Top 10 Most Influential Leaders of the 20th Century

Personally, I believe Hitler was the greatest leader of the 20th century. His commitment was extraordinary. He used all his skills to reach his aim and advanced knowledge and industry to implement his aim. He created a mission based on a philosophy and practically executed that mission. He mobilized the entire nation to contribute to that mission. In this course, Hitler used all the resources around him to reach his aim. He invented many resources that were not freely available and managed those resources efficiently and effectively. He gave high technical and disciplinary values to his work. I think Hitler utilized all the human distinctiveness and strengths that a human being can use to reach his aim or long-felt inner-human urges.

(I know the entire world hates Hitler, and so do I, but I highly respect his leadership. How he used his leadership is a different story.)

In 1980, he had the largest state funeral in history.

This man, who seems unknown to many, was loved by leaders from both sides of the Cold War. His death brought enemies together in silent mourning, but it also marked the end of an era of brotherhood and unity.

Tito was the greatest leader of the 20th century because his influence stretched out to a global scale. However, he is also considered the worst leader because nobody could possibly live up to his greatness.

He fought off Hitler, humiliated Stalin, and resisted pressure from the United States. He had a vision of what he believed was right and didn't allow anyone to halt his journey.

People talk about Lenin or Marx as the socialist revolutionaries, but they are wrong. Tito was the true revolutionary. By taking elements from many different ideologies, he was able to create a truly socialist nation that strived for the people, and not for military or economic dominance. It wasn't about controlling the most land or having the largest industrial base, as was the case in the US or USSR, but about giving the people what they deserved.

In short, this man was highly decorated and loved by most of the world. His status as a wartime leader, his very resistance to Stalin, and his key role in founding the Non-Aligned Movement propel Tito into being the most influential leader of the 20th century. No question.

At the beginning of the 20th century, while every leader was leading people either to fascism or communism, he was the only leader who had the vision of establishing a republic and democracy. He tried so hard to convince even his comrades to believe in democracy and universal values. His vision was so ahead of his time that it allowed Turkish women to gain the right to vote and be elected, while it was a dream in Europe.

In the middle of an Islamic community, he tried to implement a modern lifestyle. He established a scientific education system, a deficit-free economy, and a secular government legacy. His revolution was the only revolution in the 20th century that established a modern republic, unlike the communist and fascist ones.

As an American of German ancestry, it pains me to say a Brit was probably not only the most influential, but arguably the greatest man to walk the earth, short of Christ himself.

In the face of certain doom, this man led his country to stand up, fight, and oppose the most formidable force the world had ever seen. He walked among his people as the bombs were falling. Courage, strength, integrity, sincerity, and the deepest conviction gave him the moral authority to lead a nation and the world from the brink of enslavement.

Hitler before Churchill? What a joke. A brutal coward and a thug, he murdered a lot of people, but last I checked, the universal language is English, not German, and the symbol of his reign isn't even legal in his own nation.

By the way, all you Franklin D. Roosevelt fans, nope. Roosevelt did not have the courage to lead his people to do what was right over what was popular. As the Jewish peoples of Europe were being written out of the future, his buddy Joe Kennedy, the British ambassador, was telling the President that the anti-Nazi rants were Jewish propaganda. Roosevelt nearly let the clock run out and stood by as country after country folded to this thug.

Churchill all the way. Thank you, Churchill, and thank you, England, for holding off the collapse while the rest of us considered the cost.

I think that Mr. Gandhi was and still is one of the most influential persons that the human race has ever known in this contemporary world. Be it his character, devotion, integrity, vision, patience, peace-making ability, philosophy, humbleness, or simplicity. If I continue to enumerate, there won't be enough words to define the exemplary person he was. He was second to none, and I do not believe that there will be another living man who can reach his achievements.

He was a true human being, with such will and kindness that I can only dream about. Gandhiji was the incarnation of good, just as Hitler was the incarnation of evil.

His unwavering belief in the basic goodness of humanity should be an inspiration and hope for us all. He probably saved the lives of more people than anybody in history.

Thank you, Mr. Gandhi. You are a true hero.

