The 100 Most Influential World Leaders of All Time (The Britannica Guide to the World's Most Influential People)

Moses -- Buddha Gotama -- Confucius -- Alexander the Great -- Shihuangdi -- Julius Caesar -- Cleopatra -- Jesus Christ -- Constantine I -- Attila -- Muhammad -- 'Ali -- Charlemagne -- William I -- Urban II -- Saladin -- Chinggis Khan -- Hongwu -- Joan of Arc -- Martin Luther -- Henry VIII -- Elizabeth I -- Tokugawa Leyasu -- Oliver Cromwell -- Louis XIV -- Peter I -- Catherine II -- George Washington -- Thomas Jefferson -- Maximilien de Robespierre -- Napoleon I -- Simon Bolivar -- Giuseppe Garibaldi -- Abraham Lincoln -- Otto von Bismarck -- Frederick Douglass -- Victoria -- Sitting Bull -- Theodore Roosevelt -- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi -- Vladimir Ilich Lenin -- Sir Wisnton Churchill -- Mohammed Ali Jinnah -- Joseph Stalin -- Ibn Sa'ud -- Kemal Ataturk -- Franklin D. Roosevelt -- Eamon de Valera -- Benito Mussolini -- Eleanor Roosevelt -- David Ben-Gurion -- Chiang Kai-shek -- Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman -- Adolf Hitler -- Jawaharlal Nehru -- Ho Chi Minh -- Charles de Gaulle -- Josip Broz Tito -- Francisco Franco -- Mao Zedong -- Juan, Eva, and Isabel Peron -- Ruhollah Khomeini -- Hirohito -- Sukarno -- Deng Xiaoping -- Dag Hammarskjold -- Kwame Nkrumah -- Ronald W. Reagan -- Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong Il -- Richard M. Nixon -- Menachem Begin -- Willy Brandt -- Augusto Pinochet -- Indira Gandhi -- Nelson Mandela -- Anwar el-Sadat -- Pierre Elliott Trudeau -- John Paul II -- Julius Nyerere -- Jimmy Carter -- Pol Pot -- Margaret Thatcher -- Fidel Castro -- Che Guevara -- Martin Luther King, Jr. -- Yasir 'Arafat -- Helmut Kohl -- Mikhail Gorbachev -- Dalai Lama XIV -- Vaclav Havel -- Saddam Hussein -- Kofi Annan -- Muammar al-Qaddafi -- Lech Walesa -- Aung San Suu Kyi -- Vladimir Putin -- Benazir Bhutto -- Hugo Chavez -- Osama bin Laden -- Barack Obama TITLE......Page 3 COPYRIGHT......Page 4 CONTENTS......Page 5 INTRODUCTION......Page 8 MOSES......Page 17 BUDDHA GOTAMA......Page 19 CONFUCIUS......Page 22 BEGINNINGS OF THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION......Page 26 CONQUEST OF THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST AND EGYPT......Page 27 CAMPAIGN EASTWARD, TO CENTRAL ASIA......Page 28 INVASION OF INDIA......Page 29 CONSOLIDATION OF THE EMPIRE......Page 30 SHIHUANGDI......Page 31 LIFE......Page 34 THE FIRST TRIUMVIRATE AND THE CONQUEST OF GAUL......Page 35 THE CIVIL WAR OF 49–45......Page 36 ACCOMPLISHMENTS......Page 38 CLEOPATRA......Page 39 JESUS CHRIST......Page 42 CONSTANTINE I......Page 46 ATTILA......Page 49 MUHAMMAD......Page 52 ‘ALI......Page 55 CHARLEMAGNE......Page 57 LIFE AND REIGN......Page 58 ASSESSMENT......Page 62 WILLIAM I......Page 63 URBAN II......Page 68 SALADIN......Page 71 CHINGGIS KHAN......Page 73 HONGWU......Page 76 JOAN OF ARC......Page 79 MARTIN