Your Favorite Russian Leader?

[OMGeverynameistaken]

Favourite Russian Leader?
[ ] Incompetent tsars
[ ] Incompetent dictators
[ ] Incompetent dictatorial state capitalists
[X] How about NO?

If Russia's rulers have all been incompetent, then why has it been a world power for the last 500 years?

[Chernoslavia]

They all sucked, but Lenin sucked less. So Lenin's my man.

[Vetalia]

My favorite proposal was one in the 1970's. A Soviet scientist proposed using 250 15kt nuclear weapons to dig a channel to divert water west from its normally northern course.

Sometimes the simplest solution can have the most disastrous consequences.

[Scholencia]

Favourite Russian Leader?
[ ] Incompetent tsars
[ ] Incompetent dictators
[ ] Incompetent dictatorial state capitalists
[X] How about NO?

If Russia's rulers have all been incompetent, then why has it been a world power for the last 500 years?

Because it is large. You really can not ignore it how much you try it.

[French Union]

Favourite Russian Leader?
[ ] Incompetent tsars
[ ] Incompetent dictators
[ ] Incompetent dictatorial state capitalists
[X] How about NO?

Damn, Russia must be something "special" if they had only incompetent leaders but have ranged from being a world power to a superpower and has a large list of achievements in is past. If it gets its first competent leader I can only imagine what it could then achieve.

[Dutch East India Company (Ancient)]

I follow Putin's cult of personality for entertainment and comical purposes. Because, you know, Putin's too bad-ass for Foreign Affairs. He's like the Dos Equis guy, except with jet fighters and dashingly good looking female officers. Many people say they all sucked, but on the flip side, which of them sucked the least?

[GraySoap]

My favorite leader of Russia was Peter the III. He was too progressive for Russia. I like him.

[OMGeverynameistaken]

If Russia's rulers have all been incompetent, then why has it been a world power for the last 500 years?

Because it is large. You really can not ignore it how much you try it.

Russia's size has, historically, produced more problems than benefits. Low population density, distance from the central authority, logistical issues, all of those have plagued Russia basically since Muscovy took over the region.

My favorite leader of Russia was Peter the III. He was too progressive for Russia. I like him.

That was Paul. Peter III was insane and had a Frederick the Great fixation.

[GraySoap]

My favorite leader of Russia was Peter the III. He was too progressive for Russia. I like him.

That was Paul. Peter III was insane and had a Frederick the Great fixation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_III_of_Russia

Nah, the Borussophilia is completely normal after you saw how damn sexy Frederik der Grosse was, but Peter III was progressive in domestic affairs.

[Petrovsegratsk]

Vladimir Putin, b-but it's not because he's p-posing half-naked in his political campaign or anything! P-perverts!

But nah, Alexander II was cool. He sold us Alaska. *Nods*

The bastard...

[Esparmuran]

Heavy Weapons Guy

Punch your computer so I can brofist you through the internet.

[GraySoap]

Vladimir Putin, b-but it's not because he's p-posing half-naked in his political campaign or anything! P-perverts!

But nah, Alexander II was cool. He sold us Alaska. *Nods*

The bastard...

But capitalism! Also, he feared that Britain would take it by force in the next war. And I can guarantee the USA would have seized it during the Russian Revolution if not earlier had it not been sold to Seward.

[Petrovsegratsk]

Peter the Great

He expanded the Tsardom into a huge empire that became a major European power. He led a cultural revolution pulling Russia out of the medieval social and political system with a modern, scientific, Europe-oriented, and rationalist system. He founded the city of Saint Petersburg. Peter's northern armies took the Swedish province of Livonia, driving the Swedes into Finland. In 1714 the Russian fleet (that Peter built, seeing as how Russia did not have a major fleet before Peter) won the Battle of Gangut. Most of Finland was occupied by the Russians. Still, Charles XII refused to yield, and not until his death in battle in 1718 did peace become feasible. After the battle near Åland, Sweden made peace with all powers but Russia by 1720. In 1721 the Treaty of Nystad ended what became known as the Great Northern War. Russia acquired Ingria, Estonia, Livonia, and a substantial portion of Karelia. The Tsar retained some Finnish lands close to Saint Petersburg, which he had made his capital in 1712.Peter's last years were marked by further reform in Russia. On 22 October 1721, soon after peace was made with Sweden, he was officially proclaimed Emperor of All Russia. Some proposed that he take the title Emperor of the East, but he refused. Gavrila Golovkin, the State Chancellor, was the first to add "the Great, Father of His Country, Emperor of All the Russias" to Peter's traditional title Tsar following a speech by the archbishop of Pskov in 1721. Peter's imperial title was recognized by Augustus II of Poland, Frederick William I of Prussia, and Frederick I of Sweden. Peter implemented a law that stipulated that no Russian man could join a monastery before the age of 50. He felt that too many able Russian men were being wasted on clerical work when they could be joining his new and improved army. Peter decided that all of the children of the nobility should have some early education, especially in the areas of sciences. Therefore, on 28 February 1714, he issued a decree calling for compulsory education, which dictated that all Russian 10- to 15-year-old children of the nobility, government clerks, and lesser-ranked officials, must learn basic mathematics and geometry, and should be tested on it at the end of their studies. He abolished the land tax and household tax, and replaced them with a poll tax. In 1725 construction of Peterhof, a palace near Saint Petersburg, was completed. Peterhof was a grand residence, becoming known as the "Russian Versailles". He was fifty-two years, seven months old when he died, having reigned forty-two years.

