Important Leaders of Other Nations and Empires

 

 

 

Afghanistan

                Mullah Mohammad Omar 1996-2001; leader of the Taliban; gave refuge to bin Laden's Al

                                Qaeda terrorist group

                Hamid Karzai 2001-present

 

Akkadian Empire

Sargon I 2335-2279 BC; united Akkad and Sumer; conquered most of Mesopotamia

 

Algeria

                Ahmed Ben Bella 1962-1965; won independence from France

                Abdelaziz Bouteflika 1999-present; made peace with rebels in civil war

 

Angola

                Agostinho Antonio Neto 1975-1979; won independence from Portugal; established Popular

                                Movement for the Liberation of Angola Party (MPLA)

                Jose Eduardo dos Santos 1979-present; leader of MPLA; signed peace with UNITA leader

                                Savimbi in 1991; agreed to share power with Savimbi in Lusaka Protocol

 

Argentina

                Juan Peron 1946-1955, 1974-1976; married popular Eva (Evita); Peronista party formed to

                                support him; later married Isabel

                Isabel Peron 1974-1976; third wife of Juan Peron; first woman president in Western

                                Hemisphere

                Jorge Rafael Videla 1976-1981; led military junta; guerilla warfare "dirty war" throughout

                                country for years

                Leopoldo Galtieri 1981-1982; resigned after losing Falklands War

                Raul Alfonsin 1983-1989

                Carlos Menem 1989-1999

                Fernando de la Rua 1999-2001; resigned amid economic crisis, led to 5 presidents in 2 weeks

                Ramon Puerta 2001

                Adolfo Rodriguez Saa 2001

                Eduardo Camano 2001-2002

                Eduardo Duhalde 2002- ; Peronist candidate who had lost in 1999 to de la Rua      

 

Armenia

                Robert Kocharian 1998-present; Prime Minister Sarkissian was killed in Parliament in 1999

 

Assyria

                Shalmaneser III 859-824 BC; failed to conquer Aram; monuments include the Black

                                Obelisk and the Gates of Balawat

                Tiglath-pileser III 745-727 BC; took over Babylonia

                Shalmaneser V 727-722 BC; conquered Israel

                Sargon II 722-705 BC; deported Israelites; expanded empire; made capital at Calah and built

                                new city Dar Sharrukin

                Sennacherib 705-681 BC; moved capital to Nineveh; razed Babylonia; commemorated in poem

                                by Byron

                Ashurbanipal 669-627 BC; collected large library in Nineveh; attacked Memphis and Susa

                Ashur-uballit II 612-609 BC; last Assyrian king

 

Australia

                John Adrian Louis Hope 1901-1903; first governor-general

                Edmund Barton 1901-1903; first prime minister

                John Curtin 1941-1945; allied with US in WWII; member of Labor party

                Robert Gordon Menzies 1949-1966; founded Liberal Party; longest term as prime minister

                Gough Whitlan 1972-1975; leader of Labor Party; dismissed by governor-general

                Malcolm Fraser 1975-1983; led Liberal Party

                Robert Hawke 1983-1991; brought Labor Party to power

                Paul Keating 1991-1996; led Labor Party

                John Howard 1996-  ; restored Liberal Party to power

 

Azerbaijan

                Haydar Aliyev 1993-present

 

Aztec Empire

                Montezuma II 1502-1520; killed by his own people when Cortes made him appeal for an end to

                                the revolt against the Spaniards

                Cuauhtemoc 1520; last emperor

 

Babylonia

                First Babylonian Empire

                                Hammurabi 1792-1750 BC; defeated King Rim-Sin of Larsa; established code of

                                                laws (Code of Hammurabi)

                                Samsu-iluna 1750-1712 BC; son of Hammurabi

                Chaldean Period

                                Nebuchadnezzar II 605-562 BC; defeated Egyptians at Carchemish; captured

                                                Jerusalem and Judah; restored Babylonian empire

                                Nabonidus 546-539 BC; son Belshazzar given most power; defeated by Persian

                                                Cyrus the Great

 

Bangladesh

                Mujibur Rahman 1971-1975; killed in coup

                Ziaur Rahman 1977-1981; killed in coup

                Hossain Mohammad Ershad 1983-1990; leader of Jatiya party; jailed for corruption

                Begum Khaleda Zia 1991-1996; widow of Ziaur Rahman; led Bangladesh Nationalist Party

 

Belarus

                Aleksandr Lukashenko 1994-present

 

Bolivia

                Antonio Jose de Sucre 1826-1828; helped win independence for South America from Spain;

                                fought with Bolivar at Ayacucho

                Hilarion Daza c. 1880; fought with Peru against Chile in War of the Pacific; ceded Atacama

                                Province to Chile

                Victor Paz Estenssoro 1952-1956, 1960-1964, 1985-1989; founded Nationalist Revolutionary

                                Movement; nationalized tin industry

                Jorge Quiroga Ramirez 2001-present

 

Brazil

                Pedro I 1822-31; son of Portuguese John VI, who had fled to Brazil as Napoleon invaded

                                Portugal

                Getulio Vargas 1930-1945; dictator took control in junta

                Fernando Cardoso 1995-

 

Caliphate

                Early Period

                                Muhammad 619-632; raised by Abu Talib; married Khadija; made Hegira from

                                                Mecca to Medina; became ruler of Medina and defeated Mecca; wrote

                                                Koran; founded Islam

                                Abu Bakr 632-634; Muhammad's father-in-law

                                Umar I 634-644; defeated Persia; conquered Egypt, Syria, and Iraq

                                Uthman ibn Affan 644-656; assassinated by rebel troops

                                Ali 656-661; fought Muawiyah at Siffin; assassinated by the Kharijites; his

                                                followers were the Shiites

                Umayyad Dynasty

                                Muawiyah 661-680; revolted against Caliph Ali; moved capital from Mecca to

                                                Damascus; successors conquered North Africa and Spain until stopped

                                                by Martel at Poitiers

                                Yazid I 680-683; slaughtered Husayn and the Kufan Shiites at Karbala

                                Muwan II ?-750; overthrown by Abbasids

                Abbasid Dynasty

                                Abu al-Abbas 750-754; overthrew Umayyads

                                al-Mansur 754-775; built capital at Baghdad

                                Harun al-Rashid 786-809; court described in Arabian Nights; member of

                                                Barmecides family was grand vizier; exchanged gifts with Charlemagne;

                                                vizier Jaffar and chief executioner Mesrour

                                al-Mustasim ?-1258; killed by Mongol Hulagu, ending dynasty

                Fatimid Dynasty

                                Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi 909-?; established dynasty in Tunisia; he was a Shiite

                                                claiming descent from Mohammad's daughter Fatima and Caliph Ali;

                                                proclaimed Moslem messiah (Mahdi)

