any leader believe s/he is not justified in the evils they perpetrate?

[ZombieGak]

Is there any evidence that any world leader through history believed they were actually evil? Hitler? Stalin? Mao? Bush?

Or did all believe that regardless of the level of atrocities they committed they were justified by some higher power... be it God, History, Science, Markets, Democracy, the Flag, the Constitution... cultural... racial... moral superiority... you get the idea.

I believe the human capacity of self-delusion is infinite. But I have to wonder what is it about human nature that we all seem to have this need to believe we are noble? Often it's to the point that this self-delusion is more valuable to us than actually trying to be noble.