Okay so I just suddenly grew curious about the past leaders of the world. I've read up on a few of them and they were very interesting people. They did many things (whether good or evil) but you can't deny they were leaders of their time.

So, I want to make a comparison. The people are the great Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, Stalin, Napoleon, and finally Hitler (most hated one?). Basically discuss what made them great, how they reached where they were, their downfall and what mistakes they made leading to their downfall.

I hope I learn something from this :)

Driven men given an opportunity.

Built up their nations economy, built up their nations military and/or security forces. Justified their actions as a needed action

Their solution for giving their people everything they needed, was taking it from everyone else.

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Originally Posted by AbovenBeyond

So, I want to make a comparison. The people are the great Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, Stalin, Napoleon, and finally Hitler (most hated one?).

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"History is the polemics of the victors." - Wm. F Buckley, Jr.
"History is written by the winners" ,"There is only one version of history, the winner's."/both attributed to different authors/

My grandfather used to live in Germany /he was not German/.According to him Hitler was a political genius.Do not forget that after WW1 Germany was the poorest country in Europe,the German nation was demoralized,Germany was treated very badly but the victorious allies which wanted to have 80 per cent of the German gross domestic income.
The French occupation government refused to prosecute large-scale rapes and murders accomplished by French troops from African origin in Alsace-Lorraine...
Hitler took the German populations that was starving, rampant unemployment, and beaten down and created a very powerful military, a thriving economy, and brought back pride in the German people.ALL IN SIX YEARS!!

Hitler gave the German people a hope of a better life and got millions of them back to work.He ordered the German autobahn to be built-it was the first motorway in Europe.Do not forget the famous Volkswagen bug
Which was created those days...
His military was so powerful it took not only Europe, but Russian and the US to beat it. I'm not saying what he did was right, I'm only illustrating his successes.

Well lets start with the basics.
You are wrong.
History exists, history is.
Whether you know it or not is a different question.

And information about history will come out, no matter how you try to hide it.
Information is more than just a textbook or a whisper in the dark.

You did not include some people who ruled over much more, or even people who killed many more.
Being famous does not make you a leader. It just means someone told YOU to notice THEM, and you did.
Whoever told you to notice those people, you trusted, you believed enough what they say to do it.
You believe them enough to ask for help in doing it. People are not impressive. The acts they do are not
Either, it is all common actions, perhaps someone is impressed with something, but I cannot be.

That all being said, they all were well known for some military conquests. Not as large or deadly as others, but
You probably don't know the others who are responsible for much more, even more than all those combined!

Actually history is written differently in different nations according to their view points. I am sure what is taught in North Korea or China about the US role in many wars is different than what we teach in school.

And to be honest, being part of history over the last >> years, many of the events I may have been part of, is often told differently than perhaps the people invovled may remember them.

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Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

Actually history is written differently in different nations according to their view points. I am sure what is taught in North Korea or China about the US role in many wars is different than what we teach in school.

And to be honest, being part of history over the last >> years, many of the events I may have been part of, is often told differently than perhaps the people invovled may remember them.

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Yep, the winner writes the history.

You are even more wrong. You presume what someone tells someone else is fact.
Read websters dictionary facts are events that occur. Not what someone tells someone else happened! Learn

No history is not about the winner, for eventually tides turn and other sides will prevail almost always. History is what actuall physically happened, not what ignorant people think happened.

Perhaps this should be moved to a discussion forum, since the OP is wanting a discussion.

That will prevent eawoodall from tossing out unwarranted reddies to everyone that posts here expressing their opinion.

Just a thought.

Thanks for the balancer Alty.

To eawoodall.

The OP wanted a discussion. Discussion involves give and take, accepting others ideas, stating your own ideas and opinions, and then talking about your differing points of view.

Discussion, if done by civilized people, can be done without name calling, without severe disagreement, and in a polite way.

Calling people names is not allowed on this site. If you disagree with someone, try pointing out why in civilized manner. That will not only earn you respect, it will impel people to actually listen to what you say.

Also, please read the rules regarding the rating system. Negative ratings (unhelpful/disagree) are for factually incorrect posts only. This entire thread is asking for opinion. Opinions cannot be reddied (rated unhelpful) as per the rules of this site.

I've asked that this thread be moved to a discussion area were ratings are not available.

My only suggestion to you eawoodall is to converse in a manner befitting an intelligent adult.

History texts have been rewritten in Texas:

"After three days of turbulent meetings, the Texas Board of Education on Friday [in March 2010] approved a social studies curriculum that will put a conservative stamp on history and economics textbooks, stressing the superiority of American capitalism, questioning the Founding Fathers' commitment to a purely secular government and presenting Republican political philosophies in a more positive light.

Mary Helen Berlanga accused fellow members of the Board of Education of 'rewriting history.'

The vote was 10 to 5 along party lines, with all the Republicans on the board voting for it.

In recent years, board members have been locked in an ideological battle between a bloc of conservatives who question Darwin's theory of evolution and believe the Founding Fathers were guided by Christian principles, and a handful of Democrats and moderate Republicans who have fought to preserve the teaching of Darwinism and the separation of church and state.

Battles over what to put in science and history books have taken place for years in the 20 states where state boards must adopt textbooks, most notably in California and Texas. But rarely in recent history has a group of conservative board members left such a mark on a social studies curriculum.

One board member said, 'They are rewriting history, not only of Texas but of the United States and the world.' "

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/ed...n/13texas.html

Hitler loved his dogs.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Hitler loved his dogs.

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... and his volk;)