Who is the greatest leader in the history of the world?

[Hash]

lol @ the idea that Mitterrand, a crook and a liar, can even be considered one of the world's greatest leaders. Even more stupid than those saying Reagan!

[??????????]

Napoleon vs Ghengis Khan vs Alexander the Great vs Cesaer vs Henry the Conqueror. I wonder who would win that war.

[bullmoose88]

Napoleon vs Ghengis Khan vs Alexander the Great vs Cesaer vs Henry the Conqueror. I wonder who would win that war.

My Guess...



No joke on the Napoleon pick...but if anyone is in Philadelphia between now and i think early september, go check out the Napoleon exhibit at the constitution center...quite good.

[Mechaman]

Napoleon vs Ghengis Khan vs Alexander the Great vs Cesaer vs Henry the Conqueror. I wonder who would win that war.

Napoleon, his army has more advanced technology (hell he may be the only one with guns now that I think about it).

[Хahar 🤔]

Napoleon vs Ghengis Khan vs Alexander the Great vs Cesaer vs Henry the Conqueror. I wonder who would win that war.

Henry the Usurper sticks out some on that list.

[Raoul]

Caesar isn't the greatest leader because his leadership flaws got him murdered.

I can't really decide between Ashoka, Muhammad or Alexander the Great.

[Хahar 🤔]

Bump.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Gustavus Adolphus

A great leader, no doubt, but by no means the greatest.

[Lief 🗽]

The answer is still Cyrus the Great.

Most of these people that people are listing didn't build empires that survived them. Alexander's fell apart pretty much on his death, Napoleon's fell in less than fifteen years and he ended up on an island, Charlemagne's empire was more a loose federation of territories and tribes held together by his charismatic leadership that splintered after his death. Caesar obviously got assassinated before he really had a chance to actually lead the empire, though he's certainly one of the great generals of all time. De Gaulle is, well, ridiculous; France was a third rate power before he became President and it remained a third rate power after he left office, losing what was left of its empire in the process.

[Хahar 🤔]

I posit that China has lasted longer than Persia, and so I still take Gaozu of Han.

[Lief 🗽]

I posit that China has lasted longer than Persia, and so I still take Gaozu of Han.

Maybe. I'm not really a scholar of Chinese history or anything, though if you're going to say that Gaozu's China lasted until the 20th century, then Cyrus' empire lasted until at least the Pahlavis and at most the 1979 Revolution.

Also, I'm not entirely sure that one's greatness as a leader is measured only in the life-span of the empire they built.

[Vepres]

I've always thought Pericles was an excellent leader, personally. Another excellent though often overlooked leader is Justinian I. His rewriting of Roman law is the basis for most modern governments.

[Lief 🗽]

I've always thought Pericles was an excellent leader, personally. Another excellent though often overlooked leader is Justinian I. His rewriting of Roman law is the basis for most modern governments.

Read Procopius' Secret History (both because it's educational and hilarious) and you'll realize he was pretty awful.

[Hash]

I continue to nominate Getúlio Vargas. Dom Pedro II is great too.

Peron is also vilified way too much, especially compared to the crap Argentina had before and after.

[Bo]

George Washington