20th Century Leaders

20th Century Leaders

The world has seen raise and fall of powerful and weak human leaders through the journey of 20th century. Some of them were so much influential to change the course of history, while others affixed their own chapters to it. Some of them we would always love to remember, while the story of some others’ remained shocking in our thoughts. However, each one of them clearly sketched a picture of leadership in to the books of past.

Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who is popular as Mahatma Gandhi, was born on October 2, 1869 at Porbander in Gijarat of India. Born in a family that was influential to government during the British rule in India, he could have lived prolifically in his ancestral house; yet he did not choose that path. Gandhi did not stay idle towards the brutal system of colonization, rather he reacted harshly. His principle of non-violence and truth were simple for the commoners to grasp though tough to follow. A large crowd, an entire country started following his ideas; they accepted him as their leader; they fought together to a common goal. Today, he is regarded as the father of the nation in India. But do you think he went on to ask what his followers need? He surely did not do that, but he knew very well what they needed. He knew that the population has only one need, freedom.Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948)

Adolf Hitler (1889 – 1945)

Adolf Hitler, the German leader who was born on April 20, 1889 at Braunau am Inn in Austria, started his political career as a democratic leader. Although he called himself as the Führer (Leader) of German Empire, his dictatorship and autocratic style of administration wouldn’t happily consider him a people’s leader. A strong activist of Nazi movement, Hitler and his followers assumed Jews as the trouble for Germany and its success. He was elected into the German Government in 1933, and that was the end of freedom of speech in the country. He ran a brutal campaign throughout the nation in making Germany a totalitarian Nazi state. However, Hitler too was a leader that world would never forget even if it would like to.

Nelson Mandela (Born in 1918)

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who is also known as Madiba was born in South Africa on July 18, 1918. Although he co-founded Umkhonto we Sizwe, an armed wing of African National Congress, to fight against the system of legal racial segregation in the country, he later followed the idea of Mahatma Gandhi to adopt non-violence movement. In 1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage. He was sentenced to life in prison and he served his country from prison for a long 27 years. His basic values of patience and dedication reaped him success and he was released on February 2, 1990. He then served as the President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 through a fully representative democratic election.

Pope John Paul II (1920 – 2005)

Unlike the other three leaders that we have already spoke about, Pope John Pail II has the shade of a religion and is a pure charismatic figure. He was born on May 18, 1920 at Wadowice of Poland and was elected as the pope on October 16, 1978. He served his community and the world as a charismatic leader for 27 years, influencing the thoughts of his followers. As a leader, he stood a stand against communism; he also opposed uncontrolled capitalism and stood strongly for the basic rights of people. However, he was against abortion, contraception, homosexuality, and polygamy.

Fidel Castro (Born in 1926)

Here is another political leader, a communist revolutionary. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, who was born on August 13, 1926 in Cuba, is famous as Cuba’s revolutionary leader who helped the nation to get rid of corrupted administrative system and US influence. He inspired a large population to take arms towards their freedom. He led many battles and movements to bring the Batista regime. He then served the nation, or better to say rules Cuba, as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976, and then as the President until handing over power to his brother Raúl Castro in 2008. Like Hitler, we must agree that Castro too loved to remain in power at least until he was totally ill, but may be his approach was slightly different.