Abstract
A brief historical comparison of Sultan Abdul Hamid of Turkey and King Philip II of Spain with Adolph Hitler revealed several similar personality traits that may be characteristic determinants of individuals prone to undertake genocidal measures. A commitment to bureaucratic detail coupled with an opportunistic belief in a Messianic destiny are key factors in these absolute rulers. The former attribute is considered to be so common in industrial democracies that psychological tests designed to eliminate such persons from holding high elective office are impractical. Further historical research on individuals implicated in unwarranted continuing massacres may uncover items in the behavioral profile that can serve as sorting criteria to identify latent inhumanity.
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