By Wally Sarkeesian

1. Vidkun Quisling – Norway
During World War II, Quisling collaborated with Nazi Germany and helped facilitate the German occupation of Norway. After the war, he was executed for high treason. His name became synonymous with “traitor” across Europe.
2. Wang Jingwei – China
A high-ranking Chinese official who broke away from the main Nationalist government, Wang formed a puppet regime under Japanese occupation in Nanjing during the Second Sino-Japanese War. He is widely regarded as a national traitor in Chinese history.
3. Marshal Philippe Pétain – Vichy France
Once a World War I hero, Pétain became the head of the Vichy government that collaborated with Nazi Germany after France’s defeat in 1940. He was condemned after the war for betraying the French Republic and sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment.
4. Neville Chamberlain – United Kingdom
The British Prime Minister signed the Munich Agreement in 1938, allowing Adolf Hitler to annex the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. Meant to avoid war, the move is widely seen as appeasement, and many believe it emboldened Hitler, leading directly to WWII.
5. Mikhail Gorbachev – Soviet Union
Gorbachev’s reforms—glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring)—were intended to modernize the Soviet Union but instead accelerated its collapse. While praised abroad, he was heavily criticized at home for presiding over the loss of Soviet territories and influence.
6. Anwar Sadat – Egypt
In 1979, Sadat signed the Camp David Accords, officially recognizing Israel and returning the Sinai Peninsula. While the peace treaty earned him a Nobel Prize, many in the Arab world viewed it as betrayal. He was assassinated in 1981 by extremists within his own military.
7. Nikol Pashinyan – Armenia
Following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a Russian-brokered ceasefire with Azerbaijan, which resulted in Armenia ceding significant territory. Many Armenians accused him of surrender and betrayal, though others argued it prevented greater loss of life and further devastation.
Conclusion:
What one generation sees as betrayal, another may view as a painful but necessary compromise. These leaders faced impossible choices—some acted out of pragmatism, others out of self-interest or delusion. What they all share is the lasting impact of their decisions, and the fierce debates that continue long after their time.