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Most Influential People in European History Essay Charles Darwin Greetings peers. My name is Charles Darwin. I am a British scientist who laid the foundations of the theory of evolution and transformed the way we think about the natural world. I was born in 1809 into a very earthy and well-connected family. In 1809 after graduating from Cambridge University, I joined the HMS Beagle as the ships’ naturalist on a five-year voyage around South America. This is the trip in which I credit with establishing my working methods and knowledge that sustained my scientific career. My observations on the Galapagos Islands, gave me the first inkling of what would eventually become The Origin of The Species. My theory of natural selection states that a species adapts to its surroundings by making small genetic mutations in order to survive. The species that do not adapt will die and those who do will survive. Apparently this was very controversial. People claimed that it stripped away any room for fate and God. Because my ideas of evolution and natural selection rely on my observations and science rater than a pure irrational faith in Gods will, many were upset. However, I saw my findings as a way to prove Gods influence on earth and show how he operates. Even though  natural selection did not become a widely accepted principle until the 1930s, in the end my findings were becoming more accepted. I am definitely one of the most influential people in European history because my findings have not only influenced the world of science, but the world of religion. I also influenced later social theories such as Social Darwinism. Adolph Hitler Greetings to all who have come today. My name is Adolph Hitler. I should efinitely be considered to win the award for the most influential person in European history because I was the leader of Germany in the Third Reich and my action changed the world forever. Please allow me to elaborate. I was born on April 20, 1889 in Austria. When I was 16 both of my parents died, so I decided to move to study the art of painting at an art school in Vienna. However, fortunately for me, I was kicked out of art school due to my lack of artistic talent. I stayed in Vienna for some time, and this is when I was able to develop my personal views towards certain groups, such as my hatred for Jews and Marxists. In 1913 I moved to Munich and avoided Austrian military service during WWI at all cost. In 1914, I joined the 16th Bavarian Infantry Regiment and ended up serving throughout the First World War. I was discussed with Germanys surrender and the Treaty of Versailles. This was when I became convinced I was destined to save Germany. Once discharged from the army,  I became heavily involved in the National Socialist Party, a small extremist group during the Weimar Republic. Quickly rose to a powerful position due to my impressive intelligence and people skills. I gave the party the symbol of a Swastika, which million came to fear and still fear to this day. It came to represent the personal army of storm troopers known as the SA or Brownshirts, whose job was to attack any opponents to the party’s objectives. Because the Weimar Republic was so weak and Germany was in a state of political and economic crisis, I thought that the National Socialist Party would be able to revolt and seize power of the government. In 1923, I led a small sect of the socialist party and attacked Munich, Germany. The attack was known as the Beer Hall Putsch. Unfortunately for myself, this attempt was a monumental failure. Fortunately for me, I only had to serve none months in prison. Prison turned out to be not that bad, and it provided me with loads of time to refocus my tactics. While in prison I wrote one of the most controversial and important books of all time, know as Mein Kampf or my struggle. In it I outlined my theories on race, specifically anti-Semitism, Germany, specifically how I wanted all true Aryan Germans to become one united pan-German state, and my goal to abolish the Treaty of Versailles. After I was released from jail, I was determined to seek power by infiltrating and corrupting the Weimar Republic. I cautiously reinstituted the Nazi party. In 1932 I acquired German citizenship and ran for president, coming only second to Hindenburg. Later that year the Nazi party acquired 230 seats in the Reichstag, making us the largest political party in Germany. I got lots of support from conservative politicians believing they could control me if I was given a high political position, so I was appointed Chancellor of Germany on January 30th 1933. I knew then that I was capable of achieving my goals. I moved with great acceleration to isolate and expel any other politicians who posed a threat to my power, shut trade unions down, and to remove all communists, conservatives and Jews. At this rate it was no wonder that I soon took over the role of president when Hindenburg died, thus merging my current role of chancellor to become the Furrier of Germany. I then did everything in my power to radically change Germany. I combined power positions to my benefit, locked up German enemies like Jews, rebuilt the army and broke