Most Influential Historical Leader

[tflex]

Which one leader had the biggest impact on history and our world today, and why? Which leader is the greatest in terms of accomplishments and influence?

 

I know it's hard to choose, but if you had to choose one person to research and write about, who would be your favorite to fit the two above questions.

 

The criteria I used was based on the following:

 

1. The person must have held the highest position of power recognized.

2. This person cannot only be a Scientist, Religous figure, Philospher etc. He must hold a powerful leadership position.

3. The person must have used this platform of power to accomplish the unthinkable.

4. The person must represent a powerful civilization, for example Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt, Imperial China, Persia, Britian, the U.S. etc.

5. The persons actions must have had a big impact on our world today for better or worse.

 

 

P.S. If I'm missing some important names, please mention them

Edited May 27, 2006 by tflex

[phil25]

Can we please have a "none of the above" choice?

 

It is a completely impossible question.

 

For one thing the list is utterly random and euro-centric in approach (I assume that in this context the US is western).

 

There are no African figures, few Russian, and no South Mezo- or Latin American. Where is Cortez or Pizarro, even if you don't know or cannot spell Aztec or Mayan names? Mohammed is missing as is the Buddha, what of Mahatma Ghandi?

 

Some of these figures were influential in their culture but not in wider historical terms. Some have been admired (Lincoln) but their deeds did not necessarily have much wider impact except by extrapolation.

 

For instance, did the US come to the aid of the old world in WWI and WWII because washington was first President, or Lincoln held the Union together? What of Jefferson? or Franklin?

 

Can you indeed tell me what the scientific basis of your selection was i.e. the criteria for choice? Or was it just those that came into mind as you decided to post?

 

Phil

Edited May 27, 2006 by phil25

[Q Valerius Scerio]

It's very difficult, but perhaps Adolf Hitler should be rewarded the prize. His fascism opened up the doors for even eastern fascists such as in Thailand. To this day, he probably has affected the world the most, both east and west, with his global war, although surely in the east it wasn't nearly as influential as the emporer's was.

 

As far as positive contributions...well...hrm...maybe his paintings...nah...dunno? The guy was a douchebag.

[Ursus]

I bought a book once where four so-called experts ranked the world's 1000 most influential people.

 

At the top of the list was not a political leader or military officer, but Johann Gutenberg.

[phil25]

Excellent point, Ursus. Maybe Newton, Einstein, the archietects of the nuclear bomb and various philosophers ought to be on the list too.

 

Phil

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

I bought a book once where four so-called experts ranked the world's 1000 most influential people.

 

At the top of the list was not a political leader or military officer, but Johann Gutenberg.

 

Oh God, he's number 1 on a lot of lists, and I find it stupid. I mean really Johann Gutenberg at 1 while Enrico Fermi at 73, seriously his achievement with the production of the atom bomb is more breakthrough then the printer(which people would eventually achieve anyways. Even the Polio Vaccine's creater deserved more than Gutenberg.

 

If I had a choice, I'll narrow it down to Adolf Hitler, Constantine(where would Christianity be then), Alexander,...

Edited May 27, 2006 by FLavius Valerius Constantinus

[Virgil61]

If I have to choose from those listed I'd go with a less obvious choice: Napoleon. It can be argued effectively that the dominance and conquest of the French army helped bring down the 'old order' paving the way for a rising middle class role in governments. Not that 'liberty, equality and fraternity' were well practiced by the French towards others but the ideas spread.

[Viggen]

Which one leader had the biggest impact on history and our world today, and why? Which leader is the greatest in terms of accomplishments and influence?

 

I know it's hard to choose, but if you had to choose one person to research and write about, who would be your favorite to fit the two above questions.

 

P.S. If I'm missing some important names, please mention them

 

Paul of Tarsus

(without him there wouldnt be christianity and no one but some scholars of jewish history would have heard of Jesus)

 

cheers

viggen

[tflex]

For one thing the list is utterly random and euro-centric in approach (I assume that in this context the US is western).

 

There are 20 choices, only two of them are from the US. There are six non-western choices, I don't consider Russia to be western especially durinig the communist era.

 

There are no African figures, few Russian, and no South Mezo- or Latin American. Where is Cortez or Pizarro, even if you don't know or cannot spell Aztec or Mayan names? Mohammed is missing as is the Buddha, what of Mahatma Ghandi?

 

Mohammed, Buddah and Jesus do not fit the criteria. Also, there are two Russians, and King Menes of Egypt would be considered in Africa, and I just couldn't find any other African leaders to make this list. Pizzaro and Cortes are on my top 50 list, Cortez only held a governorship given to him by Emperor Charles V. Charles was more powerful than Cortes, and called all the shots, and thats why Cortes didn't make my list. The same goes for Pizzaro, to be the most influential you at least have to be the undisputed leader.

