History question: Political leader who quit, hoping it would start a revolution?

I remember reading about a political leader [possibly a dictator but not certain] who was rather out of touch and unpopular; when pressured to step down, he resigned believing that doing so would trigger protests and rallies in favor of him by his supporters and intended to carry that wave of support into a revolution to regain political power. Instead, he was shocked by the failure of any mass movement to support him.

I don't remember exactly who this person was, and google is not being helpful in this case. Does anyone know the person I'm talking about?
 
It sounds not exactly but somewhat similar to what Mao did in the Cultural Revolution, except his sort of worked.

He was being diminished in power, despite his position inside the Communist Party, and he basically triggered popular upheaval and destroyed the rule of law and used the mobs to increase his power by denouncing everyone and everything he felt wasn't loyal enough.

He used popular upheaval to destroy ideological foes.

As for what you describe, not quite sure. Perhaps Tsar Nicholas II? I know that when he abdicated, he was more concerned about the religious aspect of a Tsar abdicating and that he was committing a great sin and sacrilege, but that he was convinced that the people would tire of the Provisional Government and restore his dynasty, if not actually him.
 
I remember reading about a political leader [possibly a dictator but not certain] who was rather out of touch and unpopular; when pressured to step down, he resigned believing that doing so would trigger protests and rallies in favor of him by his supporters and intended to carry that wave of support into a revolution to regain political power. Instead, he was shocked by the failure of any mass movement to support him.

I don't remember exactly who this person was, and google is not being helpful in this case. Does anyone know the person I'm talking about?

Certainly not a dictator, but Janio Quadros? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jânio_Quadros
 
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