And you, Brutus, are a traitor who has become a classic. The most famous traitors in the history of mankind The most famous traitors

The world is developing at a rapid pace, society is changing, but the bitter taste of betrayal, from which the heart aches and grows cold in the chest, remains unchanged.

The most famous traitors

History preserves the memory of the most treacherous traitors who betrayed the people, country, honor and morality. This article lists five of the most famous traitors to humanity who have committed grave deeds with worldwide public outcry.

Vidkun Quisling

The traitor, descended from an ancient Norwegian family, confidently built military career, and in 1931 he took the post of Minister of Defense of Norway. Two years later, he founded the National Socialist party "National Unity" and began to call himself "Vöhrer". Over the next seven years, his party gained strength and became a highly influential political force.


When the Nazis invaded Norway in 1940, Quisling, always openly favoring Hitler, urged the people to completely submit to the will of the invaders and not to resist. In turn, he promised that the Germans would restore order in the country and prevent the British invasion.

Vidkun Quisling, on his own initiative, developed his own scheme for the deportation of Jews from the country. Arresting all the Jewish men in the country, over the next year he rounded up women and children in a concentration camp, eventually sending them to Auschwitz.


The inhabitants of Norway selflessly fought against the Nazis, and the ex-minister himself was called a "traitor". Fate did not take long to wait for reprisals - on May 9, 1945, Jonssen Quisling was arrested in his own estate, and on October 24 he was shot for treason.


In the history of Norway, the name Quisling is still a symbol of shame, and is also used as a euphemism for the puppet regime and fascist ideology.

Andrey Kurbsky

A skilled military leader and close friend of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, Kurbsky became the first known deserter in Russian history. It is he, right hand sovereign, led the army during the Livonian War, being at the peak of his power.


However, in 1560, as soon as Grozny applied repressive measures against the court party - confiscation of feudal property, persecution, executions, Kurbsky panicked and, leaving his family, fled to Polish possessions, where he held secret negotiations with Tsar Sigismund II.

The Polish king was favorable to the guest and presented him with estates in Lithuania and Volhynia. Andrei Kurbsky was enrolled in the royal Rada and then, since he was well versed in the intricacies of the Russian army, led one of the Polish armies in the war against Russia. Under the leadership of Kurbsky, the Poles won many victories, and the name of the fugitive prince became a household word for the word "traitor".

Guy Fawkes

Most famous member Gunpowder Plot - a terrorist attack against the English King James I. Together with like-minded people Thomas Wintour and Robert Catesby, he intended to blow up parliament during the opening of its session on November 5, 1605 and kill the king along with the House of Lords. Attempt to return to Catholicism and coup d'état as a whole almost ended with the worst terrorist attack in the history of England.


The plot was exposed thanks to a randomly found note to one of the members of parliament. Anonymous warned that being in the House of Lords on the day of the royal speech would be deadly. When the letter fell into the hands of James I, he ordered to search the cellars of the Palace of Westmine before speaking. On the same night, the sentinels found Guy himself in the cellars with a prepared wick and two and a half tons of explosive.


Guy Fawkes was tortured, and although he betrayed his partners, he did not renounce his ideals. In 1606, during the hanging, which was to be the first stage of a painful execution, he jumped off the scaffold with a noose thrown over and died from a broken neck. So he instantly escaped the further fate prepared for him by the government - death by quartering.


To this day, Guy Fawkes' brazen act of terrorism is legendary, and he himself is ranked 30th among the 100 Greatest Britons by the BBC. The story of his attempted assassination of the king is overgrown with multiple cultural references, including the famous film "V For Vendetta". In England, an annual event is held - a theatrical re-enactment of the events of the failed Gunpowder Plot.

Mark Junius Brutus

Roman public figure, a prominent speaker, military leader, Mark Brutus remained in the annals of history not at all for successful political decisions or military prowess, but for the assassination of Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar.


Mark Brutus, with the support of 60 conspirators, attacked the emperor with a dagger and stabbed him, leaving 23 wounds in his body. This happened on March 15, 44 BC, 77 years before the betrayal of Judas.

The famous phrase "And you, Brutus?", according to Shakespeare, the desperate posthumous words of Caesar, who blindly trusted his closest ally, turned into an aphorism that expresses disappointment at the sudden betrayal of a friend.


Mark Brutus was mistaken in his desires to free the Roman people from the dictator and make them happy and prosperous. The society did not accept and did not support his civil ideas. Two years after the death of Julius Caesar, after defeat in the war with the triumvirate and complete oblivion in solitude, he committed an act of suicide.

Judas Iscariot

At first new era The human race does not know a name more common and shameful than the name of Judas Iscariot. He is guilty of the most perfidious of all crimes known to mankind - slander and breach of trust.


