ABSTRACT
Rene was a unique actor of his times. He was a dictator when dictators were more internationally tolerated and a democratic reformer when the global mood shifted. Rene was never a collective leadership man and did mirror the dissent of the period but was able to focus limited violence with greater constructive effect than European extremists such as Baader and Meinhof could ever conceive of. A high self-regard compounded Rene's axiomatic respect for progress through political violence. Rene took himself seriously from the outset. Rene's domestic circumstances had a tendency to reflect his political standing. His first and British wife was of the colonial period and his life in the United Kingdom. Rene portrayed himself as a socialist throughout most of his career, but the nature of his socialism was one of his most ambiguous traits. Rene's odd infatuation with foreign dictators embraced those of no real use to Seychelles.
