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What is your favorite historical character. Either politically or militarily. My personal favorite would have to be Hannibal. He delivered the Romans their worst defeat in the republics history. He marched elephants across the continent of Europe. He was a great military genius.
I'de have to go with FDR or Henry V there my favorites.
Robert E Lee
With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I have therefore resigned my commission in the Army, and save in defense of my native State, with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed, I hope I may never be called on to draw my sword...
I find Alkiviades (Alkibiades) of Athens the most intriguing personality of the ancient world, and maybe of all times. Extremely capable, political genious, unlimited potential, great "behind the scenes" person, very able military commander, was also a serious case of degradation, decadence, hedonist, self-loathe, immoral bastard... an extremely complicated personality, but with a sole aim: his own well beeing. He pretty much shaped the history of the Greek world, by determining by his actions the outcome of the pelopponesian war.
Has to be Oliver Cromwell - maybe he wasn't a laugh a minute, but he was a military genius and the political consequences of his victories and subsequent rule of England is the basis of our parlimentary democracy. His one black mark - his Ireland campaign - sucessful, but bloody. However his New Model Army is the basis of the current day Royal Army - an army which created the largest Empire the world has ever seen.
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus - consummate diplomat, strategist, tactician and politician. He was also very well versed inthe psychological aspects of warfare, and he learned from the mistakes of others (he defeated Hannibal by learning from him, and by depriving him of his Numidian cavalry through diplomatic measures - he also bloodied his troops against Hannibal's when Hannibal wasn't there beforehand, so his men would begin to believe they could win). He was surprisingly benevolent to those he conquered, preferring to make a new ally, rather than foster discontent.
Finally, he was offered Dictatorship of Rome, but declined, believing that ultimate power vested in one man would inevitably lead to corruption.
GW "First in war, first in peace, and first in the heart's of his countrymen."
Scipio.
T.E. Lawrence
W.T. Sherman
Henry V
George Washington.
Wellington.
Nelson.
Simon Bolivar.
Jan Zizka.
Heron of Alexandria.
Charles Darwin.
H.G Wells.
Douglas Adams.
And many, many more.
Otto von Bismarck.
"An appeal to fear will find no echo in German hearts!"
Hetman John Carol Chodkiewicz
Great commander and great polish patriot. This men never lost battle.
He crushed 4 times stronger swedish army at Kircholm and several smaller battles. In 1620 leading 48000 men he stopped turkish empire close to city Chocim. Poles prepared fortified camp and held long siege. Hetman died during battle (cause he got 80 years :2thumbsup: )from natural reasons but commanders didn't tell it soldiers. When winter came Turks (who got big casualties) had to agree on peace.
He has been so famous that Poles awarded his family like hardly any into our history. Their were given "count" title as one of 3 families ever (there were no "counts" or "princes" title into Poland).
For me he is ideal of warrior - he can win even after his death.:shame:
Hector. My idol when it comes how to lead my life \o
Cyrus the Great. Conquered vast tracks of land to equal Alexander, plus was the first in history to propose that all humans had a set of inaliable rights. What a man <o
Epaminondas. A military genius, he was also a good philosopher, orator, statesman, and immune to bribery and all that normally brought men like him down in the world of ancient Greek politics.
Philip II. Great statesman, great general. And only one eye to boot! ~;)
Khusrau Anushirvan. Reformed Persia and gave it a professional army. Made the state powerful enough to reconquer -- however briefly -- all territory once held by the likes of Darius the Great.
Heraclius. Soldier-Emperor and brilliant statesman. Breathed a life into the ailing Eastern Roman Empire that would later catapult it to its lofty apogee.
Muhammad, Prophet of Islam. That rare combination of great mystic and great statesman. Forged from a group of warring polytheist tribes the beginnings of an empire that would span the world. Meanwhile was an honorable and just man, from what I've read.
Chingis Khan. Those of you who have seen me debate here before probably know all about why him, ad nauseam even. Therefore, no comment. ~;)
Amir Temur, otherwise known as Tamerlane or Timur-i-Lenk. So brilliant yet so extraordinarily cruel and bloodthirsty, he's just a very interesting character.
Babur. His life story is just awe-inspiring, plus he was an intellectual. Again, what a man <o
Prince Maurits of Orange, Stadhouder of the United Provinces. Pwnd the Spaniards and a military genius. Did have a bit of an extreme view regarding religion, though ~;)
Michiel de Ruyter. We still own your flagship, Englishmen, do you perhaps want it back? :D
Voltaire. I feel there is no need to explain why. _o_
Theodor Herzl. Founder of what is now known as Zionism. I need not say more.
