Best Historical Ruler

[JohnFKennedy]

I am not going to make this a poll as there are SO many possibilities, but who do you think was the best ruler of their country or empire. It can be anyone throughout History.

[Gustaf]

Tough one...gonna have to think about it.

[PBrunsel]

Abraham Lincoln is the greatest ruler. He kept the United States together durring the blodiest war in our history. He also did this why Democrats and his own cabinet were bugging him from all sides.

[JohnFKennedy]

I know you won't be saying Peter I of Russia (a.k.a. Peter the Great) though, heeheehee.

[Gustaf]

I know you won't be saying Peter I of Russia (a.k.a. Peter the Great) though, heeheehee.

Lol, no.

A decent candidate from my horizon might well be Gustav Vasa or Sten Sture, 2 Swedes who helped Sweden to independece against all odds.

[JohnFKennedy]

Abraham Lincoln is the greatest ruler. He kept the United States together durring the blodiest war in our history. He also did this why Democrats and his own cabinet were bugging him from all sides.

don't just focus on American leaders . This is WORLD history

[The Dowager Mod]

Henry II

[dunn]

tough

Marcus Aurelius maybe

[PBrunsel]

Abraham Lincoln is the greatest ruler. He kept the United States together durring the blodiest war in our history. He also did this why Democrats and his own cabinet were bugging him from all sides.

Lincoln was the greatest ruler ever.

don't just focus on American leaders . This is WORLD history

[JohnFKennedy]

tough

Marcus Aurelius maybe

the World's first Self-help guru as one British paper dubbed him lol.

[12th Doctor]

I'll have to think about the BEST.  However, someone who gets a really bad reputation, who doesn't deserve it, is definatly Richard III of England.  He was acctually a very good leader.  He didn't murder those boys, his in laws did.

[dunn]

tough

Marcus Aurelius maybe

the World's first Self-help guru as one British paper dubbed him lol.

He was a great man

[opebo]

I'll try to think of an individual.  Meantime, my favorite dynasty has always been the Habsburgs - what an achievement!  A multi-ethnic empire that was fairly Liberal for Central Europe.  Also rough equality for Jews.  That whole area of the world has been nothing but trouble since Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.

[Beet]

I'll try to think of an individual.  Meantime, my favorite dynasty has always been the Habsburgs - what an achievement!  A multi-ethnic empire that was fairly Liberal for Central Europe.  Also rough equality for Jews.  That whole area of the world has been nothing but trouble since Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.

Not to mention it lasted the better part of a millenium and almost managed to overturn the Protestant Reformation in 1629. For best individual leader though, Octavian of the second triumvirate. His reign coincided with the beginning of Rome's true glory years.

[dunn]

I'll try to think of an individual.  Meantime, my favorite dynasty has always been the Habsburgs - what an achievement!  A multi-ethnic empire that was fairly Liberal for Central Europe.  Also rough equality for Jews.  That whole area of the world has been nothing but trouble since Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.

Not to mention it lasted the better part of a millenium and almost managed to overturn the Protestant Reformation in 1629. For best individual leader though, Octavian of the second triumvirate. His reign coincided with the beginning of Rome's true glory years.

AKA Augustus

[PBrunsel]

In World History:

Otto Von Bismarck. He united Germany and made it the strongest nation in Europe.

[JohnFKennedy]

I'll have to think about the BEST.  However, someone who gets a really bad reputation, who doesn't deserve it, is definatly Richard III of England.  He was acctually a very good leader.  He didn't murder those boys, his in laws did.

Yes, Richard gets a bad press because of Shakespeare's play about him that had to be anti-Richard III as he was writing during the Tudor reign.

Richard III was in actual fact the rightful King of England, the princes in the tower were NOT as their father, Edward IV I think it was, was actually a bastard, from records of his birth it can be determined when he was conceived, however there are records of his "father" and claim to the throne being about 100 miles away from his mother fighting in France. His father is supposed to have been an archer. Thus, Richard III, his half-brother who was actually legitimate, was the rightful King of England.

[Chiahead]

I always enjoyed Benito Mussolini, who when he started out as leader had some good ideas, just he went about it the wrong way...which could be said for a lot of vicious dictators....

But the trains ran on time!!

[dunn]

I always enjoyed Benito Mussolini, who when he started out as leader had some good ideas, just he went about it the wrong way...which could be said for a lot of vicious dictators....

But the trains ran on time!!

German trains ran on time too

[Huckleberry Finn]

tough

Marcus Aurelius maybe

Good one. In those conditions. There was a very little humanity in the Roman Empire.

But I say J. K. Paasikivi. (Finnish president who saved us from commies)

[The Dowager Mod]

i just finished a biography of Bismark.
although he basically MADE germany one could maybe argue he set it up for it's downfall too.

[PBrunsel]

i just finished a biography of Bismark.
although he basically MADE germany one could maybe argue he set it up for it's downfall too.

You could argue that. Good point.

[The Dowager Mod]

i just finished a biography of Bismark.
although he basically MADE germany one could maybe argue he set it up for it's downfall too.

You could argue that. Good point.

[Gustaf]

i just finished a biography of Bismark.
although he basically MADE germany one could maybe argue he set it up for it's downfall too.

You could argue that. Good point.

Damn it, Texasgurl, you stole my line!

Bismarck constructed an alliance that was dependent on clever diplomacy, keeping France and England apart and retaining the alliances with Italy and Austria-Hungary on the one hand and Russia and Austria-Hungary on the other, hard since they were arch-enemies...I'd say that even though Bismarck's did some good work, it was completely unsustainable.

[The Dowager Mod]

i will say if bismark had been running things in 1914 they would have beaten france fairly quickly.
none of that "miracle of the marne" stuff.