the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles. I tried to change the social acceptances in Germany by encouraging women to become more active and bringing in laws to secure racial purity. As promised I made employment fall to zero, despite the fact that Europe was in a great depression. In order to ensure nothing went wrong, I also made myself head of the army. After that I knew it was time to expand Germany and reassert its dominance as a world power. I used my keen tactical skills and put together a plan to expand Germany. I was able to unite Germany with Austria in what is now called an Anschluss, as well as divide Czechoslovakia. In 1939, I had German forces invade Poland, which caused much controversy amongst other nations who as a result declared war. I saw this as a great opportunity for Germany to assert its dominance through war. At first the war was going well. However, in 1941 when we unsuccessfully invaded Russia and lost battles in Western Europe it became clear that Germany was slowly loosing the war. I had never felt a greater disappointment in my life, so on April 30 1945 I decided to end my life. Although my efforts in Germany ended in the most disappointing way, there is not doubt that I forever influenced not only all of Europe, but the world. I will forever be remembered for being the most prominent catalyst of the Second World War, which was and still is the most costly conflict in European history. I will also be remembered for how I managed to manipulate and convince thousands of people the help me peruse my dreams of racial purity, which I was charged for the brutal execution of million of innocent people. It is for these reasons that I should be chosen for the most influential man in European history. Sir Isaac Newton Hello. For those of you who do not know my name is Sir Isaac Newton. I am so very pleased to be acknowledged by such an esteemed committee for my efforts to improve the world. I am an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer and theologian, who has been considered by many to be the greatest and most influential  scientist  who ever lived. I was born in 1642 in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire. However, I made my true impact in the later years of my life. As an intellectual, I wanted to solve the problem that past intellectuals like Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo have developed. All of them made theories about how the planets revolve around the sun, but I always wondered How? I wanted to be able to give credibility to their theories, so I worked for almost two decades on trying to solve the problem. I eventually published my book Principa, in 1687, which is sometimes to be considered the most influential book of all time. In it I determined that all planets and objects are held in the elliptical orbit by a force called gravity. I also built the first practical  reflecting telescope  and developed a theory of color based on the observation that a  prism  decomposes white light into the many colors that form the  visible spectrum. My findings scared me because I was a man of God and I knew that the church would not be very pleased with my findings. However, my findings were very important and influential in the world forever changing how people view the whorl as well as contributing to future scientific efforts. I hope that you all will consider me as a viable nominee for most influential. John Locke Good evening. My name is John Locke (1632-1704). I definitely believe that I should be considered as the most influential people in European history because I am widely known as the Father of Classical Liberalism and am regarded as one of the most influential philosopher and physicians of the Enlightenment. I wrote the literary piece Two Treaties on Government  in, which was published before the Revolution of 1688, but after William and Mary came to power. In it I argue that all men are born free of sin and free in nature. I argued that all men are born with a tabula rasa, or a clean state of mind, and that fate is not predetermined by God, but up to how the person corrupts his mind. Because all men are born free, as soon as he joins society he enters a social contact with the state. The contract protects mans natural rights to life, liberty and property and as long as the social contract is kept there would be no controversy. However, I made it very clear that if a government begins to oppress a persons natural rights it is the peoples duty to rebel against the government. I believe that I am truly Europes most influential people of all time. My ideas and beliefs served as a defense for many a revolution, as well as the main basis for the English Bill of Rights. My work also played a critical part in the foundation in the United States Bill of Rights. Frederick William Good day to you all. My name is Frederick William. I am often referred to as the Great Elector since while I was a ruler of Brandenburg I served as one of the electors of the Holy Roman Emperor. Because my state of Prussia consisted of three loosely bordered chances of lard, I wanted to build up an army capable of unifying them. Because I did not have the considerable resources needed to achieve this goal on my own, I worked out an agreement