Who would you nominate as the greatest statesmen in history and why?

My vote would go to Winston Spencer Churchill. My primary reason is because he in many ways invoked a nazi-esque sense of Nationalism, without resorting to mass genocide.

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(For those of you who were wondering, this post said Adolf Hitler.)

I'm entirely biased in my choice, mainly because I have always admired the work he did, but my choice is Thomas Jefferson.

I Like Alexander, cuz he united that big freakin empire; just think what would happen if he got Arabia!!! Or lived a little longer

Originally posted by Godwynn
Adolf Hitler.

I'm no Nazi, but he could sway the masses. Promised to rebuild Germany after its disaster in W.W.I. and he did, but destroyed it even more.

I'd pick the original builder of Germany: Bismarck.

Pericles comes to mind, after all, bneing able to sway together the jumbled mass of indvidualism that was Atheinian democracy at the time was no lean feat, though I'm also tempted to Say th elikes of Benjamin Franklin (a representative of all the founding fathers, who, undeniabley, statesmen of the highest calliber), and Camillo di Cavour, a major unifyer of Italy

Originally posted by SeleucusNicator
I'd pick the original builder of Germany: Bismarck.

Ahh yes, good one Seleucus.

Otto von Bismarck. I cannot believe I forgot about him. :cry:

Originally posted by Xen
Pericles comes to mind, after all, bneing able to sway together the jumbled mass of indvidualism that was Atheinian democracy at the time was no lean feat, though I'm also tempted to Say th elikes of Benjamin Franklin (a representative of all the founding fathers, who, undeniabley, statesmen of the highest calliber), and Camillo di Cavour, a major unifyer of Italy

For American statesmen, I find the founding fathers overdone, if for good reason.

I much prefer 19th century figures; be they the great compromisers such as Henry Clay and Millard Fillmore, the wacky idealogues like John C. Calhoun, or the men of action such as Andrew Jackson or James K. Polk.

Teddy Roosevelt or Otto von Bismarck

I think Winston Churchill is one of the greatest.

Teddy Roosevelt was good.

Churchill had his successes mostly in foreign policy, and a great many of them.

Chiang Chi-Sheik was very good in statesmanship, able to garner support both from the US, which had opposed him because he was close to Stalin and Hitler (before the war), the UK, which wanted a larger empire (at China's expense), the USSR, despite Mao, a communist fighting Chiang, and Germany, despite their ally, Japan, fighting China.

Hitler??? No way. Although he is credited with some good deeds nearly all of them were ideas of other politicians. He only got the fame. But everything he did on his own was a catastrophy.
Otto Eduard Leopold Fürst von Bismarck- Schönhausen and Herzog von Lauenburg is a far better choice: He unified Germany despite the resistance of nearly all European powers. He stabilzed Europe after the unification in a way nobody thought he was able to do. Over 40 years of peace in western and central Europe. There were very rare examples of such a big time of peace. So HE was the greatest statesman.

Adler

Originally posted by SeleucusNicator
For American statesmen, I find the founding fathers overdone, if for good reason.

I much prefer 19th century figures; be they the great compromisers such as Henry Clay and Millard Fillmore, the wacky idealogues like John C. Calhoun, or the men of action such as Andrew Jackson or James K. Polk.

Have you ever heard the They Might Be Giants song "James K. Polk"? Kind of funny (mostly because its quite strage to hear a pop song about a 19th century, somewhat obscure president) and supprisingly accurate. Apparently the group They Might Be Giants is a big fan of J Polk.

Hitler Pre 1939. He outwitted all other statemen in Europe at the time- except Churchill.
Also a big fan of honest Abe. I don't think any statesman could have avoided the Civil War.

In Dutch history, Johan de Witt is considered to be the greatest statesman ever.

Though he did some brilliant stuff, he was murdered in 1672, after The Republic of The Netherlands just had entered the 'year of disaster' under the leadership of Johan de Witt.

Boudewijn I grave of Flanders. ( he got that by kidnapping the oldest daughter from the French king, raping her and making her pregnant)
Thx to that Flanders exist and you gotta a admit to do something like that you gotta have big balls (of course i mean with that spirit and courage not the size )

Impossible to tell, but whatever, Willy Brandt and Olof Palme. ;)

Maybe not the best, but I understand that Ulysses S. Grant was a fairly good statesman, even if he was a bad president.

Willy Brandt was damn good, and probably closest to the best statesman.

Bismarck without a shadow of doubt

Originally posted by Ebitdadada
Have you ever heard the They Might Be Giants song "James K. Polk"? Kind of funny (mostly because its quite strage to hear a pop song about a 19th century, somewhat obscure president) and supprisingly accurate. Apparently the group They Might Be Giants is a big fan of J Polk.

Have I heard it?! It's like the fourth-most played thing on my playlist!

Gilgamesh. The mythical ruler of the city-state of Uruk. Can't argue with a half-man half-god. :D

J/k

Truthfully, perhaps Cardinal Richeleu, or for the U.S.A - Thomas Jefferson. Oxus oxenstierna of Sweden is often unsung, as is Peter the Great.

I would have to pick either Otto von Bismarck, Winston Churchill, or Lester B. Pearson