13 Petty Power Moves From History That Define Passive Aggressive

Rulers who wield almost unlimited power are often the most likely to indulge in pettiness. This is especially true of Saddam Hussein, the former dictator of Iraq. He was known for holding grudges against those who challenged his power, but he nursed an especially strong grievance toward former US President George H.W. Bush. Hussein's hatred was understandable, at least in part, because Bush led the coalition that inflicted a devastating defeat on Hussein after his attempt to invade neighboring Kuwait.

As vengeance, Hussein had a large mosaic portrait of Bush installed in the floor of the lobby of Baghdad's popular Al-Rashid Hotel, now known as Royal Tulip Al Rasheed Hotel. While this might not seem much of an affront to an American audience, in the Middle East - in which hitting someone with the sole of a shoe is a sign of profound disapproval - treading on the face of the American President carries severe social implications. It is also a testament to just how far Hussein was willing to go to strike back at his enemies.  

The ancient world was filled with numerous conquerors determined to reshape the world in their own image. Among the most successful was Alexander the Great, who vanquished large swathes of Europe, Africa, and Asia, including the mighty Persian Empire. Upon his passing, however, his domains split as his generals began warring with one another, each determined to establish their own bases of power. 

Two men in particular would come into conflict - Perdiccas and Ptolemy - the latter of whom showed himself to be especially petty. In order, at least in part, to get back at Perdiccas for seizing power, Ptolemy stole Alexander’s body and took it to his domain in Egypt, first in Memphis and then to Alexandria. It proved a shrewd move for Ptolemy, as it led to many of Alexander’s troops coming to the city where their leader had been laid to rest. Perdiccas would later perish in Egypt in an effort to reclaim the body.

The 15th-century Romanian figure Vlad the Impaler is famous for being one of the inspirations for Dracula, arguably the most important vampire in the history of literature. Although he might not have been a blood-sucking creature of the night, Vlad was nevertheless known - even during his own lifetime - for his penchant for cruelty. In part, this was a response to his time, in which his domain, Wallachia, was in constant conflict with the Ottoman Empire.

Vlad, unsurprisingly, was quite capable of acts of extreme pettiness, particularly when it came to the Turks. In one notorious incident, a group of ambassadors, dispatched by Sultan Mehmed II, declined to remove their turbans, claiming it was a religious custom not to do so. Hence, in an act of spite, Vlad nailed the turbans to their heads. Taken with his well-publicized tendency to impale his enemies, this incident demonstrates both his pettiness and his determination to assert Wallachian independence against Ottoman incursion.  

Michelangelo (1475-1564) is renowned as one of the most skilled artists of the Renaissance. Throughout his long life, he produced paintings, sculptures, and poetry, earning his place in the pantheon of Western art. Among his many accomplishments are the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the painting The Last Judgment (also in the Chapel). Commissioned by Pope Clement VII, the painting is a testament to Michelangelo’s ability to capture religious subjects in a raw, arresting, and deeply physical style. 

Even in the beauty, however, there is a trace of the artist's pettiness. It shows up in particular in the painted character of Minos, a thinly disguised depiction of Biagio da Cesena, the Pope’s Master of Ceremonies. This was Michelangelo’s vengeance against da Cesena for the latter’s snide remarks during a preview of the painting. Much to the Master’s chagrin, the Pope responded to the complaint with a joke about the limits of his own authority, and so the painting remained unchanged. 

England's Henry VIII is perhaps most famous for his six wives, only two of whom managed to outlive him. While his first marriage, to Catherine of Aragon, was originally happy, it slowly began to turn sour once he realized she wouldn’t be able to provide him with his longed-for heir. After several miscarriages and stillbirths - as well as one boy who died young - the only child who managed to survive was a daughter, Mary.

Henry, desperate to procure an heir, decided to seek an annulment, largely so he could pursue marriage with a young woman named Anne Boleyn. The king petitioned Pope Clement VII, but under pressure from Catherine's nephew, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, the Pope declined the king’s request. 

Henry, not to be thwarted - and with the backing of several advisers, most notably Thomas Cromwell - set in motion the English Reformation. He had himself declared Supreme Head of the Church of England. Henry’s pettiness changed the religious landscape of England, which continues to the present day.

As a sport, professional wrestling is all about flash and showmanship. Of course, rivalries are also a key part of the aesthetic, and few have been as extraordinary as the one between Dusty Rhodes and Vince McMahon. Although many such rivalries are largely a matter of appearances, in this case it seemed to be very real - both in the ring and outside of it. Unfortunately for Rhodes, McMahon was exactly the type of person who was more than willing to use his power to enact his pettiness. 

In this case, the pettiness involved some very public displays of power. In the late 1980s, McMahon decided to turn Rhodes's “Common Man” appearance into a punchline. In addition to dressing him in a ridiculous outfit of yellow polka dots, he also displayed vignettes of Rhodes engaged in activities like “fixing toilets, changing tires, pumping gas, collecting garbage, and working as an apprentice butcher.” And, in a final jab, McMahon also substituted Rhodes's much-publicized bevy of adoring young woman with female wrestler Sapphire, who was in her mid-50s at the time.