LUTHER......Page 81 HENRY VIII......Page 84 ELIZABETH I......Page 87 TOKUGAWA IEYASU......Page 91 OLIVER CROMWELL......Page 93 LOUIS XIV......Page 98 PETER I......Page 102 ORIGINS AND EARLY EXPERIENCE......Page 105 EARLY YEARS AS EMPRESS......Page 106 INFLUENCE OF POTEMKIN......Page 107 THE FINAL YEARS......Page 108 CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH......Page 109 REVOLUTIONARY LEADERSHIP......Page 110 CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION TO PRESIDENCY......Page 112 EARLY YEARS AND THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE......Page 113 PARTY POLITICS......Page 114 PRESIDENCY......Page 116 RETIREMENT......Page 117 MAXIMILIEN DE ROBESPIERRE......Page 118 NAPOLEON I......Page 120 EARLY YEARS AND INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT......Page 126 LIBERATION OF NEW GRANADA......Page 127 LIBERATION OF PERU AND THE CREATION OF BOLIVIA......Page 128 CIVIL WAR......Page 129 GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI......Page 130 ABRAHAM LINCOLN......Page 133 EARLY LIFE......Page 134 THE ROAD TO THE PRESIDENCY......Page 135 LEADERSHIP IN WAR......Page 137 PRIME MINISTER......Page 142 FOREIGN POLICY......Page 143 DOMESTIC POLICY......Page 144 FREDERICK DOUGLASS......Page 145 EARLY LIFE AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS......Page 148 FOREIGN AFFAIRS......Page 149 WIDOWHOOD......Page 150 LAST YEARS AND LEGACY......Page 151 SITTING BULL......Page 152 THEODORE ROOSEVELT......Page 154 THE EARLY YEARS......Page 156 THE SQUARE DEAL......Page 158 FOREIGN POLICY......Page 160 LATER YEARS......Page 161 EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION IN ENGLAND......Page 162 EMERGENCE AS LEADER OF NATIONALIST INDIA......Page 163 VLADIMIR ILICH LENIN......Page 166 EARLY LIFE......Page 167 CHALLENGES OF THE REVOLUTION OF 1905 AND WORLD WAR I......Page 168 LEADERSHIP IN THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION......Page 169 SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL......Page 170 POLITICAL CAREER BEFORE 1939......Page 172 LEADERSHIP DURING WORLD WAR II......Page 173 POSTWAR POLITICAL CAREER......Page 175 ENTRY INTO POLITICS......Page 176 CREATOR OF PAKISTAN......Page 178 THE YOUNG REVOLUTIONARY AND RISE TO POWER......Page 179 LENIN’S SUCCESSOR......Page 181 ROLE IN WORLD WAR II......Page 182 LAST YEARS......Page 183 IBN SA‘UD......Page 185 KEMAL ATATÜRK......Page 187 FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT......Page 190 ECONOMIC DEPRESSION AND THE PRESIDENCY......Page 191 THE HUNDRED DAYS......Page 192 THE SECOND NEW DEAL......Page 193 THE THIRD AND FOURTH TERMS......Page 194 EAMON DE VALERA......Page 196 EARLY LIFE......Page 200 RISE TO POWER......Page 201 DICTATORSHIP......Page 202 ROLE IN WORLD WAR II......Page 203 ELEANOR ROOSEVELT......Page 204 DAVID BEN-GURION......Page 208 CHIANG KAI-SHEK......Page 211 JEAN MONNET......Page 214 ROBERT SCHUMAN......Page 215 EARLY LIFE