with the Junkers. The Junkers provided me with revenue in exchange for my acceptance of their rule over serfs. This arrangement worked out very well for quite some time because it provided me with support and resources and them with economic reassurance and opportunity. I definitely should be considered as one of the most influential men in history because I build up the strong militarized empire of Prussia in which I built was left to my son Fredrick the Great, who was able to use the considerable resources left to him to further strengthen Prussia. Joseph Stalin Greetings. My name is Joseph Stalin. I served as the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unions Central Committee from 1922 until my death in 1953. I am known for assuming the leading role in Soviet Politics after Vladimir Lenins death in 1924. As primary ruler of Russia, I integrated the Five-Year Plans that radically altered Soviet economic and social structures resulting in the death of millions. In the 1930s, I eliminated any threat to my power through purge trails and secret xecutions. In World War II I signed the German-Soviet Nonaggression pact of 1938, attacked Finland, and annexed parts of Eastern Europe to strengthen Russias western frontiers. When Hitler went against our nonaggression pact, I decided to take control of military operations. I allied Russia with Britain and the U. S. , which ended up being a very smart move, seeing that we won the war. After the war I consolidated Soviet Power in Eastern Europe and built up the Soviet U nion as a world military pose. I should definitely be considered the most significant person in European History because I brought the Soviet Union into world prominence, even if it was at the cost of my people. I left a legacy of repression and fear as well as making Russia an industrial and military power, which made Russia more prominent in future world conflicts such as the Cold War. Napoleon Bonaparte Bonjour mes Amis!! I am so pleased to be given the opportunity to speak for you today. My name is Napoleon Bonaparte and I was born August of 1769. I was the French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French revolution. I was the sole Emperor of France from 1804-1815. While in power I made many legal reforms, specifically the Napoleonic code, which has been a major influence on many civil law jurisdictions, but I am best remembered for my role in the wars led against France by a series of coalitions, now known as the Napoleonic Wars. During the wars, I  established authority over most of Europe and sought to spread the ideals of the French Revolution, while building an empire. Because of my consistent success in these wars, I am  generally regarded as one of the greatest military commanders of all time. I  was born in Corsica to parents of noble ancestry and trained as an officer in France. I rose to a high level political standing under the French First Republic and led successful campaigns against the First and Second Coalitions. In 1799, I staged a  coup detat  and put myself as First Consul. Five years later, the French Senate proclaimed me as emperor. In the first decade of the 19th century, the  French Empire engaged in some conflicts-the Napoleonic Wars-involving every major European power. After a few victories, I made sure France secured a dominant position in Europe, and I maintained French influence to rule other European countries. The fight against Spain and my invasion of Russia was the turning point for me. My impressive army was damaged and was never able to fully recover. In 1813, the Sixth Coalition defeated my forces and invaded my dear France. As a result I was forced to give up my position as Emperor and exiled to an island called Elba. However, I was not quite done fighting yet, as I escaped less that a year later and returned to power, but made the mistake if not building up more support and as a consequence lost the battle of Waterloo in 1815. I spent the rest of my life on an English island called Saint Helena, where I eventually died of stomach cancer. I believe that I should definably be considered as the most influential person in all of European History because I was one of the greatest military commanders of all time and I was twice the Emperor of France, whose military actions and sheer personality dominated Europe for a full decade. Mussolini For those of you who do not know, my name is Benito Mussolini. Although I am not surprised for my nomination, I am completely honored to have the opportunity to try and convince you why I was the most influential person in history. I am an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party, as well as being credited as one of the key figures in the creation of fascism. I was among the founders of Italian Fascism, which included elements of nationalism, corporatism, expansionism, social progress, and anti-socialism in combination with censorship of conspiracies and propaganda. My formation and release of the fascist ideology resulted in many political figures having a deep admiration for me. I eventually became the fortieth Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 and had many domestic achievements. I started many public works programs, improved job