This chapter provides a concise overview and analysis of Libya’s recent history, in particular the era of Colonel Qadhafi’s reign, which started with the 1969 revolution. As from this moment on, Libya was dominated and shaped by Qadhafi’s specific brand of revolution at home and anti-imperialistic adventurism abroad. Eventually, major powers were antagonized to such an extent that Libya was treated as a pariah state by the international community. In a remarkable volte-face around the turn of the century, a series of backchannel negotiations between Libya and (primarily) the United Kingdom and the United States resulted in agreements on financial compensation for the Lockerbie victims, Libya’s renunciation of terrorism, and the country’s denouncement of its weapons of mass destruction. After UN, EU, and US sanctions had been lifted, Libya was fully rehabilitated on the world stage, and economic, political, and intelligence relations flourished. However, Libya’s human rights record remained poor, and since the Libyan leadership failed to introduce any meaningful political reforms, domestic oppression continued to persist.