In history is it the times that create great leaders, or great leaders who create the times?

Anything can create the times. That does not require a great leader. The times create the opportunity for great leaders to emerge.

But only great leaders will seize that opportunity when it comes. Those great leaders will then shape the times. The French Revolution gave a window of opportunity to Napoleon, who seized it and became powerful.

He changed the order and geogaphy of the world forever.

Time, circumstance and opportunity all contribute to the making of great leaders.

Both! A leader has to be in the rite place at the rite time. And once they have their chance they make history.

If you want a simple black and white answer, the times create great leaders. Who knows how much of a great military leader Ramsey MacDonald (A predicesor of Churchill) or Baldwin (again the same) could have been? The times give certain leaders a chance to shine, and if those certain leaders are surrounded by very intelligent people, such as churchill whose war cabinet was full of some of the greatest minds to walk the earth, then they become great :).

One can't work without the other! Great question.

HII think it is the perfect opportunity when at the right time, the right people contribute to the right cause and become great leaders. These great leaders contribute in the formation of a great history that paves way for our beautiful present.

Ahh, but it also works the opposite saanj. Great leaders with incidious intentions can also thrive creating the potential for a not-so-beautiful future. Just a thought.

I'm of the opinion that is God who places people and civilizations in positions of leadership and power. God chooses kings and rulers, for his purpose. Lets use a much more down to earth examples than Winston Churchill, Eisenhower, Stalin, tler and the rest of that eras greatness and great evil, for they all played a roll, served a purpose, most of which I can not understand for God alone knows.

Yet, think, "The Beatles. " 4 such talented, handsome,witty, sharp, intelligent, rebellious, tough, strong, determined dedicated individuals have not existed before or since in the world of Pop music, yet, those same 4, at any other time in history, would have amounted to little or nothing. Timing, is everything.

Tim W.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.