Of course, on the one hand, this is a biblical story, so it is impossible to be sure of its authenticity, but on the other hand, this is an indisputable truth stated by eyewitnesses. But even after two thousand years, both believing Christians and those who have never held the Bible in their hands heard about how one of the apostles of Jesus Christ betrayed his righteous teacher to crucifixion for 30 pieces of silver.


At night in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas betrayed Jesus to the Roman soldiers, kissing him, thereby dooming the teacher to hard labor and death. Later, filled with remorse, he, as the legend went, returned the money and committed suicide.

Secrets of Judas Iscariot

Was Judas greedy for gain, or did he want power? Or maybe the devil took over? Historians and theologians, among whom there are those who call Judas a saint, are still arguing about these versions. In any case, according to Dante, Iscariot will forever burn in the flames of the last, ninth circle of hell.
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August 9, 48 BC Julius Caesar defeated his main opponent in the civil war, Gnaeus Pompey Magnus, at the Battle of Pharsalus. After the victory, Caesar showed rare generosity, forgiving and bringing closer to himself many prominent politicians who fought on the side of Pompey. Among them was Mark Junius Brutus, who was then 38 years old. Despite his youth, he has already managed to become famous as an orator and receive the honorary title of princeps juventutis (“leader of the youth”). Caesar treated Brutus like his own son and helped his career in every way. Brutus became praetor, then Caesar planned to nominate him to the consuls - the highest administrative position in the Roman Republic.


Mark Junius Brutus over the body of Caesar. Painting by a contemporary artist.


It would seem that Brutus, in turn, should support Caesar - if not out of gratitude, then at least for his own benefit. However, he joined the conspirators. On the Ides of March (i.e. the middle of the month, March 15) 44 B.C. the last cry of Julius Caesar, who was dying under the blows of daggers, was the surprised exclamation: “And you, Brutus!” Of course, Caesar had enemies, especially among the senators and patricians. There were also rivals, like any popular politician. But Brutus was not one of them. He did not benefit from the death of Caesar, his political career could collapse after the death of the benefactor, which soon happened. Why would Brutus betray Caesar?


Bronze bust of Lucius Junius Brutus. 3rd century BC.

The plebeian family of Juniev, from which Brutus descended, is very ancient. Antique historian of the 1st c. BC. Dionysius of Halicarnassus wrote that a representative of the Juniev clan was a member of the very first board of people's tribunes in 493 BC. e. And before that, the famous founder of the family, Lucius Junius Brutus, led an uprising against the last Roman king Tarquinius the Proud in 509 BC. e. After the exile of the king, he became one of the first two Roman consuls. It was as a result of these events that Rome became a republic. Therefore, the young Mark Junius considered himself not just a Roman politician. In his opinion, he came from the family of the founders and keepers of the republican values ​​of Rome and was obliged by his deeds to increase the glory of his ancestors.


Longinus, Cicero and Brutus. Frame from the series "Rome".

Brutus's convictions were cleverly used by Caesar's enemies for their own purposes. A particularly important role was played by the famous politician and orator Marc Tullius Cicero, who managed to become a close friend of Brutus. Mark Junius dedicated his treatise On Virtue to Cicero. Cicero, in turn, wrote a treatise “Brutus, or About famous speakers”, in which he wrote: “It is bitter for me to look at you, my Brutus, because your youth, as if walking on a victorious chariot amidst popular applause, was crushed at once and with a run by an unfortunate fate our republic. Double anxiety oppresses me at the thought of you, since you yourself are deprived of the republic, and the republic is deprived of you. Other conspirators, such as the legate Gaius Cassius Longinus, defiantly regretted at every opportunity that while Caesar was alive, the talented politician Marcus Junius Brutus could not take his truly worthy place.


Brutus stabs Caesar in the back. Frame from the film "Julius Caesar", 1953

Suddenly, Brutus had many friends who praised the glory of his family, especially its founder, who overthrew the tyrant king. At the same time, it was no secret to anyone that Caesar, who was gaining more and more influence, was accused by his political opponents precisely of striving to become king. The Roman Republic was threatened by the monarchical plans of Julius Caesar, and who could prevent this threat if not a descendant of Lucius Junius Brutus?


Bust of Marcus Junius Brutus by Michelangelo, 1538

Playing on the pride and ambition of Mark Junius, the conspirators gradually led him to the idea of ​​killing Caesar in order to save the fatherland from tyranny. Cicero's treatise ended with an appeal to the protagonist with a transparent hint: "We wish you such a republic in which you could renew and increase the glory of the noblest Roman families." During the debate about Caesar receiving new powers, Brutus was thrown notes: “Are you sleeping, Brutus?” and even: "You're not a real Brutus!".


"The Oath of Brutus Before the Statue". Fyodor Bronnikov, 19th century

When Caesar was proclaimed dictator for life, Brutus fully realized that it was his hand that should defeat the tyrant. And for this, all human feelings should be sacrificed, including gratitude to Caesar. Mark Junius swore an oath in front of the statue of the founder of the Juniev family that he would kill Caesar. Other conspirators wanted to kill Caesar's comrade-in-arms, Mark Antony, on the same day, but Brutus opposed. In his opinion, only the dictator should have been killed, acting in the name of a pure republican idea.