AND RISE TO POWER......Page 216 DICTATOR......Page 219 HITLER’S PLACE IN HISTORY......Page 220 STRUGGLE FOR INDIAN INDEPENDENCE......Page 222 WORLD WAR II AND INDEPENDENCE......Page 223 ACHIEVEMENTS AS PRIME MINISTER AND LEGACY......Page 224 EARLY LIFE......Page 225 WORLD WAR II AND THE FOUNDING OF THE VIETNAMESE STATE......Page 226 THE SECOND INDOCHINA WAR......Page 227 WORLD WAR II......Page 229 EARLY POLITICAL CAREER......Page 230 RETURN TO PUBLIC LIFE......Page 231 JOSIP BROZ TITO......Page 232 PARTISAN LEADER......Page 233 THE POLICY OF NONALIGNMENT......Page 234 SELF-MANAGEMENT AND DECENTRALIZATION......Page 235 FRANCISCO FRANCO......Page 236 LIFE......Page 237 FRANCO’S MILITARY REBELLION......Page 238 FRANCO’S DICTATORSHIP......Page 239 EARLY YEARS......Page 240 ROAD TO THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA......Page 242 GREAT LEAP FORWARD......Page 244 CULTURAL REVOLUTION......Page 245 JUAN PERÓN......Page 246 EVA PERÓN......Page 248 ISABEL PERÓN......Page 249 RUHOLLAH KHOMEINI......Page 250 HIROHITO......Page 253 SUKARNO......Page 254 DENG XIAOPING......Page 256 DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD......Page 260 EARLY YEARS......Page 262 FROM PRISON TO PRIME MINISTRY......Page 263 PRESIDENT OF GHANA AND AFTERWARD......Page 264 EARLY LIFE AND ACTING CAREER......Page 265 ELECTION OF 1980......Page 268 FIRST DAYS......Page 269 DOMESTIC POLICIES......Page 270 FOREIGN AFFAIRS......Page 271 REELECTION AND THE IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR......Page 272 RETIREMENT AND DECLINING HEALTH......Page 273 KIM IL-SUNG......Page 274 KIM JONG IL......Page 276 RICHARD M. NIXON......Page 279 VICE PRESIDENCY......Page 280 ELECTION OF 1960......Page 282 DOMESTIC POLICIES......Page 283 REELECTION AND WATERGATE......Page 284 MENACHEM BEGIN......Page 286 WILLY BRANDT......Page 288 AUGUSTO PINOCHET......Page 290 INDIRA GANDHI......Page 293 NELSON MANDELA......Page 295 ANWAR EL-SADAT......Page 297 PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU......Page 300 JOHN PAUL II......Page 302 JULIUS NYERERE......Page 304 JIMMY CARTER......Page 307 POL POT......Page 312 PRIME MINISTER......Page 314 LATER YEARS......Page 317 FIDEL CASTRO......Page 318 CHE GUEVARA......Page 321 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.......Page 323 EARLY YEARS......Page 324 THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE......Page 325 THE LETTER FROM THE BIRMINGHAM JAIL......Page 326 CHALLENGES OF THE FINAL YEARS......Page 328 YASIR ‘ARAFAT......Page 329 HELMUT KOHL......Page 332 MIKHAIL GORBACHEV......Page 334 DALAI LAMA XIV......Page 338 LIFE IN TIBET......Page 339 LIFE IN EXILE......Page 340 VÁCLAV HAVEL......Page 341 SADDAM HUSSEIN......Page 343 KOFI ANNAN......Page 348 MUAMMAR AL-QADDAFI......Page 350 LECH WALESA......Page 352 AUNG SAN SUU KYI......Page 354 VLADIMIR PUTIN......Page 356 BENAZIR BHUTTO......Page 358 HUGO CHÁVEZ......Page 361 OSAMA BIN LADEN......Page 