2011. He was initially ideologically committed to Arab nationalism and Arab socialism but later came to rule under his own Third International Theory. A highly divisive figure, Gaddafi dominated Libya's politics for four decades and was the subject of a pervasive cult of personality. He was decorated with various awards and praised for his anti-imperialist stance, support for Arab, and then African, unity and for significant improvements that his government brought to the Libyan people's quality of life.