one man's hero is another man's villain and sometimes all it takes is time history has a funny way of turning certain Heroes into villains and vice versa from commanders and chief to forgotten hasbin an unpredictable Legacy comes for us all so today we're taking a deep dive into some of the world's most beloved leaders and historical figures and how these people's reputations have evolved or eroded over time but before we get started be sure to subscribe to the weird History Channel after that leave a comment and let us know what other issues of perception you
want to hear about all right let's put some folks under the [Music] microscope as much as Lincoln's memory has been venerated in the decades after his assassination in his own time he was one of the most polarizing political figures despite not even being on the ballot in the southern states he won the presidency in a four-way contest in the 1860 election upon his election seven states announced their secession from the union which ultimately triggered the outbreak of the Civil War as a wartime President Lincoln endured fractious relationships with generals who chafed under his instructions and
politicians who accused him of overstepping his executive boundaries the suspension of habius Corpus was an example of his willingness to use heavy-handed tactics to see the war through he remained unsure of his reelection in 1864 but some timely military successes helped to swing the campaign in his favor he won a decisive Victory but would not get the opportunity to see through his plans for reconstruction after the conflict while his sudden end was a major blow to post-war rebuilding it did help to craft his legendary historical Legacy Lincoln was to be remembered for eternity as the
president who freed the slaves and kept the union together his name became synonymous with freedom and he continues to be remembered as one of the greatest American Presidents if not the greatest it was no coincidence that Martin Luther King Jr's I have a dream speech was delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial to some Scholars and civil rights leaders Lincoln didn't quite live up to his heroic billing rather they claim he was a bigoted moderate who reluctantly took up the mantle of the great emancipator other interpretations recognize his limitations on race from a modern perspective
but understand the magnitude of his actions and character in 2005 a little-known law professor named Barack Obama said of Lincoln as a law professor and a civil rights lawyer and as an African-American I am fully aware of his limited views on race and anyone who actually reads the Emancipation Proclamation knows it was more a military document than a Clarion call for justice Scholars tell us too that Lincoln wasn't immune from political considerations and that his temperament could be indecisive and morose but it is precisely those imperfections and the painful self-awareness of those failings etched in
every crease of his face and reflected in those haunted eyes that make him so compelling huh wonder what that Obama guy ended up doing there were many cleopatras in history but only one is truly synonymous with the name CLE iatra iith was the last member of the Macedonian toic Dynasty that ruled Egypt for 300 years her 39 years had all the ingredients needed for historical immortality Intrigue romantic entanglements and a tragic end the Roman view of Cleopatra was of a toxic seductress whose lust for power and wealth presented a dire threat to the stability of
Rome in the immediate aftermath of her passing octavien the victor of the last war of the Roman Republic was only too Keen to tarnish her reputation her infamy grew in the wake of her passing with a series of wild claims from Roman writers about her sexual proclivities and lavish lifestyle casassus Doo's assessment was one of the more restrained accounts of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra was of insatiable passion and insatiable avarice her dramatic story proved to be an irresistible artistic inspiration during the Renaissance period many of the myths propagated by the Romans were Amplified by artists
and playwrights in the late Middle Ages in the Victorian era notable for its fascination with ancient Egypt her popularity soared some 20th century filmmakers were also drawn to her story The 1963 epic starring Elizabeth Taylor is perhaps the most iconic of the dozens of depictions of Cleopatra shown on the screen to date more recently feminist interpretations of Cleopatra have offered a different view of one of history's most iconic female rulers a polyglot who had unusually mastered the tongue of her subjects she was a fiercely independent intelligent and capable ruler who success successfully kept the peace
in her kingdom for several years Alexander's premature demise ensured his Empire would fracture into many smaller parts but also guaranteed a mythological Legacy he perished at the height of his power long before the endless responsibility of actually running such a vast Empire may have inevitably crushed him his successors were all men of great talent but none could emulate Alexander he wasn't universally admired in his lifetime his cruel excesses on his campaigns and lust for power alienated his friends and galvanized his enemies the mysterious circumstances of his demise were likely caused by foul play his family
members were all eliminated in the aftermath of his passing his only legitimate son was slain on the orders of kandros a hated contemporary of Alexander's he was regarded as a heroic conqueror by the Romans Julius Caesar and pompy Magnus were noted admirers Alexander's Egyptian tomb became a major tourist destination of the ancient World his campaigns have been studied extensively by military leaders for thousands of years with Napoleon rating him as History's Greatest Commander while his Empire proved to be short-lived the cultural impact of Alexander's Conquest had a profound impact on the area for centuries although