363 BARACK OBAMA......Page 365 GLOSSARY......Page 371 FOR FURTHER READING......Page 373 INDEX......Page 376 TITLE 3 COPYRIGHT 4 CONTENTS 5 INTRODUCTION 8 MOSES 17 BUDDHA GOTAMA 19 CONFUCIUS 22 ALEXANDER THE GREAT 26 LIFE 26 BEGINNINGS OF THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION 26 ASIA MINOR AND THE BATTLE OF ISSUS 27 CONQUEST OF THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST AND EGYPT 27 CAMPAIGN EASTWARD, TO CENTRAL ASIA 28 INVASION OF INDIA 29 CONSOLIDATION OF THE EMPIRE 30 ASSESSMENT 31 SHIHUANGDI 31 JULIUS CAESAR 34 LIFE 34 THE FIRST TRIUMVIRATE AND THE CONQUEST OF GAUL 35 THE CIVIL WAR OF 49–45 36 ACCOMPLISHMENTS 38 CLEOPATRA 39 JESUS CHRIST 42 CONSTANTINE I 46 ATTILA 49 MUHAMMAD 52 ‘ALI 55 CHARLEMAGNE 57 LIFE AND REIGN 58 ASSESSMENT 62 WILLIAM I 63 URBAN II 68 SALADIN 71 CHINGGIS KHAN 73 HONGWU 76 JOAN OF ARC 79 MARTIN LUTHER 81 HENRY VIII 84 ELIZABETH I 87 TOKUGAWA IEYASU 91 OLIVER CROMWELL 93 LOUIS XIV 98 PETER I 102 CATHERINE II 105 ORIGINS AND EARLY EXPERIENCE 105 EARLY YEARS AS EMPRESS 106 INFLUENCE OF POTEMKIN 107 THE FINAL YEARS 108 GEORGE WASHINGTON 109 CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 109 PREREVOLUTIONARY MILITARY CAREER AND LIFE 110 REVOLUTIONARY LEADERSHIP 110 CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION TO PRESIDENCY 112 THOMAS JEFFERSON 113 EARLY YEARS AND THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 113 AMERICAN IN PARIS 114 PARTY POLITICS 114 PRESIDENCY 116 RETIREMENT 117 MAXIMILIEN DE ROBESPIERRE 118 NAPOLEON I 120 SIMÓN BOLÍVAR 126 EARLY YEARS AND INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT 126 LIBERATION OF NEW GRANADA 127 LIBERATION OF PERU AND THE CREATION OF BOLIVIA 128 A LEAGUE OF HISPANIC AMERICAN STATES 129 CIVIL WAR 129 GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI 130 ABRAHAM LINCOLN 133 EARLY LIFE 134 THE ROAD TO THE PRESIDENCY 135 LEADERSHIP IN WAR 137 OTTO VON BISMARCK 142 EARLY YEARS AND CAREER 142 PRIME MINISTER 142 IMPERIAL CHANCELLOR 143 FOREIGN POLICY 143 DOMESTIC POLICY 144 FREDERICK DOUGLASS 145 VICTORIA 148 ACCESSION TO THE THRONE AND EARLY YEARS OF REIGN 148 EARLY LIFE AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS 148 FOREIGN AFFAIRS 149 WIDOWHOOD 150 LAST YEARS AND LEGACY 151 SITTING BULL 152 THEODORE ROOSEVELT 154 THE EARLY YEARS 156 THE SQUARE DEAL 158 FOREIGN POLICY 160 LATER YEARS 161 MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND GANDHI 162 EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION IN ENGLAND 162 SOUTH AFRICAN ACTIVIST 163 EMERGENCE AS LEADER OF NATIONALIST INDIA 163 VLADIMIR ILICH LENIN 166 EARLY LIFE 167 CHALLENGES OF THE REVOLUTION OF 1905 AND WORLD WAR I 168 LEADERSHIP IN THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 169 SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL 170 POLITICAL CAREER BEFORE 1939 172 LEADERSHIP DURING WORLD WAR II 173 POSTWAR POLITICAL CAREER 175 MOHAMMED ALI JINNAH 176 EARLY YEARS 