                Spanish Umayyads

                                Abd-ar-Rahman 929-?; descendants ruled from Cordoba until 1031

               

Cambodia

                Norodom Sihanouk 1941-1955; king; still head of state

                Pol Pot 1975-1985; leader of Khmer Rouge; arrested 1997

                Hun Sen 1998-present

 

Canada

                John MacDonald 1867-1873, 1878-1891; Conservative; first prime minister

                Alexander Mackenzie 1873-1878; Liberal

                Wilfrid Laurier 1896-1911; Liberal

                Robert Laird Borden 1911-1920; switched from Conservative to Union party

                W.L. Mackenzie King 1921-1926, 1926-1930, 1935-1948; Liberal

                Richard Bennett 1930-1935; Conservative; proposed the Bennett New Deal during Depression

                Louis St. Laurent 1948-1957; Liberal

                John Diefenbaker 1957-1963; Progressive Conservative

                Lester Pearson 1963-1968; Liberal; won 1957 Nobel Peace Prize for diplomatic work in

                                Korea and the Suez

                Pierre Trudeau 1968-1979; Liberal

                Brian Mulroney 1984-1993; Progressive Conservative; negotiated Meech Lake Accord with

                                Quebec Premier Bourassa in 1987 included Native Americans

                Kim Campbell 1993; Progressive Conservative; first female prime minister

                Jean Chretien 1993-present; Liberal

 

Chile

                Bernardo O'Higgins 1817-1823; leader in South American independence from Spain

                Salvador Allende Gossens 1970-1973; niece is author Isabel Allende

                Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, 1974-1990; led anti-Marxist coup; committed human rights abuses

                Patricio Aylwin Azocar 1990-1994

                Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle 1994-2000

                Ricardo Lagos Escobar 2000-present; first socialist president since Pinochet's coup

 

China

                Xia Dynasty 2205-1766 BC

                Shang Dynasty 1500-1027 BC

                Western Chou Dynasty 1027-770 BC

                Eastern Chou 770-256 BC

                                Spring and Autumn Period 722-481 BC

                                Warring States 403-221 BC

                Ch'in (Qin) Dynasty 221-206 BC

                                Shih Huang-Ti 221-210 BC; originally Cheng; advised by Li Ssu; built Grand Canal

                Western Han Dynasty 202 BC - 9 AD

                Hsin Dynasty 9 - 23, interrupting Han

                                Wang Mang - usurper; reformer; murdered by Liu clan

                Eastern Han Dynasty 25-220

                Three Kingdoms (Wei, Shu, Wu) 220-265

                T'ang Dynasty 618-906

                Sung Dynasty 960-1279

                Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty 1279-1368

                                Kublai Khan 1279-1294; grandson of Ghengis; built court at Cambaluc (Beijing);

                                                visited by Marco Polo (Venice); Buddhist

                Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

                Ch'ing (Manchu) Dynasty 1644-1912

                                Pu Yi 1908-1912; last emperor; appointed head of Manchukuo by Japan in 1932

                Republic 1911-1937

                                Yuan Shikai 1912-1916; former Manchu general            

                                Chiang Kai-shek 1927-1937; led Kuomintang (Nationalist) Party founded by Sun

                                                Yat-sen; purged communists

                Occupied by Japan 1937-1945

                Communist 1949-

                                Chairman Mao Tse-Tung 1949-1976; led Long March; established Communist

                                                government in China; policies included Hundred Flowers, Great Leap

                                                Forward, and Cultural Revolution

                                Premier Zhao Enlai 1949-1976

                                De Facto Leader Deng Xiaoping 1976-1997; encouraged "Four Modernizations" and

                                                instituted reforms leading to more market-style economy

                                General Secretary Hu Yaobang 1981-1987; reformer supported by Tiananmen

                                                Square protestors

                                General Secretary Zhao Ziyang 1987-1989; was removed for being sympathetic to

                                                Tiananmen Square protestors

                                Premier Li Peng 1987-1998

                                General Secretary Jiang Zemin 1989- ; former Shangai mayor; continued Deng's

                                                reforms

                                Premier Zhu Rongji 1998 -

               

Colombia

                Simon Bolivar 1821-1830; won independence from Spain, freeing Colombia at Boyaca;

                                continued to liberate Ecuador and Peru while Santander ran government of Gran

                                Colombia, including Venezuela and Panama

                Francisco de Paula Santander 1832-1837; Colombia and Panama became New Granada

                Ernest Samper 1994-1998; Liberal Party; accused of accepting bribes from drug cartels

                Andres Pastrana 1998-present; Conservative Party

               

Congo (former Zaire)

                Patrice Lumumba 1960; first premier; removed by President Kasavubu and murdered by

                                Tshombe's Katangan rebels

                Mobutu Sese Seko 1965-1997; renamed nation Zaire

                Laurent Kabila 1999-2001; leader of rebels who ousted Mobutu; assassinated by bodyguard;

                                renamed nation Democratic Republic of the Congo

                Joseph Kabila 2001-present

 

Costa Rica

                Miguel Angel Rodriguez Echeverria 1998-present

 

Cuba

                Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar 1952-1959

                Fidel Castro Ruz 1959-present; ousted dictator Batista and established Communist government

 

Dominican Republic

                Rafael Trujillo 1930-1961; dictator; assassinated

                Joaquin Balaguer 1961-1962, 1966-1996; defeated Bosch in 1966 election after US intervention

                Hipolito Mejia 2000-present

 

Ecuador

                Abdala Bucaram 1996-1997; known as "El Loco" (The Crazy One)

                Gustavo Noboa Bejarano 2000-present

 

Egypt

                Predynastic Period c.3500-c.3100 BC

                Early Dynastic Period c.3100-2686 BC, 1-2 dynasties

                                Menes c. 3100 BC; also Narmer; united Upper and Lower Egypt; killed by

                                                hippopotamus 

                Old Kingdom c.2686-2181 BC, 3-6 dynasties, capital at Memphis

                                Djoser c. 2600 BC; his architect Imhotep build Step Pyramid

                                Khufu 2551-2528 BC; also Cheops; built Great Pyramid at Giza

                First Intermediate Period c.2181-2040 BC, 7-10 dynasties, capital at Thebes and Herakleopolis

                Middle Kingdom c.2040-1786 BC, 11-12 dynasties

                                Amenemhet I c. 1991 BC; controlled Nubia; capital at Itjtawy; began Dynasty 12

                Second Intermediate Period 1786-1567 BC, 13-17 dynasties (Hyksos ruled during 15)

                New Kingdom 1570-1085 BC, 18-20 dynasties

                                Ahmose I 1550-1525 BC; established New Kingdom; drove out Hyksos

                                Thutmose I 1504-1492 BC; defeated Nubians

                                Thutmose II 1492-1479 BC; husband of Hatshepsut

                                Hatshepsut 1473-1458 BC; daughter of Thutmose I;

