China

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4615756.html

"the Chinese leader who brought China to the heart of global politics was not Chairman Mao, but the faded and reviled figure of Chiang Kai-shek, his Nationalist predecessor.

If Chiang is remembered at all, it is as a corrupt and incompetent leader whose greed led the Americans to nickname him "Cash-my-Check". Yet in recent years, Chiang's status in the People's Republic, the state founded by his deadly enemy Mao, has risen as his homeland acknowledges his contribution to the Allied effort in World War II."

Way back in my callow youth as I studied the modern history of China I came to identical conclusions. Not about 'Cash-my-Check' but about his colleague and predecessor Sun Yat-Sen. There was a brief period, prior to the untimely, tragic and unfortunate death of this man through natural causes, when China was shakily on track towards a western style polity of some description, although recent research has indicated that even  Sun Yat-Sen would not entertain the possibility of a liberal democracy as he is found to have said that the Chinese people are historically and culturally unequipped for aught but authoritarian styled government.

Bare in mind that this article is by an academic historian specialising in this area. 

I have at least a modicum of interest and knowledge here and 'Cash-My-Check' was a monster who unleashed his green shirt assassin brigade on the unsuspecting communist faction of the then highly polarised national assembly, called by Sun Yat-Sen to extract some form of national government out of the turmoil of post-empire warlordism which then existed in China, precipitating the long march and the death of a large number of his own countrymen. 

On his defeat in the ensuing Chinese Civil War and retreat to the island of Taiwan he inflicted a bloody purge on the inhabitants, killing tens of thousands of innocent people.

Its all very well to point out inadvertent and unintentional historical consequences of his actions, and these are valid and fascinating points, but  you still can't apologise for the evil of this man.