It was assumed that after the death of Caesar, the conspirators would receive the support of both the Senate and National Assembly, and all republican orders will be restored. But this calculation, as you know, turned out to be wrong. The assassination of Caesar did not save the Roman Republic.

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Betrayal is, unfortunately, an integral part of our life. People commit betrayal - it's a fact. Some do it for the sake of money, others out of fear, others under the pressure of circumstances. It makes no sense to judge long-dead people, but history has preserved the names of some traitors.

1. Judas Iscariot

The story of Judas is known to everyone: originally one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ, Judas was in charge of all their common money and, perhaps, loved money. In the writings of John Chrysostom, there are references to the fact that Judas, along with other apostles, performed miracles: he raised the dead, healed the sick, but later “lost the kingdom of heaven”, for he betrayed the Lord.

There is some information in the Bible about Judas' childhood: his parents threw the child into the sea in an ark, because they had a dream that their son would be their death. And so it happened: Judas, like the ancient Greek Oedipus, after many years, returning to native city, killed his father and entered into an incestuous relationship with his mother. After repentance and repentance, the Lord forgave Judas all sins, and he became one of the 12 apostles of Christ.

Judas betrayed Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver - that is the amount he received from the high priests. After Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion, Judas repented of his deed and tried to return the coins back, but the high priests told him that they did not care about his repentance. Then Judas threw coins in the temple and committed suicide - hanged himself. Interesting fact: it is believed that the tree on which Judas strangled himself was an aspen, and that is why in many fantastic works a vampire can be stopped by plunging an aspen stake into his heart.

It is impossible to say with certainty whether Judas actually existed. However, the same cannot be said about the rest of the apostles, as well as about all the people described in the Bible. However, in 1978, the so-called “Gospel of Judas” was found in Egypt, allegedly written by him. In it, Judas Iscariot appears as the only disciple of Christ, to whom he revealed all the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. However, the Christian Church does not recognize the document as authentic, and it is not included in the list of canonical gospels.

2. Mark Junius Brutus

Marcus Junius Brutus Caepio was a Roman senator who lived in the 1st century BC. e. He came from a respected and wealthy Roman family, whose members were traditionally members of the senate. However, the antiquity of his family was questioned by some Roman citizens of that time.

Initially, Brutus was a supporter of Pompey, but after the victory of Caesar at the Battle of Pharsalus, he joined the Roman commander. Caesar received Brutus with honors and even transferred one of the provinces, Cisalpine Gaul, under his control. Not least in bringing Brutus closer to Caesar was the fact that his mother, Servilia, had been Caesar's mistress for many years.

Meanwhile, Caesar gradually turned from the main military leader into an emperor and sole ruler Rome. Then the quaestor Gaius Cassius Longinus attracted Brutus to his side with the help of both promises and threats.

There is evidence that Longinus repeatedly reminded Brutus of his origin - allegedly Mark Junius Brutus was a descendant of Lucius Junius Brutus, who overthrew the last Roman emperor Tarquinius the Proud: since the ancestor committed such an act and freed the Empire from the dictator, then the descendant is destined to do the same. So Brutus stood at the head of a conspiracy against Julius Caesar, which was joined by several more senators, as a result of which Caesar was stabbed right in the Senate building.

However, the conspiracy was not crowned with complete success, since the people did not follow the conspirators. As a result, Caesar's nephew Octavian gained power, and Brutus and Longinus had to flee. Brutus later returned to Rome at the head of a large army, but was defeated by the combined forces of Octavian and Antony. Upon learning of the defeat, Brutus committed suicide, preferring death to captivity.

3. Hetman Ivan Stepanovich Mazepa

Hetman Ivan Mazepa was an adviser to the mother of Peter I Natalia. When the young emperor Peter I ascended the throne, Mazepa did not lose his influence and managed to gain confidence in the new monarch, and later become his close friend.

Peter respected the old commander, and not without reason: Mazepa managed to drive Tatar troops from Ukrainian cities, and later participated in both campaigns to Azov. His career in the service of the imperial throne was very successful: Mazepa received several orders and awards from the hands of Peter, and also enjoyed the unconditional trust of the sovereign and eventually became one of the richest and most respected people in Russia at that time.

In 1706, the Polish king August II was defeated in the war with Sweden and abdicated in favor of Stanislav Leshchinsky, an ally of the Swedes. At the same time, Mazepa began a correspondence with Leshchinsky with the clear intention of going over to the side of the Swedish king. Charles XII, actually ruling Poland at that time. However, it was impossible to refuse his mind: he prepared the ways for a possible retreat in case Russia emerged victorious from this conflict.