                                Thutmose III 1479-1425 BC; ruled as coregent with stepmother Hatshepsut;

                                                expanded empire; defeated Syria at Plain of Jezreel

                                Ahmenhotep III 1391-1353 BC; built palace at Thebes; encouraged arts

                                Ahmenhotep IV 1353-1335 BC; introduced monotheistic Aton religion; changed

                                                name to Akhenaton and built capital at Akhenaton

                                Tutankhamun 1333-1323 BC; restored Thebes and Amon worship; tomb discovered

                                                by Carter and Carnarvon in 1922

                                Ramses II 1290-1224 BC; fought Hittites at Kadesh

                                Ramses III 1194-1163; fought Lydians and Sea People; defeated Harem conspiracy

                Late Dynastic Period 1085-332 BC, 21-31 dynasties

                Ptolemaic Dynasty 323 BC - 30 AD

                                Ptolemy I 323-283 BC; general of Alexander the Great; built library at Alexandria

                                Cleopatra VII; committed suicide with Marc Antony at Actium; Rome took Egypt

                Ayyubid Family

                                Saladin 1169-1193; vizier of Egypt nominally under the Fatimids; captured

                                                Damascus and the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem from Crusaders; signed

                                                armistice with Richard I (England) in Third Crusade, keeping Jerusalem

                                                in Muslim control

                Mamluks (Bahri and Burji sultans) 1250-1517

                Modern

                                Mohammed Ali 1805-1848; Ottoman viceroy of Egypt but operated independently

                                                of Ottomans

                                Ibrahim Pasha 1848; general and son of Mohammed Ali

                                Ismail Pasha 1863-1879; opened Suez canal; westernized Egypt

                                Fuad I 1922-1936; king

                                Faruk I 1936-1952; king

                                Gamal Nasser 1954-1970; led coup ousting Faruk in 1952, then ousted Naguib; built

                                                Aswan High Dam; ended British occupation; Suez Crisis; lost Six Day

                                                War; formed United Arab Republic with Syria 1958-1961

                                Anwar al-Sadat 1970-1981; lost Arab-Israeli War; signed Camp David Accords;

                                                encouraged foreign investment (infitah); assassinated by Islamic

                                                extremists

                                Hosni Mubarak 1981-present

 

El Salvador

                Jose Napoleon Duarte 1979-1989; leader of Christian Democratic Party; military, out of his

                                control, killed many during civil war

                Alfredo Cristiani 1989-1994; leader of Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA); negotiated

                                end to civil war

                Francisco Flores 1999-present

 

Estonia

                Lennart Meri 1992-present

 

Ethiopia

                Menelik II 1889-1909; united tribes; made capital at Addis Ababa; defeated Italians at Adowa

                Haile Selassie I 1930-1974; last emperor

 

Gambia

                Dawda Jawara 1970-1994; formed Senegambia with Senegal 1981-1989; deposed by Jammeh

 

Georgia

                Eduard Shevardnadze 1992-present; survived coup and two assassination attempts

 

Ghana

                Kwame Nkrumah 1957-1966; won independence for British Gold Coast; became first prime

                                minister then president; overthrown by military coup; advocated forming United

                                States of Africa

                Jerry Rawlings 1982-2001

 

Guatemala

                Jose Rafael Carrera 1840-1865; ended United Provinces of Central America, liberating

                                Guatemala, by defeated Morazan

                Manuel Estrada Cabrera 1898-1920; US United Fruit company exported many bananas

                Jorge Ubico 1931-1944; liked Hitler but joined US in WWII

                Juan Jose Arevalo 1944-1951; began "Ten Years of Spring" reforms

                Alfonso Portillo Cabrera 2000-present

 

Gupta

                Chandragupta 320-353; founded dynasty; capital at Patna on the Ganges

                Samudragupta 353-375; conquered much of India; pillar at Allahabad describes his exploits

 

Haiti

                Toussaint L'Ouverture 1801-1802; had led 1791 slave revolt; established republic but was

                                defeated by Leclerc, sent by Napoleon, and jailed

                Jean-Jacques Dessalines 1804-1806; won independence from France; proclaimed himself

                                emperor; called the Tiger

                Henri Chrisophe 1806-1820; plotted assassination of Dessalines; ruled north as Henri I;

                                committed suicide with silver bullet

                Francois Duvalier 1957-1971; "Papa Doc"; used Tontons Macoutes forces to intimidate

                                opposition

                Jean-Claude Duvalier 1971-1986; "Baby Doc"

                Jean-Bertrand Aristide 1991, 1994-1996; priest; ousted by coup led by Cedras but restored with

                                US intervention

                Rene Preval 1996-present

 

Honduras

                Carlos Roberto Flores Facusse 1998-present; Hurricane Mitch killed thousands in 1998

 

Huns

                Balamir 300s; defeated Alans, conquering land between Volga and Don

                Roas 400s; collected tribute from Roman Theodosius I

                Attila 433-453; murdered brother Bleda; defeated Byzantine Theodosius II; invaded Gaul but

                                lost to Romans at Chalons; ended advance on Rome after meeting with Pope Leo I

 

Incan Empire

                Topa Inca  to 1493

                Huayna Capac 1493-1525

                Atahualpa ~1525-1532; executed brother Huascar; conquered by Spanish under Pizarro

 

India

                Robert Clive 1750s; British governor of Bengal; won control of India at Plassey in 1757

                Warren Hastings 1772-1784; British colonial governor of Bengal; worked for British East India

                                Company; tried by Francis, supported by Burke, in Parliament

                Jawaharlal Nehru 1949-1964; led independence movement

                Indira Gandhi 1966-77, 1980-84; ordered attack on Sikh's Golden Temple at Amritsar;

                                assassinated by Sikh bodyguards

                Rajiv Gandhi 1984-1989; son of Indira; assassinated by Tamil terrorist

                Narasimha Rao 1991-1996

                Atal Bihari Vajpayee 1996-present; member of Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party

 

Indonesia

                Sukarno 1950-1968; led independence from Netherlands; killed many Communists after coup            

                Suharto 1968-1998

                Jusuf Habibie 1998-1999

                Abdurrahman Wahid 1999-2000; many East Timorese killed after voting for independence

                Megawati Sukarnoputri 2001-present

 

Iran

                Reza Shah Pahlavi 1925-1941; ousted by Britain during WWII

                Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi 1941-1979; Premier Mossadegh led oil nationalization drive

                Ayatollah Khomeini 1979-1989; led Islamic revolution

                Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani 1989-1997

                Mohamed Khatami 1997-present

 

Iraq

                Faisal I 1921-1933; aided Britain in WWI; secured full independence for Iraq in 1932