R.K. from Poland

Franklin D. Roosevelt was clearly the best President the United States had from the 1930s to the mid-1940s. His economic strategies were instrumental in helping the US recover from the Great Depression. He transformed America into a superpower. However, like Woodrow Wilson, who declared war in WWI, FDR declared war in WWII. His introduction of Japanese internment camps, where people of Japanese descent underwent heavy scrutiny, is a significant flaw. Despite this, FDR's legacy remains unpopular but important.

He led America out of the Great Depression and won four terms as President during incredibly challenging economic times, while fighting WWII.

Joseph Stalin is considered one of the best leaders of the USSR, if we stop viewing him through the lens of Western liberal democracy. His brutality is highly controversial, with historians presenting varying accounts and interpretations of his leadership without reaching a consensus. If brutality occurred during his regime, it might have been a mechanism to maintain the socialist structure. In 2000, Russia revealed papers suggesting that Stalin's primary goal was to maintain the socialist structure

Joseph Stalin was Hitler's nightmare. He transformed Russia from a weak agricultural nation into an industrial superpower. Although he did kill millions, more than Hitler, he made the Soviet Ruble worth more than the US dollar. Employment was guaranteed, free healthcare was provided, injured workers were guaranteed pay, and the state regulated food prices, among many other achievements.

Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution, was one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. He was largely responsible for overthrowing the unjust and greedy line of Russian Tsars, founding the nation that was the primary victor in World War II, and opposing the United States in the Cold War. Without Lenin, the world would have been a very different place.

It takes a smart man to make something bigger and better. But it takes a genius, like Vladimir Lenin, to make an idea turn the other way. He gave Russia all he had. He did something no other man in history did. He made something so revolutionary that the world will always remember Communism.

Martin Luther King Jr., along with his wife Coretta Scott King, is probably one of the greatest American citizens of all time. He helped advance civil rights under both Republican (Eisenhower) and Democrat (Kennedy/Johnson) administrations. This advancement led to the desegregation of schools, the advancement of voting rights, and the prohibition of discrimination in various areas such as employment and housing, which were significant aspects of the Great Society/War on Poverty programs proposed by LBJ.

He also marched for other causes, such as the Poor Man's March on Washington. His family continues to advocate through the King Center to help advance equal justice for all.

He risked and lost his life by courageously attempting to take on the power elites through his decision to shut down the corruption of the Federal Reserve. This would have had a huge positive effect on the world by making an incredibly positive shift in the direction of the financial evolution of the planet.

Pope John Paul II helped free Poland, supported Mother Teresa, forgave the man who shot him, and believed in people standing side by side, hand in hand, in peace. He even cured a woman with cancer. Did Gandhi do that? No! And why is Margaret Thatcher on the list? She discriminated against Catholics in Ireland. She let Bobby Sands and the hunger strikers die, even though the Pope tried to intervene with the British government for a united Ireland. Now, Pope John Paul II enjoys peace in heaven. Long live the memory of Pope John Paul II.

He shaped the United States and the world as both proceeded into the 20th century. He was far ahead of his time, being both tough yet compassionate. Extremely intelligent, hardworking, humble, and a wonderful father and husband, he was probably the most idealistic and honorable leader we've ever had. His enthusiasm knew no bounds.

A man with ideas that were ahead of his time. A tough man with liberal ideas. Anti-trust laws, child labor laws, national parks. The greatest American president by far.

Mao Zedong transformed China into what is now known as the People's Republic of China. Through the Great Leap Forward, China is now one of the largest producers of technology-oriented products. It is also one of the worst nations where human rights are concerned. Like many of the leaders on this list, he was a great leader but not a good one.

His gargantuan ego, villainous contempt for the human condition, and role in shaping Southeast Asia earn Mao a spot in the top ten.

If "influential" means causing the deaths of a significant number of civilians, then Mao is your guy.

This man could not win the love of his own people. Ask people on the street in Russia who the worst leader in the history of Russia is, and eight out of ten will name Gorbachev (the rest will name Yeltsin). The people did not forgive him for destroying the Soviet Union and plunging the country into chaos, poverty, and banditry, which followed the greatest robbery in history.