One way or another, Peter began to receive numerous denunciations against Mazepa, which spoke of his betrayal. The emperor turned a blind eye to all the evidence: he punished informers, and trusted Mazepa even more. The last straw was the denunciation of the general judge Kochubey, whom Peter also did not believe, since Kochubey had personal reasons for hostility - earlier Mazepa had an affair with his daughter Matryona, his goddaughter.

Apparently, Mazepa was frightened and finally decided to go over to the side of the Swedish king. Saying sick, the hetman refused to take part in the hostilities, and later fled to Charles, who was encamped in Russia. Karl, in turn, in 1709 concluded an official agreement with Mazepa, in which he promised to make him the prince of Ukraine. Peter, together with the church, anathematized Mazepa and carried out a demonstrative execution: they carried a straw effigy to the square and cut off his head.

In June 1709, the Swedish troops were defeated, and Mazepa fled to the city of Bender, where he soon died. His body was buried in Galati with great pomp.

4. Aldrich Ames

Aldrich Hazen Ames was the head of the counterintelligence division of the CIA. He was born in the USA and worked for a while American intelligence, but in 1985 he went over to the side of the USSR. The reasons for his defection to the side of the main enemy of the United States at that time are not exactly known - perhaps he was threatened, or perhaps it was simply about money.

During his time as a double agent in the Soviet Union, it was possible to expose great amount secret agents of the CIA who worked in the Soviet KGB - according to various sources, there were from 12 to 25 people. Thanks to Ames, the US is in full swing cold war lost most of their informants.

As for Ames, during his work as a double agent, he acquired a mansion in the vicinity of Washington, several apartments and expensive cars. On February 21, 1994, Ames was arrested by the FBI and subsequently sentenced to life in prison with confiscation of property. By the way, Ames is still alive and is currently serving a sentence in prison especially strict regime Allenwood.

5. Harold James Nicholson

Another American who has spied for Russia is Air Force officer Harold James Nicholson. His career in his native country was very successful: immediately after graduation, he joined the US Air Force, and was soon recruited by the CIA. For several years he successfully worked for foreign intelligence, first in Manila, then in Tokyo, and then in Bucharest. However, in 1992, no matter how trite, he quarreled with his wife, divorced two years later and was left penniless. In the meantime, he was transferred to Malaysia, which he considered a demotion.

Between 1994 and 1995, about $50,000 “suddenly” arrived in Nicholson’s account, and CIA agents could not help but compare this with a leak of information that stopped for some time after the aforementioned Aldrich Ames was taken into custody, but then resumed again.

In 1996, Nicholson got caught: the FBI traced his meeting with a Russian agent in Singapore. Nicholson could not pass the polygraph test, but it was impossible to bring him any serious charges due to the lack of evidence of his guilt. Then he was specially transferred to the department for combating international terrorism, where he was caught red-handed photographing secret documentation about the war in Chechnya.

In 1997, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but the proceedings in his case were resumed every now and then until recently. So, in 2011, Nicholson received another eight years in prison in a maximum security colony.

6. Prince Andrei Mikhailovich Kurbsky

Andrei Mikhailovich Kurbsky was the closest adviser to Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The Kurbsky family originated from the Yaroslavl princes, its descendants traditionally had a boyar rank, but during the time of Grozny they were not honored, because they supported the opposition to the royal power.

Andrei chose a military career: he participated in campaigns against Kazan, later fought with the Tatars in the vicinity of Tula - the prince earned the trust of the tsar, as he showed himself to be a brilliant commander. Some sources indicate that he and Ivan the Terrible were friendly, but at the same time Andrei became close to the priest Sylvester, who later became one of the leaders of the Chosen One.

Grozny was known for his tough temper and did not tolerate such sentiments in his country, so during the Livonian War, Sylvester and his closest supporter, governor Alexei Adashev, began to be persecuted. And, although Andrei Kurbsky himself did not fall under suspicion, he nevertheless, knowing the temper of the king, had every reason to believe that the same fate awaited him.

In this regard, Kurbsky fled to Lithuania under the wing of the Lithuanian king Sigismund. There he was granted several estates, Sigismund trusted him, and subsequently, since Kurbsky knew perfectly well the defense system of the western borders of Russia, the Lithuanians repeatedly raided these places.

Andrei's relatives - mother, wife and little son - were taken into custody, where they died, and his closest relatives were killed on the orders of Ivan IV. The tsar accused him of many crimes, including an attempt to subjugate Yaroslavl, which was already complete madness.

In truth, it is quite difficult to call Kurbsky a malicious traitor: yes, he, of course, went over to the service of the Lithuanian sovereign, but he did it out of fear for his life.

7. Friedrich Paulus

Friedrich Paulus is known for the Barbarossa plan, according to which Germany was to invade the USSR. fighting according to this plan were carried out by Germany at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

In adulthood, Paulus married the Romanian aristocrat Elena-Constance Rosetti-Solescu, which significantly helped him move up the career ladder. After the outbreak of World War II, in 1939, Paulus was appointed head of the staff of the Tenth Army, later renumbered the Sixth. In 1942, he led the actions of the Sixth Army on Eastern Front and was awarded the Knight's Cross for military merit.

