Your favourite historical personality

[Strike For The South]

I agree with Strike that Andrew Jackson was awesome, but I have to note that the spoils system was removed after Garfield's assassination.

There are ways around those pesky laws. We see it today. It's just not as pronounced.

[a completely inoffensive name]

There are ways around those pesky laws. We see it today. It's just not as pronounced.

Not really, the spoils system was candidates giving cushy jobs to people in return for support and their votes, nowadays support is given by companies who want favorable legislation for their business. Are there jobs given to friends and not necessarily the most qualified person, probably, but it is most likely not on the scale that it still qualifies to be considered a continuation of the spoils system.

[Gbone]

General Lettow-Vorbeck

-Mostly due to his solid (guerilla) campaign against the English and actually winning, even though the odds were not in his favor.

General Sherman

- Due to his total war ideas

Saladin
Sun Tzu

[Cambyses]

Favourite personality, as in most interesting that defined an era, probably Alexander the Great - there was a lot more to him than simply being a great general. I mean how many people could claim to be personally educated by Aristotle?

[KrooK]

Jan Karol Chodkiewicz - polish hetman (highest military rank) - for way he defeated Poland into XVII century and Casimir the Great - polish king who changed our country for centuries.
Maybe its a bit nationalistic but I like them. Their influence was visible for many years - into whole Eastern Europe.

[Passatempo]

Julius Caesar

[Seign Thelas]

Nobunaga Oda, one of the most innovative minds to come out of the 17th century.


If not him, Gilles de Rais, nothing beats being one of the most prolific serials killers of all time. Eighty to two hundred people, wow.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I'd have to make a list of mine. It isn't in any particular order, mind you, in spite of it being numbered.

1) Otto von Bismarck. I don't always agree with his methods (or, more accurately, I don't like them being applied today to promote a United Europe - but different times must be judged differently), but he was an absolutely brilliant statesman, a true master of the art.

2) Helmuth von Moltke the Elder. The greatest military mind of his day, and certainly in the top ten of any list of European military leaders.

3) Hans Oster/Wilhelm Canaris. Enigmatic, beautiful minds, and true German heroes. The account of the interrogation of Canaris showed his outstanding mind - the amount of false trails, contradictory information, and traps he laid to confound the Nazis were marks of sheer genius.

4) Sir Isaac Brock. Not necessarily an exceptional military mind - he could be far too impetuous - he was nonetheless brave and a heroic figure in his own right.

5) Konrad Adenauer. He was, at least in part, responsible for Germany's return as a power. I am personally indebted to him for some of the things he did. The only problem I had with him was his committment to European unity.

6) Benjamin Disraeli. What a guy.

7) Golda Meir. A leader I very much look up to. Pity she was on the left.

[PanzerJaeger]

I'd have to make a list of mine. It isn't in any particular order, mind you, in spite of it being numbered.

1) Otto von Bismarck. I don't always agree with his methods (or, more accurately, I don't like them being applied today to promote a United Europe - but different times must be judged differently), but he was an absolutely brilliant statesman, a true master of the art.

2) Helmuth von Moltke the Elder. The greatest military mind of his day, and certainly in the top ten of any list of European military leaders.

3) Hans Oster/Wilhelm Canaris. Enigmatic, beautiful minds, and true German heroes. The account of the interrogation of Canaris showed his outstanding mind - the amount of false trails, contradictory information, and traps he laid to confound the Nazis were marks of sheer genius.

4) Sir Isaac Brock. Not necessarily an exceptional military mind - he could be far too impetuous - he was nonetheless brave and a heroic figure in his own right.

5) Konrad Adenauer. He was, at least in part, responsible for Germany's return as a power. I am personally indebted to him for some of the things he did. The only problem I had with him was his committment to European unity.

6) Benjamin Disraeli. What a guy.

7) Golda Meir. A leader I very much look up to. Pity she was on the left.

Very interesting list...

[Strike For The South]

I like EMFM idea I can't name just one

1. Andrew Jackson-Set precedent for the republic of the common man. Granted the common man was white but he set everything into motion.

2. Sam Houston- Ardent Texan and ardent unionist, spit in the confederates face and never wavered in his love for Texas or America

3. George Patton- The right amount of jingoism and leadership. Quintessentially American

4. Juan Seguin- Texas patriot, who later was expelled from both Texas and Mexico because both considered him a spy, only now getting his due.

5. Winston Churchill-The stiffest lip and very quotable.

6. Fredrick Douglas-Amazing forward thinker, had America figured out before anyone else

7. John Adams- A founding father who put his principles to work time and again, vastly underrated as a patriot and a president.

8. Giuseppe Garibaldi-Italian who put aside personal glory and pride so he could see a unified Italy, Truly a strong man.

[Fragony]

The Marquis de Sade. Completely nuts he's a riot to read.

[Ibrahim]

The Marquis de Sade. Completely nuts he's a riot to read.

you think the man who gave his name to "sadism" is cool?


but yes, he is qquite a riot to read

[DisruptorX]

Pyrrhus of Epirus.

Despite being one of the few generals to beat the Roman legions during the republican era, he just doesn't get the same respect as ol Hannibal.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Oliver Cromwell. Led (arguably) the world's first nationwide popular revolution, stopped the Three Kingdoms from becoming absolute monarchies, and organised an incredibly disciplined army way ahead of its time. Plus other more Backroomish reasons.

[Mount Suribachi]

Oliver Cromwell. Led (arguably) the world's first nationwide popular revolution, stopped the Three Kingdoms from becoming absolute monarchies, and organised an incredibly disciplined army way ahead of its time. Plus other more Backroomish reasons.

Beat me to it. I am fascinated by him and King Charles I. Two great, yet highly flawed men, each in their own way.

[navarro951]

Saladin, guy is a badass; gotta love those Saracens.

[Custodis Hellenius]

Oliver Cromwell. Excellent General, ripped England and Ireland apart and was one of the biggest b******s the world has ever seen.

[Xipe Totec]

Isaac Newton

So many brilliant ideas. Worked out vast details of so many new areas of science and maths completely on his own. Stuck a large needle into his eye to test a theory about how the eye works!

[Custodis Hellenius]

We can do scientists? Ok, Micheal Faraday. Uncovered the secrets of electricity and invented both the electrical generator and engine. Responsible for most of the modern electrical innovations.

Also, Galleleio (sp), a genius and shamelessly persecuted for his beliefs. Started the innovation in scientific defiance of the Church.

[Samurai Waki]

Oddly enough, my favourite historical personality is Einstein, genius, and had wonderful perspective.

[Centurion1]

Genghis Khan. Not the brutal dictator as assumed by western culture. don't agree, read the book Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world, and come talk to me.

Plus an amazing from rags to riches story, simply awe inspiring

[ICantSpellDawg]

1) James K Polk

2) Horatio Nelson

3) Stonewall Jackson

4) Winston Churchill

5) Reinhard Heydrich (I know, I know - I just read a book about him once and his ability to manipulate and uncover truth truly terrified me)

[Imperator Invictus]

Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa

[Reverend Joe]

The greatest misanthrope of all time, W. C. Fields. A shamelessly angry, arrogant, misogynistic drunk who shamelessly mocked the upper class with his boorish impersonation of them, complete with top hat and cane. He also said some of the greatest quotes of the 20th century, such as "Sure, I like children... girl children, around eighteen, twenty" and "I never drink water because fish **** in it." My hero. I only wish he had starred in a movie with Groucho Marx.

Of course, once I get to know more about him and read some of his literature, I suspect that Samuel "Mark Twain" Clemens will replace Fields as my favorite historical character.