In the 30 years since then, Russia has evolved from a developed industrial superpower into what is now called "Nigeria with Snow." Some say it's not his fault, but the reality is that it was the result of his actions. China, being much less developed than the USSR in the early 90s, was able to successfully implement perestroika, and now look what it has become. The Soviet Union would have been in its place...

Margaret Thatcher did not try to destroy the working class. She cut spending, entitlements, and welfare, which were debilitating the growth of private capitalism in Britain and killing jobs. She was trying to inspire the work ethic within the British people, encouraging them to rely on themselves rather than expecting the government to take care of them. Britain was a stagnant economy at the time.

Thatcher instilled policies that brought freedom, free trade, and job growth. It took time, as it does now, and people lost their pensions, which gave her policies a bad reputation. But Thatcher was a great leader, not allowed to go far enough. She tried to take power out of the hands of the trade unions. She was for the working class, the class she came from.

He was the Grand Ayatollah and the supreme leader of the Shia, and the revolution he brought still has an impact in Iran. He had great leadership qualities, which enabled him to dismantle the liberal government of the Shah of Iran (Mohammad Reza Pahlavi). Imam Khomeini is considered to be the only greatest philosopher of the 20th century.

He was a man from the fabric of the poor and oppressed. He dedicated his life not for money or power, but to give a voice to the oppressed all over the world. He was Imam Khomeini.

He was so influential that he had the biggest funeral ever, but his influence was controversial.

Anyone who could fight out of the jungle with makeshift arms and overthrow a violent and greedy tyrant, who stood up to the might of the "good guys" for 50 years and who always had the well-being of his people at heart, deserves the accolade of leader of the 20th century. As for his influence, just look at South America in the 21st century. One by one, its nations have cast off the chains of North American imperialism, cloaked as always in a shroud of benevolence and charity.

What legacy did John Paul II leave? He left Ratzinger, a despot, ex-Hitler Youth, misogynist, homophobe, a beacon of hatred, a haven for serial child rapists, a friend to the powerful and corrupt, and a defender of ignorance and poverty. Fidel may have had to make difficult decisions in order to protect his revolution, but they pale in comparison to the magnitude of the horrific crimes against humanity perpetrated by at least six American presidents since he first came to power.

While Gandhi aimed to prevent India from splitting, Jinnah's goal was to provide an autonomous state for his nation and for people oppressed by the staggering Hindu majority. Jinnah's struggle was unique. He did not just lead the Pakistan Movement. His leadership achieved what Islamic reformers, Mughals, and other influential legends could not. Jinnah was a victor, indeed. He won the duel against Gandhi, often summed up as a chess game between the two. Gandhi was unable to prevent the split of India and lost to Jinnah.

He made the most difficult decision a President has ever had to make. It saved untold Japanese and American lives. He was incorruptible, not power-hungry, and made his decisions based on what was good for America and in accordance with his Christian faith.

Created all the problems we are dealing with today. His trickle-down economics has created the economic disaster that every Republican President repeats and every Democratic President has to spend their whole term clearing up.

I never voted for him, but I must admit he accomplished everything he promised on the campaign trail. I learned to admire his confidence and action, and that is what leadership is all about.

By escalating the arms race, he brought the Soviet Union to its inevitable end quicker. Through Nancy's War on Drugs, he worsened conditions for those with addiction problems.

B. R. Ambedkar was an enigmatic personality, both brilliant and humble. He could have served other nations for his betterment or converted to Islam or Christianity to gain political influence and power, considering the context of pre-independent India. Instead, he chose to strive only for his community and the lower levels of Hindu society. He made reforms in the constitution to benefit every stratum of Indian society, protecting the harmony and integrity of India.

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar is one of the most influential personalities of India. Thanks to his efficient constitution, India managed to preserve its freedom and independence. Starting from a very depressed background, India has now become a strong, well-established, and the world's largest democratic country. Despite having more than a hundred languages, six religions, and various disparities, India is progressing towards greater heights.