                Faisal II 1939-1958; became king at age three; formed pro-Western Arab Union with Jordan,

                                opposed by United Arab Republic, which supported a coup by Kassem in which

                                Faisal II was assassinated

                Saddam Hussein 1979-present; leader of Arab Baath Socialist Party; fought Iran in Iran-Iraq

                                War and UN in Persian Gulf War after invading Kuwait; persecuted Kurds

 

Israel

                United Kingdom

                                Saul  1020-1000 BC; defeated Philistines and Ammonites; jealous of David

                                David 1000-961 BC; son of Jesse; anointed by Samuel; slew Goliath; defeated Saul;

                                                friends with Saul's son Jonathan and married Michal; committed adultery

                                                with Uriah's wife Bathsheba, denounced by Nathan; son Absalom rebelled

                                                and was killed by general Joab

                                Solomon 961-922 BC; son of David and Bathsheba; built Temple; wrote Proverbs

                Israel (capital at Samaria)

                                Jeroboam 922-901 BC; became king of the northern ten tribes

                                Ahab 869-850 BC; married Jezebel; worshipped Baal

                                Jehu 850-? BC; killed Jezebel; appointed king by Elijah 

                                Hoshea ?-722 BC; Assyrians conquered Israel

                Judah (capital at Jerusalem)

                                Rehoboam 922-? BC; northern tribes rebelled under Jeroboam, leaving only Judah

                                                and Benjamin

                                Asa 910-870 BC; defeated Egyptian invasion

                                Jehoshaphat

                                Josiah 648-609 BC; discovered Deuteronomy; slain by Egypt at Megiddo

                                Zedekiah 597-586 BC; defeated by Nebuchadnezzar II, and Babylon conquered

                                                Judah

                Modern Israel

                                Chaim Weizmann 1949-1952; first president

                                David Ben-Gurion 1948-1953, 1955-1963; first prime minister; member of Zionist

                                                labor Mapai party; 1956 Suez Crisis

                                Golda Meir 1969-1974; resigned after Arab-Israeli War; leader of Labor party

                                Menachem Begin 1977-1983; Likud party; signed Camp David Accords with al-

                                                Sadat (Egypt); shared 1978 Nobel Peace Prize; invaded Lebanon

                                Yitzhak Shamir 1983-1992; Likud leader shared power with Labor leader Peres

                                Yitzhak Rabin 1974-1977, 1992-1995; signed Declaration of Principles with PLO

                                                leader Arafat; assassinated at peace rally

                                Simon Peres 1995-1996; continued peace negotiations

                                Benjamin Netanyahu 1996-1998; Likud party

                                Ehud Barak 1998-2001; Labor party

                                Ariel Sharon 2001-present; hardliner; Peres appointed foreign minister

 

Jamaica

                Michael Manley 1972-1980, 1989-1992; advocated Nonaligned status; wrote book on cricket

                Percival Patterson 1992-present

 

Japan

                Yamato Rulers

                                Shotoku Taishi 594-622; introduced Chinese-style rule; 17 Injunctions constitution

                                Tenji 645-692; Taika reforms

                                Jimmu c. 660 BC; legendary king who supposedly unified Japan

                Heinan Period

                                Fujiwara Michinaga 995-1028; model for Murasaki's Genji

                Kamakura Shogunate

                                Minamoto Yoritomo 1185-1199; leader of Minamoto clan; defeated Taira clan in

                                                Gempei War and established shogunate

                                Go-Toba 1221; former emperor tried to retake power from Hojo family

                Ashikaga Shogunate

                                Go-Daigo and Ashikaga Takauji 1333; led Kemmu Restoration, ending Kamakura

                                Shogunate; established rival courts at Kyoto (Ashikaga) and Yoshino (Go-Daigo)

                Reunification

                                Oda Nabunaga 1568-1582; daimyo who reunified much of the country and ousted

                                                last Ashikaga shogun; assassinated by a vassal

                                Toyotomi Hideyoshi 1581-1598; continued Nabunaga's reunification work

                Tokugawa Shogunate

                                Tokugawa Ieyasu 1603-1605; won civil war at Battle of Sekigahara and built capital

                                                at Edo (Tokyo); bakuhan system of shared rule with daimyos

                Meiji Restoration

                                Meiji 1868-1912; overthrew Tokugawa shogunate; modernized, unified and

                                                industrialized Japan

                                Ito Hirobumi late 1800s; four-time prime minister; wrote constitution

                                Emperor Yoshihito 1912-1926

                                Emperor Hirohito 1926-1989; allowed to remain as emperor, though with no real

                                                powers, by US occupation under MacArthur

                                Konoe Fumimaro 1937-1938, 1940-1941; prime minister who joined Axis powers

                                                and started invasions of Indochina to create "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity

                                                Sphere"

                                Tojo Hideki 1941-1944; led Japan in WWII; forced to resign after loss at Saipan

                Postwar

                                Yoshida Shigeru 1946-1947, 1947-1954; first postwar prime minister

                                Tanaka Kakuei 1972-1974; member of Liberal Democratic Party; arrested for taking

                                                bribes from Lockheed Martin

                                Emperor Akihito 1989-   ; son of Hirohito     

 

Jordan

                King Hussein 1952-1999; cousin of King Faisal (Iraq)

                King Abdallah II 1999-

 

Kanem-Bornu

                Idris Alooma 1500s; acquired firearms from Turks and expanded empire

 

Kazakhstan

                Nursultan Nazarbayev 1990-present

 

Kenya

                Jomo Kenyatta 1963-1978; studied under Malinowski; wrote Facing Mount Kenya; arrested

                                after Mau Mau rebellion; won independence for Kenya

                Daniel arap Moi 1978-present; truck bomb exploded at US embassy in 1998

 

Korea

                Silla Dynasty 668-918

                Koryo Period 918-1392

                Yi (Choson) Dynasty 1391-19010

                Japanese Rule 1910-1945

                South Korea

                                Syngman Rhee 1948-1960; UN prevented North Korean conquest of South Korea in

                                                Korean War; resigned after student protests 1960

                                Park Chung Hee 1963-1979; led military coup; assassinated by Korean CIA chief

                                Chun Dao-Hwan 1980-1987; allowed elections after massive protests

                                Roh Tae Woo 1987-92

                                Kim Young Sam 1993-1998; arrested Chun and Roh for treason; renamed

                                                Democratic Liberal Party the New Korea Party

                                Kim Dae Jung 1998-present; won 2000 Nobel Peace Prize

                North Korea

                                Kim Il Sung 1948-1994; failed to extend Communist to South Korea in Korean War

                                Kim Jong Il 1994-present

 

Kuwait

                Emir Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir as-Sabah 1978-present

 

Kyrgyzstan

                Askar Akayev 1990-present

 