176 ENTRY INTO POLITICS 176 CREATOR OF PAKISTAN 178 JOSEPH STALIN 179 THE YOUNG REVOLUTIONARY AND RISE TO POWER 179 LENIN’S SUCCESSOR 181 ROLE IN WORLD WAR II 182 LAST YEARS 183 IBN SA‘UD 185 KEMAL ATATÜRK 187 FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT 190 EARLY LIFE AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES 191 ECONOMIC DEPRESSION AND THE PRESIDENCY 191 THE FIRST TERM 192 THE HUNDRED DAYS 192 THE SECOND NEW DEAL 193 THE SECOND TERM 194 THE THIRD AND FOURTH TERMS 194 DECLINING HEALTH AND DEATH 196 EAMON DE VALERA 196 BENITO MUSSOLINI 200 EARLY LIFE 200 RISE TO POWER 201 DICTATORSHIP 202 ROLE IN WORLD WAR II 203 ELEANOR ROOSEVELT 204 DAVID BEN-GURION 208 CHIANG KAI-SHEK 211 JEAN MONNET AND ROBERT SCHUMAN 214 JEAN MONNET 214 ROBERT SCHUMAN 215 ADOLF HITLER 216 EARLY LIFE AND RISE TO POWER 216 DICTATOR 219 HITLER’S PLACE IN HISTORY 220 JAWAHARLAL NEHRU 222 EARLY YEARS AND INTRODUCTION TO POLITICS 222 STRUGGLE FOR INDIAN INDEPENDENCE 222 WORLD WAR II AND INDEPENDENCE 223 ACHIEVEMENTS AS PRIME MINISTER AND LEGACY 224 HO CHI MINH 225 EARLY LIFE 225 WORLD WAR II AND THE FOUNDING OF THE VIETNAMESE STATE 226 THE FIRST INDOCHINA WAR 227 THE SECOND INDOCHINA WAR 227 CHARLES DE GAULLE 229 EDUCATION AND EARLY CAREER 229 WORLD WAR II 229 EARLY POLITICAL CAREER 230 RETURN TO PUBLIC LIFE 231 JOSIP BROZ TITO 232 EARLY LIFE 233 PARTISAN LEADER 233 THE CONFLICT WITH STALIN 234 THE POLICY OF NONALIGNMENT 234 SELF-MANAGEMENT AND DECENTRALIZATION 235 RETRENCHMENT OF THE 1970S 236 FRANCISCO FRANCO 236 LIFE 237 FRANCO’S MILITARY REBELLION 238 FRANCO’S DICTATORSHIP 239 MAO ZEDONG 240 EARLY YEARS 240 ROAD TO THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA 242 GREAT LEAP FORWARD 244 CULTURAL REVOLUTION 245 JUAN, EVA, AND ISABEL PERÓN 246 JUAN PERÓN 246 EVA PERÓN 248 ISABEL PERÓN 249 RUHOLLAH KHOMEINI 250 HIROHITO 253 SUKARNO 254 DENG XIAOPING 256 DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD 260 KWAME NKRUMAH 262 EARLY YEARS 262 FROM PRISON TO PRIME MINISTRY 263 PRESIDENT OF GHANA AND AFTERWARD 264 RONALD W. REAGAN 265 EARLY LIFE AND ACTING CAREER 265 GOVERNORSHIP OF CALIFORNIA 268 ELECTION OF 1980 268 PRESIDENCY 269 FIRST DAYS 269 DOMESTIC POLICIES 270 FOREIGN AFFAIRS 271 REELECTION AND THE IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR 272 RETIREMENT AND DECLINING HEALTH 273 KIM IL-SUNG AND KIM JONG IL 274 KIM IL-SUNG 274 KIM JONG IL 276 RICHARD M. NIXON 279 EARLY LIFE AND CONGRESSIONAL CAREER 280 VICE PRESIDENCY 280 ELECTION OF 1960 282 PRESIDENCY 283 DOMESTIC POLICIES 283 FOREIGN AFFAIRS 284 REELECTION AND WATERGATE 284 RETIREMENT AND DEATH 286 MENACHEM BEGIN 286 WILLY BRANDT 288 AUGUSTO PINOCHET 290 INDIRA GANDHI 293 NELSON MANDELA 295 ANWAR EL-SADAT 297 PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU 300 JOHN PAUL II 302 JULIUS NYERERE 304 JIMMY CARTER 307 POL POT 312 MARGARET THATCHER 314 EARLY YEARS 314 PRIME MINISTER 314 LATER YEARS 317 FIDEL CASTRO 318 CHE GUEVARA 321 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. 