However, in September of the same year, the German troops failed - the Soviet Union won the battle of Stalingrad. Paulus wanted to leave the besieged city and repeatedly wrote to Hitler personally about this, but the Fuhrer forbade him to capitulate and promised that the Sixth Army would receive help in the near future - those who were locked in the city by air German troops ammunition and food will be delivered. Paulus did not wait for help - all attempts to support the army failed, and after a while Hitler abandoned his intention to recapture the city.

Paulus received a letter from his Fuhrer stating that no one German officer has no right to be captured - in other words, Hitler actually offered Paulus to commit suicide. He did not want to die, and on January 31, 1943, he turned to the Soviet military leaders with a request to surrender. On the same day he was taken to Colonel-GeneralK. K. Rokossovsky, he was interrogated, and two days later the last resistance in Stalingrad was broken.

Until 1944, Paulus was true to his political views and flatly refused to do what was asked of him, namely, to tell everything he knew about Germany's future plans. However, the events that happened in 1944 finally broke him: Germany was defeated on several fronts, Hitler was assassinated by his own officers, and, in addition, the son of Paulus died. And the commander surrendered: he laid out everything he knew, and also wrote a letter to the German officers, in which he spoke about the need to eliminate Hitler, and later actively opposed Nazism. From that day on, he began to defend the ideals of socialism.

This affected his family members: they were taken into custody, and Paulus never saw his wife again. After victory Soviet Union in the war, already in 1951, Paulus became seriously ill, suffered from depression, but remained faithful to the new ideals until the end of his life. It is not known for sure whether he blamed himself for "renouncing" his former beliefs, but in Soviet history he appears not as a cruel Nazi or, but as a man who admitted his mistakes.

If an old enemy openly opposes you, this is very bad, but understandable and predictable. But if the one whom you considered your friend becomes an enemy, it is scary and painful. Betrayal is something that can neither be understood nor forgiven. We present you short but very interesting historical facts about the world-famous traitors of all times and peoples.

Judas Iscariot

Judas is a name that has symbolized betrayal, greed and meanness for more than two thousand years. Judas Iscariot - a disciple of Christ, an apostle who betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver. This amount in those days was very small (on average, one slave cost at least twice as much). Judas betrayed Jesus to the high priests, then, seeing the torment of the crucified Christ, repented, returned 30 coins and hanged himself. There are many contradictions in this story. Judas was the treasurer and had the opportunity to quietly appropriate money, and much more than 30 coins. And if he was so greedy, then why, when he saw the blood of Christ, did he immediately return the money? And why did he commit suicide? If he truly hated Jesus, then he should have rejoiced in his torment. Only losing loved one, a person, unable to cope with the loss, can lay hands on himself. It turns out that Judas sincerely loved Christ? Some historians do just that. They are sure that Judas never betrayed Jesus Christ.

Mark Junius Brutus

Mark Junius Brutus is the very first traitor known to us. He was best friend Julius Caesar, who received power, titles and other benefits from him. This, however, did not prevent Brutus from leading the conspiracy and taking a direct part in the assassination of Caesar. He pierced him with his sword. When Julius Caesar saw who struck the blow, he uttered the words: "And you, Brutus?" They have become common nouns for us and mean the betrayal of a loved one. The death of Caesar brought Brutus nothing but repentance. Two years later, he plunged into himself the same sword with which he pierced his former friend Julius Caesar, and died.

Christopher John Boyce is an American who worked for the USSR under the pseudonym "Falcon" and passed on space secrets to the United States. In 1977 he was exposed, caught by the authorities and sentenced to forty years in prison. Three years later, Boyce managed to escape, he gathered a gang that began to rob banks. Christopher tried to move to the USSR, but was again arrested and this time served a full term.

Malinche or doña Marina

Malinche is the daughter of the Aztec ruler, sold as a slave to the conqueror of Mexico, the Spaniard Hernando Cortes. The girl was beautiful, educated and knew many languages. She became the translator of Cortes, his mistress and faithful companion. She followed Cortes everywhere and urged her Aztec compatriots to submit to the Spaniard. Now there is a term "malinchism" - this is a betrayal of one's culture and one's people.

Mordechai Vanunu is an Israeli nuclear scientist who in 1986 gave the British all the information he knew about Israel's nuclear program. For high treason, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Wang Jingwei

Wang Jingwei is the most notorious traitor in China. At the end of the 19th century, he took an active part in anti-government protests, for which he served time in prison. As a result, in 1925, Jingwei became the leader of China. Soon the Japanese captured the country, Jingwei did not fight them, but simply gave it to the Japanese and left China. His name for the Chinese is a symbol of betrayal of the Motherland.