Laos

                Fa Ngum 1300s; founded Lan Xang (Million Elephants) kingdom

                Souvanna Phouma 1953-1954, 1956-1958, 1960, 1962-1975; won independence from France;

                                tried to integrate the Communist Pathet Lao rebels led by half-brother

                                Souphanouvong into government, but they took full control when US withdrew

                Khamtai Sphandon 1998-present

 

Latvia

                Vaira Vike-Freiberga 1999-present

 

Lebanon

                Amin Gemayel 1982-1988; became president after president-elect brother Bashir Gemayel was

                                assassinated; Maronite Christian; civil war ravaged Lebanon

                Elias Hrawi 1989-1998; became president after Moawad was assassinated; ended revolt by

                                Aoun; ended Lebanese Civil War

                Emile Lahoud 1998-present

Liberia

                Samuel Doe 1980-1990; deposed Tolbert in a coup; killed in civil war

                Ruth Perry 1996-1997; first female head of state in modern Africa

                Charles Taylor 1997-present

 

Libya

                Muammar al-Qaddafi 1969-present; US bombed Libya in 1986; sanctioned imposed on Libya

                                when it refused to hand over suspects in Pan Am 103 bombing

 

Lithuania

                Valdas Adamkus 1998-present

 

Luxembourg

                Grand Duke Henri 2000-present

 

Lydia

                Croesus 560-546 BC; capital at Sardis; defeated by Cyrus the Great of Persia

 

Madagascar

                Didier Ratsiraka 1976-1993

                Albert Zafy 1993-1996; impeached by legislature

                Didier Ratsiraka 1997-present

 

Malaysia

                Tunku Abdul Rahman 1957-1970; won independence from Britain; joined Malaya, Singapore,

                                Sabah, and Sarawak in 1963; Singapore left federation in 1965

                Mahathir bin Mohamad 1981-present; leader of National Front; "Vision 2020" industrialization

                                plan; arrested Deputy Prime Minister Anwar who charged corruption

 

Mali

                Sundiata Keita 1235-1260; defeated the Susa under Sumanguru Kante at Kirina and established

                                empire; built capital at Niani

                Mansa Musa 1312-1337; made pilgrimage to Mecca with much gold and adopted Islam; made

                                Tombouctou a cultural center

                Moussa Traore 1968-1991

                Alpha Oumar Konare 1992-present

 

Mauryan Dynasty

                Chandragupta Maurya 321-298 BC; founded dynasty in Magadha kingdom; conquered much of

                                India; defeated Seleucids

                Bindusara 298-273 BC; extended empire south

                Ashoka 273-232 BC; became disillusioned with war and adopted Buddhism; issued Edicts of

                                Ashoka

 

Mexico

                Emperor Augustin de Iturbide 1822-1823; leader of war for independence, authoring Plan of

                                Iguala with Guerrero; declared himself emperor but forced to abdicate

                Guadalupe Victoria 1823-1829; first president; succession of the United Provinces of Central

                                America; 1824 constitution

                Vicente Guerrero 1829-1831; leader of war for independence; assassinated by Bustamante's

                                conservatives

                Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna 1833-1837, 1841-1845, 1846-1847, 1853-1855; fought Spaniards

with Iturbide but then ousted him in 1823; defeated Texans at the Alamo but lost at San

Jacinto; lost a leg defeating French at Veracruz; lost to US in Mexican-American War;

fled to Jamaica but was recalled and became dictator; exiled to Caribbean

                Emperor Maximilian 1863-1867; installed as emperor by Napoleon III (France), but was

defeated by troops under Diaz at Queretaro and executed after French troops left

                Benito Pablo Juarez 1867-1872; Zapotec who instituted liberal reforms; helped oust French

                Porfirio Diaz 1877-1880, 1884-1911; long rule called the Porfiriato; encouraged foreign

                                investment, stability, and modernization; resigned 1911

                Francisco Madero 1911-1913; ousted Diaz but instituted few reforms, upsetting Zapata and

                                Villa; murdered by his general Huerta

                Victoriano Huerta 1913-1914; not recognized by US, which seized Veracruz

                Venustiano Carranza 1915-1920; he and general Obregon restored order, but Villa continued

                                raids in the north, prompting US to send Pershing after him; 1917 constitution

                Alvaro Obregon 1920-1924; led revolt against Carranza, who did not implement reforms from

                                1917 constitution

                Plutarco Elias Calles 1924-1928; instituted reforms but conflict with the church led to Cristero

                                Rebellion, mediated by US ambassador Morrow; founded PNR (later PRI) and

                                controlled later presidents until 1934 during Maximato period

                Lazaro Cardenas 1934-1940; nationalized oil (Pemex)

                Manuel Avila Camacho 1940-1946; joined US in WWII, supplying labor in Bracero program

                Gustavo Diaz Ordaz 1964-1970; many killed at Tlateloco Plaza of the Three Cultures massacre;

                                1968 Mexico City Olympics

                Jose Lopez Portillo 1976-1982

                Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado 1982-88; accepted IMF loan

                Carlos Salinas de Gortari 1988-1994; negotiated NAFTA; Zapatistas in Chipas rebelled; his

                                brother Raul Salinas was convicted of assassination and drug dealing

                Ernesto Zedillo 1994-2000; repla ced assassinated PRI candidate Colosio; devalued currency

                Vicente Fox Padilla 2000-  ; PAN candidate Fox ended PRI's rule; former Coca-Cola executive

 

Moldova

                Vladimir Voronin 2001-present

 

Mongolia

                Natsagiyn Bagabandi 1997-present

 

Mongols

                Genghis Khan 1206-1227; real name Tamujin; capital at Karakorum; established Great Yasa

                                code; conquered empire from China Sea to Dneiper

                Ogodei 1227-?; ruled East Asia after Genghis's death

                Kublai Khan 1279-1294; grandson of Ghengis; ruled in China, establishing Yuan dynasty; built

                                court at Cambaluc (Beijing); visited by Marco Polo (Venice); Buddhist; brother

                                Mangu Khan

                Jagatai 1227-?; ruled Turkistan; established Jagatai dynasty

                Hulaga 1231-1265; ruled Iran; established Il-Khanid dynasty

                Batu Khan 1237-1255; led Tatar army in conquering Eastern Europe; recalled to Asia when

                                uncle Ogodei died, preventing conquest of Western Europe

                Tamerlane 1370-1405; called the Lame after sheep-stealing accident; conquered much of Asia;

                                made capital at Samarqand; defeated Bayazid I (Ottoman) at Ankara

 

Morocco

                King Hassan II 1961-1999

                King Muhammad VI 1999-present

 

Mozambique

                Samora Machel 1975-1986; won independence from Portugal; Maoist; killed in plane crash in

