Born into a Bedouin family in the Libyan desert, Muammar Gaddafi rose to power through a military coup in 1969, establishing a regime that sought to reshape Libyan society through his unique political philosophy. His rule was marked by the implementation of the Third Universal Theory, a blend of socialism and Islamic principles, which aimed to eliminate traditional political structures in favor of a system of people's committees. Over four decades, Gaddafi's leadership was characterized by both intense domestic control and a complex, often confrontational, relationship with the international community, ultimately ending in his ouster during the 2011 Libyan Civil War.