The most successful leader

Originally posted by Alkiviades P.S. How can one say Hitler was "succesful"? He almost erased Germany from the map, how succesful is that? I am not talking about the incredible damage he did to the whole world, I am talking about what he did to his own country. That's hardly "succesful"...

Mate, Stalin was positioning all of his military factories around the border, not to mention masses of soldiers. It was obvious he waited for Hitler to waste GB and then start the "march" of his army. Hitler's only chance was to attack first, though not realizing the full potential of his economy, arming poorly for a long war, and the politics nazis lead in the conquered lands are partially the issues of his loss. Still he inherited the best trained army with high tactical ability ever since von Moltke's time. I agree with you, he hardly can be considered succesful, and despite the chances he had to lead a long deffensive war (some historians point out this chance of forming a tighter line of defense) he seems to not fully use the potential of Germany.

Originally posted by the Bulgarian I think the most succesful leader was Churchil or FDR, but since neither of them is on the list I voted for Alexander.

Churchill is the best survivor, IMO, and the person who kept it all together for the Allies. This war pushes through USA and USSR in a two pole model (discussed by Paul Kennedy)- these are the two countries that are far above the rest for the next decades; the only super powers, whose zone of influence extends more on the expense of the previous colonial powers; Britain is among those that fall in the periphery.

Edited by giani_82

Peter the great for many reasons-
1.Modernized(Europeanize*) russia
2.Built the great city of St.Petersburg
3.Set up the modern russian navy
4.Great militery leader
5.Added great amounts of land too the russian empire
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He may not of been the greatist leader of all time, but deff the greatist russian leader, he was a modernizer. Stalin is up there too

My vote goes to Alexander.Incase Chingis had been listed it would have been a tie.

i think all u guys suc seriously i do how can u guys b bothered wasting your time posting this this is so boring

Originally posted by toughboy i think all u guys suc seriously i do how can u guys b bothered wasting your time posting this this is so boring

 

why are you posting anyway then? dont YOU have something more important to do????? hmmmm? seems like your spending SOME time going around websites critising everything in SIGHT!

Well I'll go with William the Conqueror from the poll list.

In my opinion, what defines a successful leader are these:

• good politician/charisma - only a gifted politician can raise to be a leader and people may not follow a an "average" guy
• paternalist ruler - a leader is successful as long as his subjects recognize him as the leader they wan't, a paternal approach is what history showed as being the way to gain popular support or at least keep the people to became discontent
• good propaganda - one cannot be a successful leader if he cannot make the people, not only his subjects, but also the other, even his enemies, think that he is a good leader at least.
• good economic results during his rule and after, especially after - the good economic results must be a direct follow up of the leader politics and maintained by his followers
• long lifespan - if one doesn't live long enough, how can he be sure that he is/was/will be considered a great leader? though not essential, and maybe somehow strange, I think that a leader who is not able to watch over his life should not be entitled to watch for the life of other people.
• good military results - he must'n be a brilliant military commander himself but to be able to obtain the best results from his armed forces if necessary; anyway war alone doesn't make one great.

Here's some other great leaders, in my opinion: Togugawa Ieyasu, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, Napoleon Bonaparte, I.V. Stalin (he may not have been a "good" leader, but I think he was quite successful), and from my countr's history Stefan Cel Mare and Mircea cel Batran.

Originally posted by Decebal From Romania's history, I would say that an often overlooked leader is Carol I.

He was overlooked during 1947-1989. I think his heir, Ferdinand I, was a better one.

You know, we may just start a topic entitled "Which was the most succesful leader of your country (countries?) history?". It will make things easier and probably less dangerous in terms of appreciation of what the people post. I for example, wouldn't know much of the leaders of the people who's country history I haven't studied. It would not mean that there weren't great leaders in those countries but just that people don't know about them.

Originally posted by Infidel Not demeriting any of many other great leaders but I vote for Muhammad (s.a.w.) for being the vehicle that brought and re-established the Din (religion) of Allah (God) down in this earth and thus enabled billions of men, women and children along the Ages to be closer and united with The Most High. But that's just my personal opinion.

Good one ,

Muhammed (pbuh) has to indeed be the greatest and most influential leader in all of mankind. no man has brought such a beleif that is still being followed by great numbers and still grows. christians also are in great numbers but jesus christ never led a country and couldnt be the example to his people that he wanted to be. Hz Muhammed became an example for all of mankind in being a good leader, a good judge, a good husband, a good father, a good friend and ofcourse a good beleiver. his examples are still being (or trying to be) followed to today as the sunnah by over a billion people.

I think Muhammed,Atat�rk,Alexander,Hitler,Genghis.This five men are the biggest leaders of history,this must be accepted but Hitler lost everything at the end and he is eleminated from fives and alexander is eleminated from fives because he was compelled to return back by his soldiers even though he didn't want this.Atat�rk, Ghengis and Muhammed  first three.

Hmmm...

Where are the Caesars (Augustus, Julius...), the great generals like Saladin or Richard Lionheart? You could even have put in Hitler, Lenin, Stalin... What is Ataturk doing there and why is he #2 in the Poll?!!!

I love you turks ...

Anyway, jokes apart, could somebody tell me who Boedecina is? i tried looking him up but i didn' t find anything.

Thanx.

 

Edited by sedamoun