, a Hindu nationalist, opposed Gandhi's efforts to reconcile Hindus and Muslims and believed Gandhi was too accommodating to Muslims.
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35th President of the United States, assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald, a former Marine with pro-communist leanings, may have been motivated by his dissatisfaction with US policies, though his exact motives remain debated.
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Civil rights leader, assassinated by James Earl Ray. Ray, a white supremacist, was opposed to King's efforts to achieve racial equality and social justice.
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US Senator and brother of JFK, assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan. Sirhan, a Palestinian Arab, opposed Kennedy's pro-Israel stance and sought to influence US foreign policy.
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President of Egypt, assassinated by members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. The assassins opposed Sadat's peace treaty with Israel and his secular policies.
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Prime Minister of India, assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. The bodyguards sought revenge for Gandhi's order to storm the Golden Temple, a major Sikh shrine, to suppress a separatist movement.
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Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, assassinated in a suicide bombing. Bhutto was targeted by Islamist militants who opposed her pro-Western stance and her return to Pakistani politics.
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