Theodore Roosevelt. "Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far in life." Wise, wise words indeed, ol' Teddy. <o
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Forged from an unindustrialized, semi-feudal and thoroughly corrupt state an entirely new and much more modern state. Next to that he was a rather interesting character. Bit too much a conservative and statist for my tastes, however.
Winston Churchill. Need I say more? <o
Sidartha Gautama......Buddha
......Orda
Winston Churchill
Henry II
Henry IV&V's
Wellesley
Nelson
Napoleon
Trotsky
Frederick Abberline (I just love the way he is always portrayed in Movies)
Alexander
Augustus Octavian Ceasar
Marcus Brutus
Cicero
Archamides
Plato
Socrates
Pericles
Aethelsatn and Alfred of Wessex
Harold Godwineson
Edward III
Jesus Christ
Muhammad
Kublai kHAN
Attila
many many more...:dizzy2:
Wow, is that the first ever post by SFTS that does not contain any spelling or grammatical errors?:book:Quote:
Originally Posted by strike for the south
My favourite characters would include:
Aelfred the Great of Wessex
Athelstan
Harold II
Alexius Comnenus I
Robert Guiscard
Bohemond of Taranto
King Stephen
John Comnenus
Manuel Comnenus
Frederick Barbarossa
Edward I
Frederick II "Stupor Mundi"
Michael VIII Paleologus
Edward III
Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince
Henry V
Prince Rupert of the Palatinate
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Malborough
James Wolfe
Frederick the Great
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by King Henry V
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Richard the Lionheart!!!
Wow, and another one! What have you done with the real Strike for the South? You're a Northener, aren't you?:laugh4:Quote:
Originally Posted by strike for the south
Abraham Lincoln and Socrates.
Do I need to post reasons? ~D
Basil II Bulgaroctonus... Byzantine Emperor. :book:
I can`t believe that no one said Julius Caesar, probably the greates political and military mind of all times. From almost unknown politician he rose to the stature of roman dictator, completely reformed the heavilly corrupted republic and built foundations for the roman empire to become what it became...
So, my voice go to Caesar without a doubt.
After him:
Otto von Bismarck and Peter I the Great
I vote for Octavian Augustus. This cunning man really knew how to build an
extremely strong empire.
Others
From medieval times:
William the Conqueror,Philip II Augustus Sallah-ad-din, Genghis khan and special attention to byzantine emperors: Alexius Comnenus and John III Doukas Vatatzes (Basil II was an excellent emperor but I can not forgive him conquering Bulgaria :no: )
And at the end some Bulgarian rulers: khan Krum (the beginning of IXth century), tzar Kaloyan (1197-1207) and Ivan Asen II (1218-1241)
Later on:the emperor of Spain and HRE Charles V, Elizabeth I of England, Maria Teresia, Peter the Great and the prussian king Friedrich-Wilhelm I
Scipio Africanus, Alkibiades, Cyrus, Caesar and Hadrian top my list.
... No. He made use of Republican structures and trappings like Sulla before him, and Augustus more skillfully after him. I agree with you on his rise -- which was not as dramatic as you claim it was, seeing as he was a member of the ancient patrician clan of the Julii Caesares -- but furthermore, his actions weren't all that interesting. Good general? Yes. Good politician? I suppose. Great visionary? Nope.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarmatian
I think he was a great visionary. It was his idea that rome should be a monarchy again. You must understand the general opinion the romans had about monarchy at that time. Sula was a power-freak, but caesar worked methodically toward his goal. He was a member of an ancient patrician family, but with little assets. If you understand roman politics at that time, you know that no one could become a senator if he didn`t have enough money.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Wizard
HA! You forgot a dot at the end of the E!Quote:
Originally Posted by strike for the south
Not 100% sure if that's required though...
I've always found him fascinating because he showed what the Roman system would produce when its characteristics of personal honour and loyalty to the state in the most extreme possible way. Admittedly the same could be said of Marius and Sulla; perhaps they just didn't get enough press.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Wizard
This is where I dissagree with the wizard. What distinguished Caesar from Marius and Sulla was his vision. He had a vision what Rome should be. Sulla was a power freak and Marius was more of a day-to-day politician, although he was probably better general than Caesar.Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoffrey S
What . after the e? Lies to undermine my perfect grammer!Quote:
Originally Posted by evil_maniac from mars
That's grammar. He means Robert E. Lee, I think.