A People's History of the World: From the Stone Age to the New Millennium (96 page)

People

Abelard, Pierre:
13th century thinker condemned by church. Castrated after secret love-affair with Héloise.

Alexander the Great:
Macedonian ruler who established Greek Empire over whole of Middle East from Indus to Nile.

Ali:
Son-in-law of Mohammed, hero of ‘Shias’ opposed to what they saw as ‘degeneration’ of Islam from late 7th century onwards.

Allende, Salvador:
Middle of road member of Chilean Socialist Party, president of country 1970-73, overthrown by military coup which killed thousands. Committed suicide after organising armed defence of presidential palace.

Aquinas, Thomas:
13th century theologian, influenced by Aristotle’s writings. His ideas laid basis for Catholic orthodoxy in centuries after.

Aristotle:
Ancient Greek philosopher and scientist. Disciple of Plato but developed very different philosophy dominant in Europe in late Middle Ages.

Ashoka (sometimes Asoka):
Ruler of Mauryan Empire at its peak in 4th century BC. Converted to Buddhism.

Augustine of Hippo:
Christian bishop of around AD 400, writings influenced mainstream Christian theology for next 1,000 years.

Augustus:
First Roman emperor, 27 BC to AD 14.

Aurangzeb:
Last Mogul emperor to exercise great power. Imprisoned his father, Shah Jahan, in fort in Agra. Tried, unsuccessfully, to cement his rule by imposing Islam upon imperial officials.

Averroes (ibn-Rushd):
12th century Arab philosopher in Moorish Spain, commentaries on works of Aristotle very influential among 13th century Christian scholars.

Bacon, Roger:
13th century scholar and scientist. Wrote down formula for gunpowder for first time in Europe.

Beaverbrook, Lord:
Max Aitken, Canadian-born British newspaper millionaire, government minister in 1916 and 1940-42.

Bernstein, Eduard:
Former collaborator with Engels, major supporter of reformism within German socialism at end of 19th century. Opposed First World War, but also revolution.

Bismarck, Otto von:
Aristocrat, chancellor of Prussia and then of Germany 1862-90, responsible for wars which established German Empire as capitalist state.

Blanc, Louis:
French socialist leader of mid-19th century who believed in method of reforms from existing state, played key role in Republican government of February-June 1848.

Blanqui, August:
French revolutionary who believed in dictatorship of proletariat to be brought about by insurrectionary conspiracies—spent much of life in prison.

Blum, Leon:
Leader of French Socialist Party (SFIO), prime minister in Popular Front governments 1936-37. Imprisoned in Germany in Second World War.

Brecht, Bertolt:
Foremost German playwright (and poet) of 20th century, Communist from late 1920s onwards.

Brezhnev, Leonid:
Ruler of USSR from 1964 to 1982, period characterised by strengthening of central repression, but also by growing economic stagnation.

Brissot, Jacques Pierre:
Journalist, leader of Girondin Party during Great French Revolution, executed October 1793.

Brüning, Heinrich:
Leader of German Catholic Centre Party and chancellor 1930-32.

Brutus:
Best known assassin of Julius Caesar.

Bukharin, Nicolai:
Russian Bolshevik leader and theoretician. Allied with Stalin in mid-1920s. Executed by Stalin 1937.

Burke, Edmund:
Late 18th century Whig opponent of British colonialism in America and oppression in Ireland who became leading Tory propagandist against French Revolution.

Caballero, Largo:
Leader of Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), minister of labour 1931-33, imprisoned after Asturias rising of 1934, prime minister 1936-37, forced to resign May 1937.

Caesar, Julius:
Former supporter of Marius who conquered Gaul and then got support of poor when he seized dictatorial power in 49 BC, assassinated 44 BC.

Calvin, Jean:
French born leader of one wing of Reformation in mid-16th century, preached doctrine that everything is ordained by god in advance, effective ruler of Geneva.

Castro, Fidel:
Landowner’s son who led guerrilla force in Cuba 1956-58, when it took power on 31 December. Effective ruler of country since then.

Chaplin, Charlie:
Most famous comic film actor in US, directed own films, with left wing stance, like
Modern Times
and
The Great Dictator
. Banned from entering US through late 1940s and 1950s.

Charles V:
Ruler of Spain, Netherlands and Holy Roman Empire first half of 16th century

Chaucer, Geoffrey:
14th century London writer, one of first to use English.

Chiang Kai Shek:
General and leader of Chinese nationalist Kuomintang after 1925. Ruler of China 1927-49 and of Taiwan in 1950s and 1960s.

Churchill, Winston:
English politician of first half of 20th century. Enthusiast for imperialism in Africa and India, minister in pre-war Liberal government, wartime coalition government and Tory governments of 1920s. On right of Tory party in 1930s, but believed Hitler threat to British Empire. Prime minister during Second World War and again in early 1950s.

Clive, Robert:
Official of East India Company responsible for Britain’s first conquests in India in 1750s.

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor:
English poet of late 18th and early 19th century, friend of Wordsworth.

Collins, Michael:
Military leader of Irish guerrilla forces fighting Britain after First World War. Accepted treaty with Britain and partition in 1921. Killed while leader of pro-treaty forces in 1922.

Connolly, James:
Irish socialist born in Scotland 1870. Organiser for IWW in US, then for Irish Transport and General Workers Union in Belfast. