Many people know about Sun Tzu from the memes on the internet. These memes often include a funny, untrue quote that ends with – Sun Tzu, The Art of War. I also only knew about Sun Tzu from the mee, but after a little bit of digging, I found that while Sun Tzu has transformed into a meme today, he was a very influential person in the past.

Sun Tzu(544 B.C. – 496 B.C.) was a Chinese military generalist, strategist, philosopher, and writer. His actual name was Sun Wu, but his pen name for the books he wrote was Sun Tzu. Because he studied military science for many years and become of the top experts, he became a military strategist to the King of Wu. The King of Wu managed to win many battles, including the capture of Ying, the capital of Chu, in the Battle of Bajo. This was all thanks to Sun Tzu, who won many battles for the King of Wu.

Sun Tzu’s most influential work was The Art of War. It has 13 chapters, each focusing on a different set of warfare skills. Sun Tzu is emphatic about using intelligence over force to conquer an enemy. The Art of War was an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking. It focuses much more on alternatives to battle and even to war than on the war itself, such as stratagem, delay, the use of spies, the making and keeping of alliances, the uses of deceit, and a willingness to submit, at least temporarily, to more powerful foes. Sun Tzu also stressed the importance of preparation and planning. He believed that victory in war depends on careful planning and preparation before the battle. Sun Tzu wrote, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” He believed that the best way to win a battle was to avoid it altogether. It has been termed the ‘most prestigious and influential book of strategy today. Having been in existence for over 2,000 years, generations of leaders, war generals, and politicians have benefitted from Sun Tzu’s ideas. It is even used as instructional material at the US Military Academy at West Point!

Sun Tzu’s ideas have had a significant impact not only on military strategy but also on management, leadership, and business. His philosophy has been applied in various fields such as sports, politics, and education. The Art of War has become a must-read for anyone interested in strategy and leadership.

When learning about Sun Tzu and his book, what really interested me is the fact that all leaders and countries across the world used his book. Also, even though the war has changed so much from thousands of years ago due to changes in technologies and weapons, the book still holds a monumental influence on war strategies and techniques used today. To me, this shows that learning from past civilizations, people, and pieces of work can often be beneficial even if the world has changed a lot since then.

In a world where only men ruled, there was one exception from 51 B.C to 30 B.C. That exception was Cleopatra. Cleopatra is one of the most iconic and fascinating figures in history. She was the last active pharaoh of ancient Egypt and ruled during a time of immense political upheaval and change. Her story has been the subject of countless books, films, and works of art, and her legend has only grown stronger over time. She was extremely well-educated and clever. She was educated in mathematics, philosophy, oratory, and astronomy, and spoke as many as a dozen languages. Furthermore, she was the only member of her dynast that learned the Egyptian language and was able to communicate and interact with her subjects on a much deeper level than any of her ancestors.

While she did rule for a relatively long time, it was not easy for her to get the throne. After the death of the king, the Egyptian throne was passed to 18-year-olf Cleopatra and her 10-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII. She was thrown out and forced to flee Egypt as Ptolemy’s advisors were against her ascending the throne. Cleopatra, however, did not give up. She raised an army of mercenaries and returned the following year to face her brother’s forces in a civil war. She was then able to take the help of Julius Caesar and drove Ptolemy XIII out of Alexandria. After some time, she was able to gain a large amount of influence and control over Egypt, the Kingdom, and the subjects.  She had identified herself as a goddess and had an “irresistible charm” that allowed her to hold on to the power for a long time. She even teamed up with Mark Antony, who was a great leader of Rome and had a huge influence on the Romans due to his ability to craft rousing speeches.

In 31 BCE, Cleopatra and Antony faced off against Octavian, another Roman general who had emerged as a powerful leader in the wake of Caesar’s death. Cleopatra and Antony were defeated in the famous Battle of Actium, and they fled to Egypt to escape Octavian’s wrath. After her defeat in the Battle of Actium against Octavian, however, her reign came to an end.

She ends up committing suicide by willingly being bitten by a poisonous snake. When learning about her in middle school, Cleopatra was extremely interesting as she not only influenced Egypt, the Kingdom she was reigning over, but also Rome, which was one of the biggest ancient empires of the world. By understanding the importance of connections and trading, she was able to single-handedly build up Egypt’s economy and bolster her country’s status as a world power. Today, her legacy lives on in many plays and movies about her and her eventful life. Being one of the only female rulers in Ancient history, Cleopatra is an extremely important historical figure. As the last Egyptian Pharoah, she has made a lasting impact on not only Egypt but the rest of the world as well.

