Leon Trotsky, in my opinion the most interesting man out of the Russian Revolution. The man crafted the Red Army from a group of rowdy peasants, genuinly believed in the values of the revolution and a really pretty good writer and journalist.
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Three names, in chronological order:
1. William Marshal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Marshal,_1st_Earl_of_Pembroke
Rose from 4th son on a minor baron to Regent of England. Known, feared, and loved throughout Europe simply as "The Marshal". champion of the tournament circuit, and know to contemporaries as "the greatest knight who ever lived". From narrowly escaping being executed age 6 by being launched from a trebuchet (!), to leading cavalry charges against rebels in his pensionable years. A career that served four prominent monarchs (Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, John and Henry III), saw him doing everything from crusading to putting a signature on Magna Carter. Oh, and on his deathbed he joined the Knights Templar too.
Also, if you've seen the film "A Knights Tale", the scene where Heath ledger has his helmet so badly beaten he can't remove it to accept his tournament prize - that's based on an account of Marshal where he didn't show up to receive his prize, and was found with his head in a forge trying to get his mangled helmet off!
The. Man.
2. Thomas Cochrane:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cochrane,_10th_Earl_of_Dundonald
http://randombios.blogspot.com/2011/05/thomas-cochrane-naval-commander.html
Even seen or read Hornblower or Master & Commander/Jack Aubrey books? They're all based on this guy, but dramatically toned down from his actual exploits.
3. "Mad" Jack Churchill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill
http://www.wwiihistorymagazine.com/2005/july/col-profiles.html
http://www.amazingben.com/arf0143.html
He was a British soldier who fought throughout World War II armed with a longbow, arrows and a claymore. He once said "any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed." He also played the bagpipes in combat. In one notable escapade, he captured 40 German soldiers and a mortar crew using only his sword. He completed jump school aged 40 (!). Post-war he worked in the levant, and in one incident counter-attacked an Arab ambush on Israelis in his full dress uniform. He also took to throwing his briefcase out of train windows.
The second link has most of his story far better than I could write it. A brilliant and inspiring lunatic.
1. William Marshal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Marshal,_1st_Earl_of_Pembroke
Rose from 4th son on a minor baron to Regent of England. Known, feared, and loved throughout Europe simply as "The Marshal". champion of the tournament circuit, and know to contemporaries as "the greatest knight who ever lived". From narrowly escaping being executed age 6 by being launched from a trebuchet (!), to leading cavalry charges against rebels in his pensionable years. A career that served four prominent monarchs (Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, John and Henry III), saw him doing everything from crusading to putting a signature on Magna Carter. Oh, and on his deathbed he joined the Knights Templar too.
Also, if you've seen the film "A Knights Tale", the scene where Heath ledger has his helmet so badly beaten he can't remove it to accept his tournament prize - that's based on an account of Marshal where he didn't show up to receive his prize, and was found with his head in a forge trying to get his mangled helmet off!
The. Man.
2. Thomas Cochrane:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cochrane,_10th_Earl_of_Dundonald
http://randombios.blogspot.com/2011/05/thomas-cochrane-naval-commander.html
Even seen or read Hornblower or Master & Commander/Jack Aubrey books? They're all based on this guy, but dramatically toned down from his actual exploits.
3. "Mad" Jack Churchill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill
http://www.wwiihistorymagazine.com/2005/july/col-profiles.html
http://www.amazingben.com/arf0143.html
He was a British soldier who fought throughout World War II armed with a longbow, arrows and a claymore. He once said "any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed." He also played the bagpipes in combat. In one notable escapade, he captured 40 German soldiers and a mortar crew using only his sword. He completed jump school aged 40 (!). Post-war he worked in the levant, and in one incident counter-attacked an Arab ambush on Israelis in his full dress uniform. He also took to throwing his briefcase out of train windows.
The second link has most of his story far better than I could write it. A brilliant and inspiring lunatic.
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My all time favorite is Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Our only 4 term president, the man who saved us from the depression, the man who saved the world from tyranny and guided the US through two of its most extreme crises. Perhaps only Abraham Lincoln faced more dire circumstances as a US president. He was morally flawed (philanderer, adulterer and the shameful internment of Japanese Americans) but he championed the working man which is all the more amazing considering his upper class background. Skeptics may argue his New Deal policies were political necessities in the face of the rise of labor unions and socialist yearnings but I truly believe his intentions were philanthropic and in no small measure influenced by his wife Eleanor. Both were cut from the same cloth of upper class elites who believed that their social advantages obligated them to improve the lives of the less advantaged.
He accomplished all this after facing his own personal crisis of contracting polio in his 30's and spending the rest of his life paralyzed from the waist down. A lesser man would have folded his tent and retreated into private life but against all odds learned to "walk" and overcome what should have been the end of his political career. Show me a physically handicapped man that could overcome the prejudices of the voters be elected president even today. He did it 4 times. We may still be too close to the time of his era to perceive his true greatness but I believe he stands out as one of the great leaders in human history.