Ivan Mazepa is a man anathematized by the church. He was the hetman (chief) of the Cossack Zaporozhye army and the most devoted comrade-in-arms of Peter 1. Soon he opposed Russian Empire the Swedish king. He promised Mazepa the independence of Ukraine if he would betray Peter and go over to the side of the Swedes. He did just that (along with his army, of course). But Mazepa's calculation did not materialize, and a year later both his army and the Swedes were defeated near Poltava. Unfortunately, Mazepa managed to escape to Bender, where he soon died. Even more regrettable is the fact that now the new Ukrainian authorities are trying to turn Hetman Mazepa into a national hero, a fighter for independence. Although in fact, during his movement with the Swedes on Ukrainian soil, he gave orders to kill women, children, the elderly and burn entire villages.

Aldrich Ames

Aldrich Ames is a CIA officer who married a Russian girl and betrayed his country for her. As it turned out, his wife was a KGB officer, and through her and for her sake, Aldrich sold all the data he owned to the USSR. As they say, look for a woman.

Vidkun Quisling

Vidkun Quisling - Minister of Defense of Norway (1931 - 1933), leader of the National Accord party. When the Nazis entered the country during World War II, Quisling ordered the inhabitants to obey the invaders. He began to take Jews out of Norway and send them to Auschwitz. After the war, Vidkun Quisling was shot for treason, although he tried to present his deeds as a struggle for great Norway.

Prince Andrei Mikhailovich Kurbsky

Prince Kurbsky is a supporter of Ivan the Terrible, who fell out of favor during the oprichnina. Kurbsky and his family fled to Poland, and the next year (1563) Polish army against Moscow.

Pavlik Morozov is a controversial personality. Someone considers him a hero, a man of principle, devoted to his ideals and who did not make an exception for anyone. Others consider him a traitor who sent his own father to his death - and this cannot be justified by any lofty ideas. Moreover, many historians say that Pavlik, surrendering his father, was not guided by ideals at all, but by banal revenge. His father Trofim Morozov, a Bolshevik and chairman of the village council, left his mother Pavlik with four children in 1931 and left for another woman. The offended wife denounced her unfaithful husband to the authorities, accusing him of dealing with kulaks and hiding bread to be handed over to the state. There was a trial at which Pavlik Morozov confirmed the words of his mother. Trofim Morozov was given ten years in prison. A year later (in 1932), Trofim's relatives avenged him by killing Pavlik and his younger brother in the forest.

Heinrich Lyushkov

Genrikh Lyushkov - Commissar of the NKVD, who subjected a huge number of residents to repression in 1937 Far East. But in 1938 he became aware that Stalin was "digging" against himself and was going to arrest him. Lyushkov did not wait for such a "pleasant" event and fled to Japan, where he told the interested authorities in detail about the location Soviet troops, about all the defensive structures, dictated all the radio codes. Lyushkov urged the Japanese to attack the USSR as soon as possible. In Japan there were Soviet intelligence officers, some of which were caught, perhaps not without the help of Lyushkov. The traitor personally tortured them with cruelty that surprised even the Japanese. After a while, Lyushkov led the operation to assassinate Stalin, which ended in failure. In 1945, Genrikh Lyushkov was killed by the Japanese.

Andrei Vlasov is a Soviet general whose merits were praised by everyone in the early years of World War II. But at the end of 1942, he was captured by the Nazis and sent to Vinnitsa, to a military camp for prisoners of war who previously held high military posts. Vlasov immediately agreed to work for the Germans and headed the "Committee for the Liberation of the People of Russia." An army was created there, consisting of captured Soviet soldiers. Vlasov was caught at the end of the war and hanged in 1946.

Friedrich Paulus - German general, the army under whose command capitulated at Stalingrad. He ended up in Soviet captivity, where he agreed to cooperate and oppose Nazi Germany. Paulus issued an appeal to the German army and people, where he called for the overthrow of Hitler and the choice of a new leadership that could establish friendly relations with the USSR. He even spoke out against his former associates on Nuremberg Trials. Grateful Soviet authority in 1953 she released Paulus, and he went to Germany, where he died in 1957. His son shot himself, not accepting his father's act.

Viktor Belenko

Viktor Belenko is a military pilot who flew to Japan in 1976 on a top-secret MIG-25 aircraft. There, Japanese and American experts dismantled the plane, studied it, then reassembled it and sent it back to the USSR. Belenko also received American citizenship.

Kim Philby - high boss secret English service, recruited by Soviet intelligence, where for many years he transferred all secret information. In 1963, he fled to the USSR, where he lived happily until the end of his life, receiving a personal pension.