opportunities, public transportation, and fixed Italys economic battles. I also solved an ongoing problem with the church with the Lateran Treaty between the state of Italy and the Pope. In 1940, I led Italy into World War II. I was aware that Italy did not have the military capacity to carry out a long war with France and the UK, so I waited until both were on the verge of imminent collapse and surrender because of the German invasion before declaring war on France and the UK. I  believed that after the imminent French surrender, Italy could gain some territorial concessions and then concentrate its forces on a major offensive in Egypt where British forces were outnumbered by Italian forces. In 1943,  soon after the start of the  Allied invasion of Italy,  I was defeated in the vote at the  Grand Council of Fascism, and the day after the vote the King had me arrested. Hitler rescued me, installed me as puppet dictator of northern Italy. I then  facilitated significant war production for the Germans and the creation of large, ruthless Fascist counterinsurgency forces. The April 1945 German surrender in Italy forced me to flee. I was then captured and shot. I should definitely be considered as the most influential person in history because my actions as an Italian dictator unified Italy, borough Fascism to be one of the leading political parties of the time, and had a significant impact in WWII. Karl Marx Hello. My name is Karl Marx. I was a German philosopher born in 1818 and was by far on e of the most influential political writers in history. My ideas played a significant toll in the development of social science and the socialist political movement. I grew up in a pretty well of family that could afford to have things like a prized education, so as a result I ended up going to study at the university of Berlin to study for four years. My studies allowed me to become a very thoughtful and intelligent person capable of seeing perspective. After I finished my studies I went to go work at a newspaper, and began to work out my theory of dialectal materialism. I then moved to Paris in 1843, where I began working for a few other radical newspapers. Because of my radical views, I was exiled to Brussels and became the leading figure in the Communist League. It was at this point where I began to write and formulate my theories about the nature of society and how I believed it could be drastically improved through a series of changes. When I saw the working conditions in London, I became a leading figure in the International Workingmens Association. My theories about society, economics and politics, now known as Marxism, state that societies progress through class struggle, or a conflict between the upper classes reign and the lower classes abuse. In other words I believe that capitalism is true oppression instigated by the upper class for there sole benefit, and thus increasing mass tensions in society. As a result of these tensions society would lead to self-destruction and eventually be replaced by a new system called socialism. I believed that under socialism, the working class or â€Å"the workers’ democracy† would govern society. Eventually, I believed that socialism would turn and be replaced by a stateless, classless society called communism. I eventually wrote all of my ideas down in  a highly influential book known as  The Communist Manifesto. Unfortunately, I was never able to see communism take true form. However, throughout world history, I have proved to be very influential, as revolutionary governments have used my concepts leading to the formation OD socialist states such as the Soviet Union and the Peoples Republic of China. Countless workers parties have also been influenced by my ideas making me a viable candidate for most influential person in European History. Otto von Bismarck Hallo. My name is Otto Von Bismarck. I was born in Brandenburg Germany in 1815. I studied law and agriculture and in 1847 entered the new Prussian Parliament as an ultra-royalist. When I entered parliament I was extremely opposed to democracy because I had little to know faith in allowing peasants and unintelligent people run the great German state. During the 1848 Revolutions, I even tried to argue against constitutional reform, but the Frankfurt Assembly demanded equal rights. For a while I served as a foreign ambassador in Russia and France, but was recalled in 1862 so I could become the President of Prussia. As president of Prussia, I instigated wars that made Prussia dominant over Austria and France. In 1867, I also become the Chancellor of the North German Confederation. I practically designed and created the German Empire in 1871, becoming the first chancellor and largely controlling all of its affairs until the arrogant Kaiser Wilhelm II removed me from office. My diplomacy of Realpolitik and powerful rule eventually gave me the nickname the iron chancellor           As leader of revolutionary conservatism, I became a hero to German nationalists, I was primarily responsible for the unification of the German states and I used balance of power diplomacy to keep Europe peaceful. It is for these reasons that I should be a serious candidate for the most influential person in all of European history.