I even have a signed portrait of FDR hanging in my living room
Our only 4 term president, the man who saved us from the depression, the man who saved the world from tyranny and guided the US through two of its most extreme crises. Perhaps only Abraham Lincoln faced more dire circumstances as a US president. He was morally flawed (philanderer, adulterer and the shameful internment of Japanese Americans) but he championed the working man which is all the more amazing considering his upper class background. Skeptics may argue his New Deal policies were political necessities in the face of the rise of labor unions and socialist yearnings but I truly believe his intentions were philanthropic and in no small measure influenced by his wife Eleanor. Both were cut from the same cloth of upper class elites who believed that their social advantages obligated them to improve the lives of the less advantaged.
He accomplished all this after facing his own personal crisis of contracting polio in his 30's and spending the rest of his life paralyzed from the waist down. A lesser man would have folded his tent and retreated into private life but against all odds learned to "walk" and overcome what should have been the end of his political career. Show me a physically handicapped man that could overcome the prejudices of the voters be elected president even today. He did it 4 times. We may still be too close to the time of his era to perceive his true greatness but I believe he stands out as one of the great leaders in human history.
I even have a signed portrait of FDR hanging in my living room
FDR is probably my favorite US President too, but I think it's a stretch to say he saved the world from tyranny.
Maybe, it is just my opinion after all, but certainly have to give him some measure of credit for overcoming the isolationist mood of the country at that time and end up leading the country to victory over both Germany and Japan. Not to mention converting the industry of the nation to produce more weapons/supplies/material than the rest of the world combined. These were unbelievably huge accomplishments with all due respect to the other combatants and certainly acknowledging the enormous sacrifice and burden born by the USSR to defeat Germany.
I've read a few pages, and most of these appear to be pretty standard replies (which is fine).
Lord Lucan gets my vote.
Lord Lucan gets my vote.
I've read a few pages, and most of these appear to be pretty standard replies (which is fine).
Lord Lucan gets my vote.
And why does he get your vote ?
My favorite historical figure is Victoria's husband, Prince Albert. To me he seems just like what Germany needed, a liberal reformer. Had he not died so early perhaps his grandson Wilhelm not been so obstinate. Rather Wilhelm became a puppet of the military and ruined Germany with its disastrous involvement in World War I. Additionally, Albert seemed like a faithful and caring husband. I think he'd be an ideal role model for people whose interests are beyond that of a juice head.
Carlos/Charles I/V of Spain/The Holy Roman Empire has to be my vote.
Firsthand, he managed one of the largest (If not the) continual empire in world history in an era where most states could barely keep their own matters in order (The English/British did end up having a larger empire in-total, but it fluctuated quite a lot and most of the larger areas were governed by puppet states, which I hardly count). He had a good eye for advisors, and most importantly, fought what at that time essentially constituted the most important states basically singlehandedly and won.
He did make a few mistakes, mostly involving the results of the Diet of Worms. However, that's not to say that was a total failure- It did closer unify places of the Catholic faith as opposed to the previous constant infighting and squabbling of before, and it did result in what essentially amounts to getting puppet states in Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg, and Saxony for the Austrian Empire which would last for many years afterwards.
Had he actually kept the low countries for the Empire at the start of his reign, that actually would challenge the British in total...
Firsthand, he managed one of the largest (If not the) continual empire in world history in an era where most states could barely keep their own matters in order (The English/British did end up having a larger empire in-total, but it fluctuated quite a lot and most of the larger areas were governed by puppet states, which I hardly count). He had a good eye for advisors, and most importantly, fought what at that time essentially constituted the most important states basically singlehandedly and won.
He did make a few mistakes, mostly involving the results of the Diet of Worms. However, that's not to say that was a total failure- It did closer unify places of the Catholic faith as opposed to the previous constant infighting and squabbling of before, and it did result in what essentially amounts to getting puppet states in Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg, and Saxony for the Austrian Empire which would last for many years afterwards.
Had he actually kept the low countries for the Empire at the start of his reign, that actually would challenge the British in total...
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus
Dude rocks, kicked Hannibals ass.
Otherwise it'd be Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator, dude has an entire fighting strategy named after him.
Dude rocks, kicked Hannibals ass.
Otherwise it'd be Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator, dude has an entire fighting strategy named after him.
There are far to many Europeans and Americans in this thread. To change this I'm going to say Sitting Bull. He was not only a skilled strategist and almost unbeatable fighter in personal combat, but he was a skilled political leader and defender of Native American culture. He was also unbelievably brave. He once sat in front of American the American army and calmly smoked a pipe as they shot at him. That's just epic. He got a lot bad press for killing Custer, but considering Custer was trying to wipe out his tribe and culture, I think it was justified.
When I say American, I mean "the European Americans" Sitting Bull was a native American.