Guy Fawkes

Guy Fawkes - English nobleman, participant in the 1605 conspiracy against King James. In the cellar under the London House of Lords, many barrels of gunpowder were stacked, and Fox had to set them on fire. But something went wrong, and the conspirator was arrested right at the time of lighting the fuse. Fox at first did not give out accomplices, but after the first torture he changed his mind and did not take all the blame on himself. He named absolutely all the participants in the conspiracy who were detained and sentenced to public hanging, gutting and quartering. Guy Fawkes did not want to experience a long and painful death at all; he managed to jump off the scaffold at the very beginning of the execution. He broke his neck and died instantly. The comrades-in-arms betrayed by him were forced to experience all the horrors of a long and painful execution.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are Americans who have worked since the early forties for Soviet intelligence and transmitted information about US nuclear developments to the USSR. In 1953 they were executed for espionage.

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Since time immemorial, people have turned away from their comrades and even countries. However, these betrayals were painted in different colors. First, the traitors had various motives, ranging from altruistic to selfish. Secondly, they have different effects, some affect only a certain person, while others, based on mass collusion, affect entire nations.

Finally, betrayals range from somewhat forgivable to notoriously sad. This article lists ten of the most notorious traitors in world history, sorted by severity.


10. Mordechai Vanunu

Mordechai Vanunu worked as a nuclear technician in Israel in the 1980s, when it was claimed that nuclear energy was produced exclusively for civilian use. In 1986, citing his opposition to the WMD program, Vanunu sold details of Israel's nuclear program to the British press, confirming fears that Israel had nuclear weapons.


After that, the Mossad (Israeli political intelligence) lured him to Italy, where he was drugged and captured. He was then returned to Israel and convicted behind closed doors. He spent more than eleven years in solitary confinement, and in total he spent 18 years in prison. After his release, many restrictions were imposed on him, moreover, he was nominated for Nobel Prize of the world in the nomination, "developed" by him: "the only thing I want is freedom."

Still a traitor, Vanunu is the most "harmless" on this list. Having told the world about a government that secretly develops weapons of mass destruction, he is internationally considered a hero of the nuclear age, who received many awards, including a Nobel Prize nomination.

9. Gaius Cassius Longinus

Early in his career, Cassius demonstrated his hatred for tyranny. Over time, as he grew older and gained more and more power, his views only grew stronger. During the Great Roman civil war, he sided with the optimates and Pompey, while at the same time fearing that Julius Caesar might become a dictator. He heard about the defeat of Pompey at Pharsalus and fled to the Hellespont, however, on the way he was taken prisoner by Caesar's troops. Caesar was very gracious and appointed him legate. After the war, Cassius spent two years in Rome.


“He has a very hungry look, he thinks too much, and such people are extremely dangerous,” Shakespeare described Julius Caesar. Longinus planned to assassinate the appointed dictator and brought Brutus to his side. After the assassination of Caesar, Antony came to power, and Cassius committed suicide two years later. In Dante's Inferno, he is considered one of three people who are worthy of shame enough to burn in Satan's hell.

8. Judas Iscariot

"The Son of Man said, 'Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man betrays himself! It would have been better for him not to have been born at all." Judas, who had betrayed him, replied: "It's not me, is it, Rabbi?" He replied: "You yourself said everything."

Judas Iscariot is definitely one of the most feared traitors of all time. By the time of the Last Supper, he had already betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin for thirty pieces of silver. Then he led them to Jesus in the garden and gave the Son of Man to the soldiers. Later, filled with remorse, Judas returns the money and kills himself. He turned his back on his friend, his mentor, his God.


Today it is often discussed what motivated Judas to betray. Money, Roman patriotism or obsession? There was also discussion about whether he was cursed, and if so, whether it was because of Jesus' betrayal or because of his subsequent suicide. In Dante's Inferno, he was in a deep pit of hell. His name is a recognized symbol of betrayal throughout the Christian world.

7. Ephialtes

Not much is known about Ephialtes, but almost everyone is familiar with his heinous act of treason. Thermopylae is a narrow passage located in Greece. It was here in 480 BC that the Persian army, numbering hundreds of thousands of soldiers (and possibly more than one million), clashed with the Greeks, led by Leonidas, who numbered less than seven thousand, or maybe even just a few hundred.


For two days, the Spartans bravely held off the Persians until the local shepherd, Ephialtes, showed Xerxes a narrow road that would lead to an opportunity to bypass the Greeks from behind. On the third day of the battle, the Persians used this passage, surrounded the Greeks and completely destroyed them. However, the Spartans gave up everything to protect the crossing, even their lives.

The motivation for his action was the promised reward from Xerxes, which he never received. Later he was killed, and the man who did this was rewarded by the Spartans. For a long period of time, Ephialtes was notorious in Greece. His name was synonymous not only with betrayal, but also with a nightmare.

6 Guy Fawkes

As a young Englishman, Guy Fawkes was a Catholic, he sincerely believed in Catholicism. He left England and settled in the Netherlands, where he supported the Spanish Catholics fighting against the Protestants in the Eighty Years' War. Later on his return, he met with Thomas Wintour and Robert Catesby, who planned to assassinate the Protestant King James I and his government by blowing up the Houses of Parliament.

