Most prominent Western European political leader (after Hitler/Napoleon) of the last 300 years? (Great Britain, general)

[Davy-040]

Originally Posted by Jaggy001

But given Russian influence on European politics in the 18th century whether it be the defeat of Charles II and Sweden, the partition of Poland or Russian involvement in the Napoleonic wars then you cannot really exclude her - and by extension Peter the Great and Catherine the Great - from any discussion of European history after 1700.

Cath was Western European, Peter was not.

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by Davy-040

11 visitors, no votes.
I thought the people in this section had historical knowledge.

I will not vote in public polls. I see no reason to attach individual names with their vote

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by vision33r

Hitler. While no fan of his policies, he was the most influential leader that made Germany into a superpower.

The choices purposely excluded Hitler and Napoleon.

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by Troyfan

Churchill but that might be because he's the most recent along with DeGaulle. Others could include Pope John Paul II and Abraham Lincoln. And why not George Washington?

Neither Lincoln or Washington are Western European

[Davy-040]

Originally Posted by MidValleyDad

I will not vote in public polls. I see no reason to attach individual names with their vote

Afraid to show your opinion... exactly what's wrong with the Western world today.

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Originally Posted by Davy-040

Who was the most influential?

Hard to pick...I guess...well...as a Political leader...Vladimir Lenin. Bringing to a boil the Class struggle that started at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.


Of course...Lenin was actualizing Marx..but Marx was no leader.

[Nothere1]

I'm a big fan of Niccolo Machiavelli, but doesn't reach the 300 year mark. I voted for Otto, the obvious winner, Winston a close second.

[Davy-040]

Originally Posted by EvilEyeFleegle

Hard to pick...I guess...well...as a Political leader...Vladimir Lenin. Bringing to a boil the Class struggle that started at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.

Lenin = Russian = Not Western European.

[Troyfan]

Originally Posted by Davy-040

Since when are they Western European?

Lincoln was born in Kentucky (North America),
Washington in Virginia (North America),
John Paul II in Southern Poland (Eastern Europe)

Oops!

[Tonyafd]

I initially said Churchill, but we cannot discount those whose ideas triggered a series of events that influenced Western Europe for centuries. I change my vote to Montesquieu. Montesquieu planted the seed of the French Revolution.

Here is some supporting documentation: The French Revolution: Ideas and Ideologies | History Today

Out of the French Revolution came the phrase Liberte, fraternite, egalite. This culminated in a democracy in France after a lot of blood was shed. The equality of men inspired the Socialist and Communist ideologies emerging in the mid to late eighteen hundreds. In the twentieth century Mussolini was initially a Socialist trouble maker. Mussolini's Socialism evolved into Fascism when Italian Socialists refused to be Italian nationalists. Although Mussolini was a military subordinate to Hitler, He could be considered the father of the Italian dialect of National Socialism. To some extent Hitler was a student of Mussolini. An ideology which survived the Second World War, Communism was a power to be reckoned with all the way to 1991.

Although my thread of logic is not the strongest thread possible, there is a thread never the less.