323 EARLY YEARS 324 THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT 325 THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 325 THE LETTER FROM THE BIRMINGHAM JAIL 326 CHALLENGES OF THE FINAL YEARS 328 YASIR ‘ARAFAT 329 HELMUT KOHL 332 MIKHAIL GORBACHEV 334 DALAI LAMA XIV 338 LIFE IN TIBET 339 LIFE IN EXILE 340 VÁCLAV HAVEL 341 SADDAM HUSSEIN 343 KOFI ANNAN 348 MUAMMAR AL-QADDAFI 350 LECH WALESA 352 AUNG SAN SUU KYI 354 VLADIMIR PUTIN 356 BENAZIR BHUTTO 358 HUGO CHÁVEZ 361 OSAMA BIN LADEN 363 BARACK OBAMA 365 GLOSSARY 371 FOR FURTHER READING 373 INDEX 376 Moses Buddha Gotama Confucius Alexander the Great Shihuangdi Julius Caesar Cleopatra Jesus Christ Constantine I Attila Muhammad 'Alī Charlemagne William I Urban II Saladin Chinggis Khan Hongwu Joan of Arc Martin Luther Henry VIII Elizabeth I Tokugawa Leyasu Oliver Cromwell Louis XIV Peter I Catherine II George Washington Thomas Jefferson Maximilien de Robespierre Napoleon I Simón Bolívar Giuseppe Garibaldi Abraham Lincoln Otto von Bismarck Frederick Douglass Victoria Sitting Bull Theodore Roosevelt Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Vladimir Ilich Lenin Sir Wisnton Churchill Mohammed Ali Jinnah Joseph Stalin Ibn Sa'ūd Kemal Atatürk Franklin D. Roosevelt Eamon de Valera Benito Mussolini Eleanor Roosevelt David Ben-Gurion Chiang Kai-shek Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman Adolf Hitler Jawaharlal Nehru Ho Chi Minh Charles de Gaulle Josip Broz Tito Francisco Franco Mao Zedong Juan, Eva, and Isabel Perón Ruhollah Khomeini Hirohito Sukarno Deng Xiaoping Dag Hammarskjöld Kwame Nkrumah Ronald W. Reagan Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong Il Richard M. Nixon Menachem Begin Willy Brandt Augusto Pinochet Indira Gandhi Nelson Mandela Anwar el-Sādāt Pierre Elliott Trudeau John Paul II Julius Nyerere Jimmy Carter Pol Pot Margaret Thatcher Fidel Castro Che Guevara Martin Luther King, Jr. Yāsir 'Arafāt Helmut Kohl Mikhail Gorbachev Dalai Lama XIV Václav Havel Saddām Hussein Kofi Annan Muammar al-Qaddafi Lech Walęsa Aung San Suu Kyi Vladimir Putin Benazir Bhutto Hugo Chávez Osama bin Laden Barack Obama. It takes a great deal of personal strength, charisma, and intelligence to lead others. Some leaders improve the lives of their fellow citizens while others rule with an iron fist, oblivious to the plight of others. This book covers the lives and agendas of our most memorable and powerful leadersthose who history has justifiably vilified and others who will be cherished for years to come.

It takes a great deal of personal strength, charisma, and intelligence to lead others. Some leaders improve the lives of their fellow citizens while others rule with an iron fist, oblivious to the plight of others. This book covers the lives and agendas of leaders good and bad, those who history has justifiably vilified and others who will be cherished for years to come.