                                South Africa

                Joaquim Chissano 1986-present

 

Mughal Empire

                Babur 1526-1530; defeated Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat and captured Agra

                Humayun 1530-1556; defeated by Afghan leader Sher Shah

                Akbar 1556-1605; re-conquered empire; promoted Dini-Ilahi religion; allied with Hindus

                Jahangir 1605-1628; wife Nur Jahan assumed most power

                Shah Jahan 1628-1658; built capital at Delhi and Taj Mahal (tomb for his wife and later

                                himself) and the Pearl Mosque at Agra

                Aurangzeb 1658-1707; took the name Alamgir (Conqueror of the World); expanded empire to

                                largest extend; executed Sikh guru

               

Myanmar

                King Anawrahta 1044-1077; founded unified Myanmar kingdom at Pagan

                Kyanzittha 1084-1112; brought Pagan Kingdom to zenith

                Bayinnaung 1551-1581; reunited Myanmar under Toungoo Dynasty

                Alaungpaya 1752-1763; founded Konbaung Dynasty

                Hsinbyushin 1763-1776; destroyed Thai capital at Ayutthaya

                U Nu 1948-1958, 1960-1962; won independence from Britain; led Anti-Fascist People's

                                Freedom League, founded by U Aung San during WWII

                Ne Win 1962-1988; dictator; U Aung San's daughter Daw Aung San Suu Kyi began nonviolent

                                resistance to military rule in late 1980s and won 1991 Nobel Peace Prize

                Than Shwe 1992-present

 

Nepal

                King Birendra 1972-2001; son Dipendra killed himself, Birendra, and eight other members of

                                the royal family June 1, 2001

                King Gyanendra 2001-present

 

New Zealand

                Jim Bolger 1990-1997; led National Party

                Jenny Shipley 1997-1999; first female New Zealand prime minister

                Helen Clark 1999-present

 

Nicaragua

                William Walker 1855-1857; American filibuster

                Jose Santos Zelaya 1893-1909; Taft's Dollar Diplomacy encouraged a revolt that ousted him

                Anastacio Somoza 1936-1956; tried to win favor of US and FDR

                Luis Somoza Debayle 1956-1967

                Anastacio Somoza Debayle 1967-1979; corrupt; stole relief money from 1972 Managua

                                earthquake

                Daniel Ortega Saavedra 1984-1990; led Sandinista rebellion against Somoza; opposed by US-

                                aided contras

                Violeta Chamorro 1990-1997; widow of assassinated newspaper editor; ended Sandinista rule

                Arnoldo Aleman 1997-present; Liberal Party; Hurricane Mitch killed many in 1998

 

Nigeria

                Nnambdi Azikiwe 1963-1966; won independence from Britain

                Yakubu Gowon 1966-1975; defeated Biafra succession attempt

                Sani Abacha 1993-1998; committed human rights abuses; hanged Ken Saro-Wiwa

                Olusegun Obasanjo 1999-present; returned country to civilian rule; elected after frontrunner

                                Abiola died

 

Numidia

                Masinissa 201-? BC; supported Rome in the Second Punic War

                Jugurtha 113-104 BC; defeated by Sulla in the Jugurthine War

 

Oman

                Sultan Qabus bin Said 1970-present

 

Ottoman Empire

                Osman 1289-1326; founded Ottoman dynasty; established small state in NW Anatolia

                Orhan 1326-1362; conquered Bursa and made in the capital; Ottomans served as mercenaries

                                for Byzantine usurper John VI Cantacuzene; crossed Dardanelles into Europe;

                                married Theodora, daughter of Cantacuzene; occupied Galllipoli

                Murad I 1362-1389; captured Adrianople (now Edirne) in 1361; made Byzantine emperor his

                                vassal; founded Janissary military unit; conquered much of Balkans; killed at Battle

                                of Kosovo

                Bayazid I Yilderim (Lightning) 1389-1402; first with title sultan; blockaded Constantinople;

                                defeated by Mongol Tamerlane near Ankara in 1402

                Murad II 1421-1451; took Thessaloniki from Ventians in 1430 and defeated Polish Wladyslaw

                                II at Battle of Varna in 1444; abdicated to son Muhammad II 1444-1446 but returned;

                                defeated Hungarian Janos Hunyadi at Second Battle of Kosovo in 1448

                Muhammad II the Conqueror 1451-1481; captured Constantinople in 1453 and made it the

                                capital; codified law; took lands around Black Sea

                Bayazid II 1481-1512; built Mosque of Bayazid in Constantinople; fought many wars against

                                Hungary, Poland, Venice, Egypt, and Persia; depended on Janissaries

                Selim I 1512-1520; subdued ersian Safavids; executed Mameluke sultan of Egypt

                Suleiman I the Magnificent 1520-1566; captured Belgrade in 1521; killed Hungarian Louis II;

                                besieged Vienna and Baghdad; allied with France against HRE Charles V

                Murad IV 1623-1640; executed more than 100,000; commanded troops against Baghdad in

                                1638; fought Poland

                Sultanate of the Women 1640-1656; several women served as regents for young sultans

                Grand Vizierates 1656-1683; Koprulu Muhammad Pasha defeated Venice navy; Koprulu Fazil

                                Ahmad Pasha captured Ukraine and Crete; Kara Mustafa Pasha lost at Vienna

                Abd Al-Hamid I 1774-1789; reformer; lost to Austria and Russia

                Selim III 1789-1807; introduced Western reforms; Russo-Turkish War 1787-1792; Egyptian

                                invasion of Napoleon; war with Russia and Britain; opposed by Janissaries who

                                deposed him in 1807

                Mahmud II 1808-1839; ceded Black Sea to Russia; lost Greece in 1827; forced to cede Syria to

                                Egypt by Muhammad Ali

                Abd Al-Madjid 1839-1861; introduced Western Tanzimat ("reorganization") reforms; Crimean

                                War 1853 - 1856; reformist grand viziers Ali and Fuad Pasha

                Abd Al-Hamid II 1876-1909; lost war to Russia; lost most European possessions in Treaty of

                                San Stefano 1878; allowed massacres of Armenians; deposed by Young Turks 1909

                Young Turks 1909-1918; wanted to continue reforms of Selim III; nominally Islamic; Abdullah

                                Cevdet and others at Royal Medical Academy founded Committee of Union and

                                Progress in 1889; Enver Bey and Niyazi Bey led mutiny demanding restoration of

                                1876 constitution; conservatives mutinied in 1909 demanding restoration of Sharia

                                holy law; dissention within CUP; Enver Pasha, Talat Pasha, and Cemal Pasha

                                dominated; lost WWI

 

Pakistan

                Muhammad Ali Jinnah 1947-1948; won independence from Britain; leader of Muslim League