 

Some of these figures were influential in their culture but not in wider historical terms. Some have been admired (Lincoln) but their deeds did not necessarily have much wider impact except by extrapolation.

 

I disagree, Lincoln is arguably the greatest U.S. president, this is backed up by most polls. The civil war seriously threatened the existance and unity of the U.S., and it's power. After the Civil war was out of the way, the U.S. was able to grow into the superpower that it is today. So, Lincoln's actions and success ended up having a huge impact on our world.

 

Can you indeed tell me what the scientific basis of your selection was i.e. the criteria for choice? Or was it just those that came into mind as you decided to post?

 

I will add this to my first post: The criteria I used was based on the following:

 

1. The person must have held the highest position of power recognized.

2. This person cannot only be a Scientist, Religous figure, Philospher etc. He must hold a powerful leadership position.

3. The person must have used this platform of power to accomplish the unthinkable.

4. The person must represent a powerful civilization, for example Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt, Imperial China, Persia, Britian, the U.S. etc.

5. The persons actions must have had a big impact on our world today for better or worse.

 

Obviously, there are more than 20 leaders under this criteria, but the maximum choices the poll will allow is 20. I think the leaders I chose fit the criteria well. 19 of the choices were also selected by Michael H. Hart's 'Most Influential Influential Persons in History'. I think Scipio Africanus was the only one not mentioned in Hart's list. I simply couldn't put Augustus and Caesar, and leave out Scipio. And as I said, you're welcome to add other candidates.

 

Personally, I'm torn between Augustus, Constantine and Hitler. I think these three had a huge influence on history and our world today.

Edited May 27, 2006 by tflex

[Q Valerius Scerio]

Muhammed does count - if the legends are true. Shaka Zulu would be an African leader as well, but one would hardly call him the most influential. Simply put, only Adolf Hitler on your list, and perhaps Stalin, Hirohito, and Chairman Mao have a chance for that title. No one else had the influence world-wide like these men did. Oddly enough, all of them are tied to World War II and its immediate affects. No one else, no other war, has had that sort of global impact.

 

Actually, in retrospect, I can also add Muhammed or Constantine to those, but their influences are not nearly as immediate as Hitler's or Stalin's.

[Rameses the Great]

If I have to choose from those listed I'd go with a less obvious choice: Napoleon. It can be argued effectively that the dominance and conquest of the French army helped bring down the 'old order' paving the way for a rising middle class role in governments. Not that 'liberty, equality and fraternity' were well practiced by the French towards others but the ideas spread.

 

I agree, Napoleon was very liked and influential. Stalin and Hitler were also extremely influential. I mean the extreme Conservative was derived from Hitler's regime and the extreme Liberal from Stalin's regime. But how were they liked? Napoleon's men wanted to fight for him and even went into a suicidal mission in Russia.

 

When he was exiled the European coalition forced Napoleon to live in a desolate island in the Mediterranian. They put King Louis back in power. Napoleon tried to come back to France but his men was to take him back. His general and his men, took him and did not kill him.

 

They put him back in power and gave Louis the guillotine. His men was facing a coalition from England, Prussia, Russia, and Austria. Had he not lossed to British in Waterloo who knows what could have happened. But coming back from exile and killing the Austro-Prussian army, and a seperate battle against Russia, who knows...who knows. One can ony guess the beauty and magnificence of history.

[Ursus]

Paul of Tarsus

 

 

Very good point, he's certainly up there.

 

I would say Plato was also a major influence. In fact, most of Western intellectual thought stands in Plato's shadow ... for better or for worse.

[AEGYPTUS]

I voted for Constantine The Great founding a city like Constantinople certainly had an effect on European history atleast. Also the Edict of Milan which legalized Christianity would certainly had major effects on world history. Or atleast the known world at the time.

Edited May 28, 2006 by AEGYPTUS

[Primus Pilus]

Personally I find these sort of things to be so arbitrary that it renders them into a battle of wills. So many historical events are dependent upon preceeding events even to have happened. Would there have been a Hitler or a Stalin without Julius Caesar? Would the shape of nations continued the way they did in Europe without Napolean, etc?

 

Yes I know we can differentiate between individuals and achievements and rank them according to our own measuring sticks and things will happen independent of preceeding factors. However, since the idea of this thread is "influence" isn't each event influenced by preceeding events. With that in mind, the earlier the event occured the more likely its influence over the history of humanity. For instance, had Alexander not existed, who knows how different our world could be today. Without him, the chain of events that could be altered to this point is far more significant than more recent members of the list.

 

Just my 3 cents on the matter. (I added a penny to compensate for rising gas prices =P)

[Princeps]

I'd go with Newton, but he's not there.