seen in his own time as a drunken Tyrant his indisputably enormous historical impact continues to draw interest and admirers from humble beginnings the man history would remember as genas Khan Rose to unite the Mongol tribes into an Unstoppable force that carved out a gigantic Empire his remarkable life had an enormous impact on the course of history that is still felt today an astonishing one in 200 men can tie their ancestry directly to genas Khan where's Mari poic when you need him contemporary accounts of him are few the secret history of the Mongols is an anonymous
Mongolian account that tells his life story another less sympathetic account comes from the Persian scholar who served in the Mongol Court called The History of the World Conqueror it spares no detail in recording the want and violence and destruction of the Mongols but it also acknowledges the wisdom and innovation of the leaders Renaissance writers tended to view genas Khan favorably as a wise and Noble leader but the Civic achievements of the Mongols were largely forgotten by the time of the Enlightenment genas Khan represented the stereotypical bloodthirsty Barbarian and destroyer of civilization to writers like Vol
the same European intellectual who luded Alexander the Great did not hold genghiskhan in the same Regard in more recent years a better understanding of genas Khan and the Mongols has emerged in the western world he was and remains a national hero in Mongolia while the views of the peoples conquered by his army aren't quite so favorable far removed by time from the atrocities committed during the conquests historians have been able to take a more detached view of the seismic historical impact of the Mongols perhaps the greatest of all was the Revival of the Silk Road
under Mong rule where Merchants traveled safely across the vast Empire ushering in an era of Economic and cultural Prosperity now there's a dark web thingy called Silk Road but you can't blame genas Khan for that can you Winston Churchill was a deeply controversial figure in his own time his leading role in the disastrous gipo campaign during World War I almost sunk his political career before it took off he gained notoriety for changing political parties not once but twice in 1904 he crossed the aisle from the conservatives to the Liberals before rejoining the conservatives again in
1924 in the 1930s he was one of the few outspoken critics of appeasement of Germany an unpopular view that saw him sidelined politically he also opposed Irish home rule and greater autonomy for India even in the 1930s his imperialist views were considered behind the times after World War II broke out Church Hill assumed the role of prime minister during The Bleak days of May 1940 and despite emerging from the Great struggled Victorious the British people voted him out of office less than 2 months after the war's conclusion though he made one last comeback as prime
minister from 1951 through 1955 in the Years immediately after his passing at age 90 in 1965 he was lauded as a national hero who guided Britain through its Darkest Days in World War II Churchill's Legacy was bolstered by his own hand as he was a prolific writer who penned a six volume history of the war while generally well regarded for his wartime leadership his his historical reputation has been tainted by his complicity in the Bengal famine in 1943 and his racist views more recent assessments of Churchill tend to be more nuanced accepting the importance of
his role in World War II without excusing his flaws Napoleon's last campaign was one of his most successful not the 100 days in 1815 that led to his final defeat at watero but his final years spent rebuilding his reputation while in Exile at St helina he turned his considerable talents toward crafting a legacy that would outlive him in his own lifetime he was considered a tyrant and warmonger by his many enemies and subject to some misleading propaganda about his short stature he was of average height for the time but Napoleon's Memoirs were published shortly after
his passing and presented his career in a favorable light the book's spectacular success one of the 19th Century's bestselling Works helped craft a sympathetic legend of the Frenchmen as well as being recognized as one of history's most accomplished generals Napoleon's most enduring Legacy was the comprehensive legal framework dubbed unsurprisingly the Napoleonic Code the overhaul of the archaic French legal system spread far beyond France and was adopted by several other nations and its influence is still apparent in the present one of the most controversial aspects of his Reign was the decision to reestablish slavery in the
Caribbean in 1802 reversing the 1794 abolition law the move sparked rebellions in guadaloop and Haiti the latter succeeded despite the massive Expedition launched by the French to retake the colony for many he remained the quintessential villain to be used to discredit political Rivals the French perception of Napoleon is mixed French political figures have typically been wary of invoking Napoleon's memory in public life in 2005 former French president Nicholas sarosi chose not to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Napoleon's coronation as Emperor conversely current French president Emanuel macron laid a wreath at Napoleon's tomb on the 200th
anniversary of this passing saying he is part of us so what do you think any new opinions about these major historical figures let us know in the comments below and while you're at it check out some of these other videos from our weird history