                Mohammad Ayub Khan 1958-1969

                Zulfikar Ali Bhutto 1970-1977; Bangladesh succeeded after civil war; executed in 1979

                Muhammad Zia ul-Haq 1978-1988; ousted Bhutto; killed in plane crash

                Benazir Bhutto 1988-1990; daughter of Zulfikar Bhutto; first female leader of Muslim country

                Nawaz Sharif 1990-1993, 1997-1999; ousted by coup after firing General Musharraf

                Pervez Musharraf 1999-present; agreed to assist US against Taliban in Afghanistan

 

Panama

                Harmodio Arias 1931-1940; led coup by Common Action group; lessened US influence

                Arnulfo Arias 1940-1941, 1949-1951, 1968; brother of Harmodio Arias

                Omar Torrijos 1969-1981; signed treaty with Carter (US) to transfer Panama Canal to Panama

                                by 1999; died in plane crash

                Manuel Noriega 1983-1990; arrested by US troops in 1989-1990 invasion; convicted of drug

                                trafficking in Miami

                Guillermo Endara 1990-1994; led Arnulfista Party; won 1989 election that was nullified by

                                Noriega; installed as president by US invading force

                Ernesto Balladares 1994-1999

                Mireya Elisa Moscoso 1999-present; widow of Arnulfo Arias

               

Paraguay

                Alfredo Stroessner 1954-1989; led coup against Chavez; led Colorado party; ousted by

                                coup led by Rodriguez

                Juan Carlos Wasmosy 1993-1998; first civilian leader in many years

                Luis Angel Gonzalez Macchi 1999-present

               

Parthian Empire

                Arsaces I 247-? BC; rebelled against Seleucids; made capital at Dara, later Hecatompylos

 

Peru

                Prado Ugarteche 1939-45, 1956-62

                Alberto Fujimori 1990-2000; captured leader of Shining Path guerrillas Guzman Reynoso;

                                ordered attack on Tupac Amaru guerrillas who had taken hostages at Japanese

                                embassy; accused of complicity in murders; resigned from Japan

                Alejandro Toledo 2001-present

 

Persian Empire

                Cyrus I the Great 550-530 BC; defeated the Medes, Lydia, and Babylonia

                Cambyses II 530-522 BC; son of Cyrus I; conquered Egypt

                Darius I 522-486 BC; crushed revolt of Ionian Greeks; defeated by Greeks at Marathon; built

                                canal from the Nile to the Red Sea; built capital at Persepolis

                Xerxes I 486-465 BC; defeated by Greeks at Salamis

                Artaxerxes I 465-? BC; Egyptians revolted

                Darius III 336-330 BC; defeated by Alexander the Great at Issus and Gaugamela

 

Philippines

                Manuel Roxas 1946-1948; won independence from US; faced rebellion by Communist Huks

                Ferdinand Marcos 1965-1986; declared martial law 1972; wife Imelda held significant power;

                                opposition leader Aquino was murdered; fled to Hawaii after 1986 election

                Corazon Aquino 1986-1992; widow of opposition leader Benigno Aquino; US helped defeat

                                coup; Mt. Pinatubo erupted; forced US to close Clark and Subic Bay bases

                Fidel Ramos 1992-1998; leader of People Power Movement that ousted Marcos; made peace

                                with Moro rebels

                Joseph Estrada 1998-2000; former actor; populist; impeached

                Gloria Macapagal Arroyo 2001-present

 

Rwanda

                Juvenal Habyarimana 1973-1994; killed in plane crash with Burundi president Ntaryamira,

                                leading to much fighting between Tutsis and majority Hutus

 

Safavids

                Abbas I 1588-1629; rebuilt capital at Esfahan; won back lands ceded to Uzbeks and Ottomans

 

Sassanids             

                Ardashir I 224-241; defeated Parthians at Hormuz and established dynasty in Persia; established

                                Zoroastrianism as official religion

                Khosrau I 529-590; fought Byzantine Justinian I, extending empire to the Black Sea; restored

                                Zoroastrianism

 

Saudi Arabia

                King Ibn Saud 1932-1953; Wahhabis leader; conquered Al Hijaz and established

                                Saudi Arabia

                King Saud 1953-1964

                King Faisal 1964-1975; fought Israel in Six-Day and Arab-Israeli Wars; assassinated by nephew

                King Khalid 1975-1982; sickly; brother Faud held most power

                King Faud 1982-present; allowed US troops in Saudi Arabia for Persian Gulf War; half-brother

                                Abdullah's power has increased since Faud's 1995 stroke

 

Seleucids

                Seleucus I 312-280 BC; received Babylon and Syria upon Alexander the Great's death; built

                                Antioch

                Antiochus II 261-246 BC; freed Miletus from Timarchus; his satrap Diodotus I seized Bactria

                Antiochus III the Great 223-187 BC; defeated Ptolemy V (Egypt) but lost to Rome at

                                Thermopylae and Magnesia

                Antiochus IV Epiphanes 175-164 BC; captured Jerusalem but was driven out by the Maccabees

 

Seljuk Turks

                Togrul Beg 1040-1055; conquered Iraq and Iran

                Alp Arslan late 1000s; defeated Byzantines at Manzikert

                Malik Shah early 1100s

 

Singapore

                Thomas Raffles 1819; British founder of Singapore

                SR Nathan 1999-present

 

Somalia

                Muhammad Siad Barre 1970-1991; led coup; established socialist state; fled during civil war

                Abdiqassim Salad Hassan 2000-present

 

Songhai

                Sunni Ali 1464-1492; capital at Gao; captured Djenne and Tombouctou; Niger River empire

 

South Africa

                Paul Kruger 1883-1902; president of South African Republic in Transvaal; leader of the

                                Afrikaners; declared war on Cape Colony but was defeated by the British

                Cecil Rhodes 1890-1895; prime minister of Cape Colony; founder of DeBeers diamond

                                company; resigned after failed Jameson Raid

                Alfred Milner 1897-?; prime minister of Cape Colony; defeated South African Republic in the

                                Boer War

                Louis Botha 1910-1919; leader of South African Party; Native Lands Act prevented blacks from

                                owning land outside of reserves

                Jan Christiaan Smuts 1919-1924, 1939-1948; pro-British

                JBM Hertzog 1924-1939; Afrikaner; leader of National Party

                Daniel Malan 1948-1954; instituted apartheid; established 10 homelands for blacks; leader of

                                National Party

                PW Botha 1984-1989; tried to retain Namibia; allowed coloureds and Indians in Parliament but

                                not blacks; resigned after a stroke

                FW de Klerk 1989-1994; ended apartheid; freed political prisoners including Mandela; met with

                                Archbishop Tutu

                Nelson Mandela 1994-1999; leader of African National Congress; had spent 27 years as