Czar Peter was best Czar, da.

[Cosara]

This guy.

[Trollgaard]

Sviatoslav I, or his son Vladimir the Great.

[Esparmuran]

Victor Reznov.

[Petrovsegratsk]

Victor Reznov.

Anyone who spells 'Viktor' as the Western version, 'Victor', doesn't deserve to speak on a Russian-related thread.

Begone, tovarisch!

[Hollorous]

Most Csars weren't terrible.

Ivan the Terrible - only became terrible when someone murdered his wife and drove him insane. People that are insane shouldn't rule countries.
Intermittent Csars - didn't really rule.
Boris Gudunov - ok, he was terrible.
Time of Troubles - no Csar at all.
Csar Michael - quite good, and underrated.
Csar Alexis - despite being very promiscuous with women, still did reasonably will.
Csar Theodore - a bit weak, but didn't really rule for a long time, and did very little, so I cannot say that he was terrible.
Regent Sophia - also decent, and a bit underrated
Csar Peter the Great - very good, but not great (cue hysteria's Alexander the Very Good)
Intermittent rulers, except Empress Elizabeth - despite Peter the III's antics, they were quite decent, with a few exceptions, and he only ruled for a year. Thankfully.
Empress Elizabeth - decent.
Empress Catherine the Great - quite good, but not great.
Emperor Paul the I - decent, and was murdered. Actually, after Empress Catherine the Great, our good, and/or decent Emperors started being murdered, so, no fair!
Emperor Alexander the I - quite horrible.
Emperor Nicolas the I - not superbly bad, but not very good either.
Emperor Alexander the II - very good, and he was murdered.
Emperor Alexander the III - very bad.
Emperor Nicolas II - extremely bad.

I won't go into Commie leaders, since all of them, except Khrushchev, who ruled for more than five years, sucked. I'll defend Khrushchev as a decent ruler though. Yeltsin was horrendous. Putin, let's see here: improved economy, standard of living, helped Russia attain stability, won wars when Russia was attacked, not a bad guy. Just needs to be a bit less repressive, but keep in mind that he is less repressive than all Russian/Soviet Leaders since Emperor Alexander the II.

Lenin and Stalin were gods.

Lenin and Stalin being gods would completely defeat the purpose of their materialist revolution.

Anyway, I like Peter the Great. I hear he really thwarted those Swedes.

[The Marxist State]

My assessment of the EROB video is as follows.

1. Lenin (speaks 100% true in the battle)
2. Putin
3. Stalin/Rasputin tie
4. Gorbachev (he loses points for entering on a terrible pun)

[Esparmuran]

Victor Reznov.

Anyone who spells 'Viktor' as the Western version, 'Victor', doesn't deserve to speak on a Russian-related thread.

Begone, tovarisch!

I most respectfully hate you right now.

[Trollgaard]

Sviatoslav I, or his son Vladimir the Great.

Were these choices to early for this thread?

[GraySoap]

Anyone who spells 'Viktor' as the Western version, 'Victor', doesn't deserve to speak on a Russian-related thread.

Begone, tovarisch!

Speak English or die.

[Arumdaum]

Khrushchev seemed like a cool guy, as well as Alexander II. Alexander III and Nicholas II were horrible and highly reactionary.

[OMGeverynameistaken]

Khrushchev seemed like a cool guy, as well as Alexander II. Alexander III and Nicholas II were horrible and highly reactionary.

Alexander II wasn't exactly a liberal himself, you know. Just practical.

[The God-Realm]

They all sucked, but Lenin sucked less. So Lenin's my man.

Stalin was awesome.