The Libyan revolution of 2011 began with non-violent collective political protests comparable to events in Tunisia and Egypt. However, it quickly turned into a full-blown civil war. Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi became Libya's official ruler in 1969 in a bloodless coup against King Idris. Gaddafi remained the official ruler of Libya from 1969 to 1977. (Calvocoressi, 2001) After 1977, Gaddafi was considered a symbolic figure until the violent political uprising of 2011, which contributed to his death. Gaddafi was the longest-serving Arab leader and commonly referred to himself as the King of Kings. Gaddafi's reign over civilians stemmed predominantly from fear. The Libyan conflict differs from the conflicts in Tunisia and Egypt because it did not originate from economic tensions. It was based solely on political tensions as Libyans aspired to the removal of Gaddafi and a new legitimate democracy. The legitimacy of Canadian intervention in the Libyan conflict will be analyzed based on three criteria, which include the threat of massacre, the support of nations and the doctrine of the responsibility to protect. First, the threat of extreme terror and bloodshed was imminent throughout Libya. . Although Gaddafi was only a symbolic figure for the nation, in reality he exercised almost total control over important government decisions. For forty years Libyans tolerated Gaddafi's brutal repression and senseless killings. (McDougall, 2003) The Gaddafi regime controlled the media and used it to distribute propaganda and instill fear. Libyans feared the consequences of criticizing the regime, which included disappearance and exile. Charles Recknagel described the king......middle of paper......Protect Gaddafi's doctrine.ReferencesCalvocoressi, Peter. (2001). World Politics: 1945-2000. Pearson.McDougall, James. (2003). Nation, society and culture in North Africa. Routledge.Recknagel, Charles. (2011). “Gaddafi's death brings an end to four decades of brutality and eccentric excess.” Radio Free Europe documents and publications (20 October):1.Joffe, George. (2011). “The end of autocracy?: The seeds of civil war in Libya: Royal United Services Institute for Defense Studies.” RUSI Journal 156, no.3 (June):12.Western, Jon. (2011). “Protect states or protect civilians: the case of R2P”. The Massachusetts Review 52, ​​no. 4 (July): 348-57. Black, Ian. (2011). “Gaddafi urges violent showdown.” The Guardian UK-Middle East. (February):1.Bain, William. (2010). “Responsibility and obligation in the responsibility to protect”. Review of international studies 36, 25-46.