                                political prisoner at Robben Island and Pollsmoor; wrote Long Walk to Freedom;

                                Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigated apartheid crimes

                Thabo Mbeki 1999-present

 

Sudan

                Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir 1989-present

 

Syria

                Hafez al-Assad 1971-2000; Syrian troops fought in Arab-Israeli War and Lebanon civil war;

                                allied with Iran in Iran-Iraq War; leader of Baath Party

                Bashar al-Assad 2000-present; son of Hafez al-Assad

 

Taiwan

                Chiang Kai-shek 1949-1975; leader of Kuomintang fled mainland after losing to Communists

                Chiang Ching-kuo 1975-1988; Chiang Kai-shek's son

                Lee Teng-hui 1988-2000

                Chen Shui-bian 2000-present; leader of Democratic Progressive Party; first non-KMT president

 

Tajikistan

                Imomali Rakhmonov 1994-present

 

Tanzania

                Julius Nyerere 1964-1985; won independence from Britain

                Benjamin Mkapa 1995-present

 

Thailand

                Kingdom of Ayutthaya

                                King Ramathibodi I 1351-1448; conquered Angkor and Sukhothai

                                Naresuan 1590s; freed Thailand from Burma

                                Taksin 1790s; built capital at Thon Buri

                Chakri Dynasty

                                King Rama I 1782-1809

                                King Rama IV (Mongkut) 1851-1868; prevented European colonization of Thailand

                                King Rama V (Chulalongkorn) 1868-1910; continued to prevent European

                                                colonization of Thailand

                                King Rama VII (Prajadhipok) 1930-1935; forced to accept a constitution by a coup

                                                led by Phanomyong

                                King Blumibol Adulyadej 1946-present

 

Tunisia

                Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali 1987-present

 

Turkey

                Mustafa Kemal Ataturk 1923-1938; opposed foreign occupation, allowed by sultan in Treaty of

                                Sevres giving Greece part of Anatolia; set up government in Ankara; occupied

Izmir; proclaimed republic 1923; introduced Western reforms and abolishing Islamic institutions

                Ismet Inonu 1938-1950; remained neutral during most of WWII; accepted aid from Truman

                                (US) to prevent Communist influence

                Tansu Ciller 1993-1996; first female prime minister of Turkey; leader of True Path Party

                Ahmet Necdet Sezer 2000-present

 

Turkmenistan

                Saparmurad Niyazov 1990-present

 

Uganda

                Yoweri Kaguta Museveni 1986-present

 

Ukraine

                Leonid Danylovich Kuchma 1994-present

 

United Nations

                Trygve Lie 1946-1953; Norway

                Dag Hammarskjold 1953-1961; Sweden; died in plane crash in Africa

                U Thant 1961-1972; Burma

                Kurt Waldheim 1972-1982; Austria; accused of Nazi war crimes

                1982-1992 Javier Perez de Cuellar; Peru

                1992-1997 Boutros Boutros-Ghali; Egypt

                1997-present Kofi Annan; Ghana

 

United Provinces of Central America

                Manuel Jose Arce 1825-1827; Salvadoran; allied with Guatemalan conservatives

                Francisco Morazan 1830-1834; Honduran general; natives under Aquino revolted; defeated by

                                Guatemalan Carrera, liberating Guatemala and dissolving the United Provinces

 

Uruguay

                Jose Maria Bordaberry 1972-1976; leader of Colorado Party; defeated rival Blanco Party

                                candidate; ousted by military

                Jorge Batlle 2000-present; leader of Colorado Party

 

Uzbekistan

                Islam Karimov 1990-present

 

Venezuela

                Jose Antonio Paez 1829-1846; Venezuela succeeded from Gran Colombia

                Antonio Gomez Blanco 1870-1888; built railroads; reduced power of the church; US arbitrator

                                gave most land in boundary dispute with Guyana to Britain

                Cipriano Castro 1899-1908; European nations blocked ports, demanding payment of debts

                Juan Vicente Gomez 1908-1935; used newfound oil to pay off foreign debts

                Romulo Betancourt 1945-1948, 1958-1963; leader of Democratic Action Party; instituted land

                                reforms; Trujillo (Dominican Republic) and Castro (Cuba) tried to oust him

                Romulo Gallegos Freire 1948; founder of Democratic Action Party; novelist; first

                                democratically elected president; ousted by army coup

                Perez Jimenez 1952-1958; leader of military junta; jailed opposition leaders including Social

                                Christian Party leader Caldera Rodriguez; ousted by Patriotic Junta coup

                Rafael Caldera 1968-1974, 1993-1999; leader of Social Christian Party; nationalized industries;

                                in second term nationalized many banks

                Carlos Perez 1974-1978, 1988-1993; leader of Democratic Action Party; defeated two coups;

                                ousted by the Senate on charges of embezzlement

                Hugo Chavez 1999-present; led two coup attempts against Perez; adopted new constitution;

                                renamed nation Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; 1999 mudslides killed many; briefly

                                ousted by coup but returned

 

Vietnam

                Ly Dynasty 1010-1225

                Tran Dynasty 1225-1407

                Le Dynasty 1428-1789

                Nguyen Dynasty

                                Nguyen Anh 1802-?; defeated Tay Son brothers who had ended Le Dynasty; moved

                                                capital to Hue

                                Tu Duc 1848-1883; persecuted Christians; France began conquest of Indochina

                                Bao Dai 1926-1945, 1949-1955; ruled under French and Japanese protection; ousted

                                                by Viet Minh; brought back by French in 1949 to rival Ho Chi Minh;

                                                leader of South Vietnam after partition in 1954

                Recent

                                Ngo Dinh Diem 1955-1963; refused to hold re-unification elections according to

                                                Geneva Protocols in 1956; Viet Cong Communists staged guerilla warfare in

                                                Vietnam War; assassinated after becoming brutal and corrupt

                                Nguyen Van Thieu 1967-1975; leader in coup against Diem; weakened by Tet

                                                Offensive; ousted by Communists as Saigon and South Vietnam fell

                                Ho Chi Minh 1945-1969; trained in Moscow; established Communist Viet Minh,

                                                which fought Japan in WWII and the French in the First Indochina War;

                                                fought US and South Vietnam in Second Indochina War

                                Le Duan 1969-1986; led reunited Communist Vietnam

                                Tran Duc Luong 1997-present; continued doi moi reforms

 

Zambia

                Kenneth Kaunda 1964-1991; won independence from Britain

                Frederick Chiluba 1991-present

 

Zimbabwe

                Ian Smith 1964-1979; declared independent Rhodesia from Britain under white rule; sanctioned

                                by UN; opposed by Nkomo's Zimbabwe African People's Union; nation recognized

                                as independent as Zimbabwe in 1980 under black rule

                Robert Mugabe 1980-present; redistributed land owned by minority whites