In any public school, Ancient history is almost always taught in some social studies classes. When talking about Ancient History, it is difficult to avoid Mesopotamia, the birthplace of civilization. Out of Mesopotamia came one of the most flourishing ancient empires in the world, the Babylonian Empire. 

When I learned about Babylon in 6th grade, one of the kings we talked about was Hammurabi. Hammurabi was born in Babylon in the 18th century BCE. He came to power in 1792 BCE, at a time when the city-state of Babylon was one of the most powerful in Mesopotamia. Under Hammurabi’s rule, Babylon expanded its territory and became the dominant power in the region. Hammurabi was a skilled military leader and diplomat, and he was able to maintain peace and stability in the region for much of his reign. He was one of the greatest kings in Babylon’s history as he turned Babylon into a rich, powerful, and influential city. He was able to conquer surrounding lands, making almost all of Mesopotamia under Babylonian rule. During his lifetime, many saw him as a god due to his great achievements. Hammurabi is best known for the Code of Hammurabi. He claimed that he received this code from Shamash, the Babylonian god of justice. This code was different from any other earlier law codes because it put more emphasis on greater physical punishments of the perpetrator instead of focusing on compensating the victim of the crime. It had specific penalties for specific crimes. Furthermore, “innocent until proven guilty” comes from the Law of Hammurabi. By today’s standards, however, the punishments would be extremely harsh. Even though his specific punishments may have been too extreme, it is important to note that some of his laws were progressive, especially concerning households and family relationships. This includes divorce, restriction of dowries, and property rights.

In addition to his legal achievements, Hammurabi was also a patron of the arts and architecture. He commissioned many buildings and monuments in Babylon, including the famous ziggurat (a stepped pyramid) dedicated to the god Marduk. He also sponsored many artistic and literary works, including hymns and poems.

After his death, he was honored by Kings and was commemorated for 3 major achievements: bringing victory in war, bringing peace, and bringing justice. Because of him, civilization spread rapidly through many areas of the world. Today, some parts of Hammurabi’s law. such as the presumption of innocence, which can be found in the constitutions of many nations. Because of his reputation as a lawgiver, his depictions can be found in several U.S. government buildings such as in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives in the United States Capitol and the U.S. Supreme Court Building. What I found most interesting about Hammurabi is his lasting impact on the world. Even though he even born almost 4000 years ago, even today his laws can be found in today’s society. Furthermore, his ability to balance force and reason at a time when reason and peace were unheard of is also fascinating.

When talking about the most evil leaders of the 20th century, names like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong are often brought up. One that is often forgotten, however, is Pol Pot.

Pol Pot, also known as Saloth Sar, was the former Prime Minister and Communist leader of Cambodia from 1976 to 1979. He was born in 1925 in the province of Kampong Thom, Cambodia, and was raised in a wealthy, well-educated family. Pol Pot was educated in Paris, France, where he became involved in Marxist-Leninist politics and developed a strong hatred for Western colonialism and imperialism. As has was ideologically a Marxist-Leninist, when he grabbed power in Cambodia in 1975 and set about to create a communist paradise on Earth.

I first learned about Pol Pot from a docuseries and afterward, I researched a lot about his atrocities and brutality.  Not only did he try to take his regime back to the middle ages when most people would work on farms, but he also went to horrendous lengths to try to make the social engineering attempt work. I view Pol Pot as one of the most evil leaders in recent history for a variety of reasons. Pol Pot was strictly against any freedom at all. He forced the urban population of about 2.5 million to move to the country and work on farms. Civil Servants, Doctors, and other professionals were all stripped of their possessions to toil in the fields. Furthermore, all citizens had to wear the same black clothing. All aspects of a person’s life were controlled under Pol Pot. Because I believe freedom is one of the most fundamental things for humans, I regard Pol Pot’s regime as one of the most barbaric. Another reason I do not like Pol Pot is his disregard for human life. Anyone who was viewed as an intellectual, including those who wore glasses, was killed. Those who complained, concealed their rations, or broke rules were tortured and then killed. one infamous example was detention center S-21, where only 7 out of 20000 imprisoned survived the detention center. In total, an estimated 1.5- 2 million Cambodians dies from starvation, execution, or disease under Pol Pot’s regime.

Pol Pot’s regime finally ended in 1979, when the Vietnamese army invaded Cambodia and overthrew the Khmer Rouge. Pol Pot fled into the jungle and continued to lead a resistance movement against the Vietnamese-backed government until his capture in 1997. He was placed under house arrest and died in 1998 before he could be brought to trial for his crimes.

