Inspirational Political Leaders of 20th Century Quiz

Answer: Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela spent 20 years directing peaceful, nonviolent acts of defiance against the South African government and its racist policies. In 1961 Mandela gave up his non-violent ways and started a group that was dedicated to violent tactics. In 1963 he was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the African National Congress (ANC).

He spent the next 27 years in prison. With the resignation of P.W. Botha, an avid supporter of apartheid, in 1990 and increased international attention, the new president Frederick de Klerk released Mandela and legitimized the ANC.

In 1991 Mandela was elected president of the ANC. In 1994 South Africa held its first democratic elections, Mandela, aged 77, was elected South Africa's first black president.

He died in 2013.

Answer: Camp David Accords

U.S. President Carter brokered the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel at Camp David, Maryland. The treaty brought an end to the Yom Kippur War. Begin and el-Sadat were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1978. President el-Sadat received international acclaim for his peace initiatives with Israel, but at home and in the rest of the Arab world he was often labelled a traitor and was assassinated by Muslim extremists in 1981.

Answer: Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri

To say that Winston Churchill was an inspirational leader is to state the obvious. To say that he was an enigmatic leader is also obvious. He was a pragmatic idealist. In his speech at Westminster College in the home state of then President Truman, Churchill warned the United States not to embrace isolationism. To do so, warned Churchill, would enable the Soviet Union.

Answer: To help kick his pipe smoking habit

Ronald Reagan was an inspirational leader during the 1980s. After serving two terms as governor of California and two terms as US president he left his mark at home and abroad.

In 1966, before becoming California's 33rd governo,r he decided to kick his pipe smoking habit by eating jelly beans. His preferred brand was Goelitz Mini Jelly Beans. That company sent him a monthly supply while he was governor. In 1981 when he was inaugurated as the 40th president of the United States, the company sent him a shipment of jelly beans weighing 3.5 tons. His favorite flavor - licorice.

Answer: Eva Peron

"Don't cry for me Argentina" is a song from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita". Eva Peron was born into poverty. She went to Buenos Aires to begin an acting career. It was there that she met and married Juan Peron. When he became president of Argentina, she became first lady. She remained first lady until her death. She was an extremely popular first lady and became a political force in her own right. She is credited with bringing the vote to women in Argentina in 1947. She was also a strong advocate for the poor. She was affectionally known as "Evita". Her life has been portrayed in many books, movies, and plays.

The story of her corpse is an interesting one. Eva was only 33 years old when she died in 1952. Her funeral was attended by millions. Her embalmed body was on public display for 2 years while a memorial was being built. Juan Peron was overthrown by a military coup in 1955. He fled Argentina without claiming his wife's corpse. Its whereabouts were unknown until 1971 when it was found buried in Italy. It was returned to Juan Peron, and he placed in his dining room at his house in Spain. When Juan Peron returned to the presidency of Argentina in 1973, he re-patriated his wife's corpse.

Answer: Dietrich Eckart

Hitler first met Dietrich Eckart around 1920. Eckart had founded the German Worker's Party. Eckart introduced Hitler to influential people and taught him how to become an effective public speaker. Before long Hitler was addressing large crowds. The German Worker's Party became the Nazi Party and Hitler was elected as its leader in 1921.

The Beer Hall Putsch (which was inspired by Benito Mussolini) involved the kidnapping of several members of the Bavarian Government. The plan was then to march into Berlin, led by respected right-wing general Eric Ludendorff, and overthrow the Weimer Republic. The putsch fizzled out and only several thousand, including Hitler, marched to Berlin led by Ludendorff. Hitler and others were arrested.

Answer: Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union in 1985. On December 25, 1991 the Soviet Union was disbanded, the Central Committee was dissolved, and the activities of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union were banned. The red flag bearing the hammer and sickle was taken down and replaced with the flag of the Russian Federation.

In that six-year span Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms lead his country into a new era. His design was a combination of the best of communism and the best of capitalism. He informed the leaders of former Soviet allies that he would no longer send the Army in to put down revolutions. He reduced the size of the military, formed better relations with western Europe and the United States, and allowed more personal freedoms than ever before.

Answer: Lech Walesa

In 1980 Lech Walesa formed the first independent trade union in a Soviet-bloc country. In 1983 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Solidarity worked for worker's rights and democracy in Poland. From 1990 to 1995 Walesa served as Poland's president and played a significant role in establishing democracy in Poland. He is regarded as a Polish National Hero.

Answer: Golda Meir

Golda Meir and her family immigrated from Israel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1906 when she was 8 years old. In 1917 she married and in 1921 she and her husband immigrated to Israel. During those years in Milwaukee she became an active Zionist.

During WWII, Meir fought against British policy which forbade Jewish immigration to Palestine. After Israel declared its independence in 1948, she became a central figure in shaping the government. In 1969 she became the first female Prime Minister of Israel. As Prime Minister, she balanced the demands of military security with efforts for peace. Her influence on Israeli politics and her leadership made her an influential leader.

Answer: Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel was the first woman to be elected Chancellor of Germany. She served in that role from 2005 to 2021. During her leadership of Germany she successfully dealt with the 2008 financial crash, the 2015 migrant crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Merkel has been praised as the most successful politician of the 20th century.

She stuck to her policy of accepting refugees despite facing opposition. In December 2015, Merkel was named Time magazine's Person of the Year. She has been praised for her pragmatism and ability to compromise.

Her policies and influence will have a lasting effect in Germany.