rule with an iron fist

vládnout železnou rukou, tvrdou rukou

My father ruled us with an iron fist and he hit us with an iron fist too, Joe recalls. But he loved us and he worked himself to death for us.

The DDI reminded them all of the secret police who had ruled East Germany with an iron fist.

Next Thursday Chileans will go to the polls to elect a successor to General Pinochet, who has ruled with an iron fist since the overthrow of Allende in 1973.

(BNC-B)

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