This later became known as the Gunpowder Plot. Moved by an anonymous letter, the authorities began to look for a place under the House of Lords and found Fox, who was guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder. He was sentenced to death penalty by hanging and quartering, but committed suicide to avoid suffering.


In England there is nursery rhyme, which in translation sounds like this: "Remember, remember November 5, gunpowder, treason and conspiracy. I see no reason why treason can be forgiven."

Every fifth of November is celebrated with bonfires and fireworks, this night is known as Guy Fawkes Night, although the focus has now shifted slightly away from high treason. The name of the holiday shows the extent to which Guy Fawkes' name has become synonymous with the Gunpowder Plot, perhaps the biggest act of treason in English history.

5 Benedict Arnold

Early in the Revolution, Arnold was a successful American commander, helping to capture Fort Ticonderoga and also playing a significant role in the Battle of Saratoga, considered the turning point of the war. However, Arnold's successes were not noted by anyone, and he was greatly humiliated by his opponents. Feeling contempt for the United States because of this, he made a nefarious offer to the British: he could sell them West Point, a possible key to winning the war.


The plot was uncovered when British spy John Andre was taken prisoner. Arnold fled and joined british army leading raids against the Americans. According to legend, on his deathbed in London, he regretted his betrayal: "Let me die in this old uniform in which I went through battles. May God forgive me for putting on another one." Yet to this day, Arnold's name remains synonymous with betrayal among both Americans and British.

4. Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger

The Brutus family was known for their hatred of tyrants, and one of their ancestors is known to have deposed the King of Rome. As soon as Mark took office in the Senate, he contacted the optimates. During the great civil war in Rome, Julius Caesar was merciful to him: in fact, he ordered his officers not to fight him for fear of hurting him. After the war, he was reinstated as Caesar's political adviser, but he was soon persuaded by Cassius to take part in one of the most famous assassinations in history.


According to Plutarch, when Caesar saw Brutus among the murderers, he covered his head with a toga and resigned himself to his fate. Legend has it that Caesar's strong feelings towards Brutus are due to the fact that Caesar may have been his father, adding to the heinousness of the crime. Though it's debatable, there was definitely a close relationship between the two of them. He joins Judas and his accomplice Cassius, who are currently in the three mouths of Satan in Dante's "Hell".

3. Wang Jingwei

Wang Ching-wei started out as a member of the leftist Kuomintang Party, a Chinese Nationalist party that existed during the Republic period. He was a close associate of Sun Yat-sen until Sun's death. After that, he unsuccessfully fought with Chiang Kai-shek for power in the party. Despite his regular disagreement with party policy in general and Chiang in particular, he still did not leave the Kuomintang.

Everything changed when the Japanese invaded in 1937. He accepted the Japanese offer to establish a puppet government in Nanjing, which became known as the Reorganized National Government.


"Against the corrupt government and support for the government of Nanjing" was the propaganda of Wang Ching-wei, who spoke out against the republic in China and for his imperial Japanese puppet state. Wang died in 1944, and his collaborationist regime ceased to exist after the surrender of Japan. Today he is spoken of as a traitor to the Chinese. Like the names of other famous traitors, his name has become synonymous with betrayal.

2. Vidkun Quisling

Quisling was a Norwegian official in the Ministry of Defense. In 1933, Quisling founded the National Assembly, a fascist party. The Nazis invaded Norway in 1940 and deftly overthrew the Kingdom, recognizing Quisling's national assembly as a puppet government, while the Reichskommissariat held true power. Germany capitulated on 8 May 1945 and Quisling was arrested on 9 May. He was executed, but before that he said: "Trust me, in ten years I will become Olaf's new Saint."


Fortunately, he was wrong. His name is still used today to describe various European puppet regimes that collaborated with the Nazis, and is also used as an insult to anyone who cares more about the interests of a foreign country than their own.

1. Mir Jafar

Mir Jafar was an ambitious leader and Nawab of Bengal. In 1757, Robert Clive of the East India Campaign made a deal with Mir Jafar. They negotiated the transfer of the Bengal army at the Battle of Plassey in exchange for control of the new puppet state. This new puppet state, led by Mir Jafar, paid huge sums to officials of the East India Campaign.


Two years later, Jafar realized that the British had taken total control of the Indian subcontinent. He tried to ally with the Danes to stop the British, but this did not end well for Mir, and he was overthrown. His "follower" also tried to deprive Britain of dominance, but failed and was also overthrown. Mir Jafar managed to get back the favor of the British, he again took the throne and stayed there until his death in 1765.

Mir Jafar was the last ruler of Bengal when it had any degree of autonomy, and after his death, the British controlled the entire region for two hundred years until it gained "Pakistani independence". Therefore, Mir Jafar and his betrayal of Bengal is seen as the beginning of the British government in India. He is known as a traitor to the true faith, and his name is still synonymous with betrayal in both Bengali and Urdu.

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