The fact that Pol Pot’s regime only fell about 40 years ago helped me realize that we are not past the brutalities and savagery of the colonial era and the middle ages. Even today, Kim Jong-un’s regime has power and commits heinous crimes every day. It is important to recognize these atrocities so we can continue to learn from them and not become victims of them as it does not take a long time for brutal regimes and people to develop. Hopefully, we can one day live in a world that is peaceful and conflict-free.

While the United States of America has had many founding fathers, the one that holds the title of The Founding Father of the United States of America is George Washington. He was the main leader of the American Revolution and the first president of the United States. 

George Washington is one of the most famous Americans to have ever lived. Through his many great accomplishments and successes, he has been established as one of the most influential leaders in history. He has also been memorialized by monuments, a federal holiday, geographical locations including the national capital, the State of Washington, stamps, and currency. Many Americans rank him among the greatest U.S. presidents.

While George Washington has been one of the most prominent and celebrated figures in American history, he has become somewhat of a controversial figure due to the fact that he owned slaves. In my opinion, however, George Washington should remain a renowned leader and a positive role model. It is important to acknowledge that Washington was born into a world where slavery was prominent. Slavery was ingrained in the economic and social fabric of the Virginia Colony. At the young age of 11, George Washington inherited his first 10 slaves as his dad, Augustine died. Because Washington was raised with slavery as a norm, it is difficult to accuse him as a horrible person.

Furthermore, his actual opinion and record on the matter of slavery are mixed. All his slaves were cared for, fed, and clothed, even after their working years. Privately, Washington even thought of freeing his enslaved population in the mid-1790s. However, those plans failed due to his lack of necessary finances and the refusal of his family to consider the emancipation of the slaves at Mount Vernon. After George Washington’s death, his will provided for the 123 slaves to be freed after the death of his wife. Of course, this does not make his owning slavery right or justifiable, but I believe it is unfair to apply today’s standards to people 300 years ago.

It is important not to forget all of George Washington’s many accomplishments.  Not only did he help us win independence from Britain during the American Revolution, but he also led victorious attacks in the French and Indian war in his early 20s. Furthermore, he was one of the main figures in writing the constitution that we still use today and stands as the oldest active constitution in the world. Finally, as the first president of the United States, he acted like an ideal president who listened to both political parties at that time and set many precedents for upcoming presidents to follow.

All in all, George Washington is someone I have always looked up to and his vision, temperament, and ability to lead people to success in even the darkest of times are some of his great characteristics. I believe that he is one of the greatest Americans who have ever lived and hope that society continues to be inspired by his actions and disposition.

Welcome to my passion blog about my take on historical and present leaders from around the globe! I have always loved history and one aspect that really fascinates me is the leaders that influence history itself. This is why I will dedicate this passion blog about leaders, their influence in society, and their impact on me.

I would like to start this passion blog off with a world-renowned leader – Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was one of the most important figures when it came to getting independence for India from the British. He is especially known for leading India’s non-violent movement and his completely peaceful tactics of protest. He would later inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world, including the anti-apartheid movement in South America and the civil rights movement in the United States. This is what I was taught in school, but there was more to Gandhi than that.

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As I did my own research I discovered some interesting facts about Gandhi. Not only did he fight for independence in India, but he also fought against racial discrimination in South Africa. Furthermore, he also worked on many social issues in India, like the caste system and religious discrimination. As I looked more into Mahatma Gandhi and the history surrounding India’s independent movement, I realized that he was not as perfect as depicted in history classes or books. Like many politicians, he was two-faced and a hypocrite. Nationally and Internationally he posed himself as an opposer to the caste system, but in his hometown in Gujarat, he supported it. Furthermore, he would preach about the unity of Hindus and Muslims, but he prevented his son from marrying a Muslim girl. He also sexually exploited young women for his “spiritual quest.” These are only a few examples of Mahatma Gandhi’s flaws. As I got older, I understood that independence and rights need to be fought for and cannot always be won by just protesting.

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This helped me learn more about the other forces behind India’s independence. Freedom fighters such as Bhagat Singh, Azad, and Sardar Patel laid down their life for India by truly fighting for independence and motivating others to also fight injustice. For example, Bhagat Singh was an Indian Revolutionary and vocal critic of British rule in India who dedicated his life to the independence of India and inspired many others. Unfortunately, He was sentenced to death and hanged at the young age of 23! These fighters never really got the recognition they deserved in the fight for independence.

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Learning about the truth of Gandhi helped me realize that the role models we are taught to look up to are not always who they seem to be. It is important to always understand the truth about leaders and recognize both their good and bad. Gandhi’s non-violent principles are ones that people around the world, including me, look up to. However, I now also acknowledge his negative side, which helps me see a more objective view of Mahatma Gandhi and his actions.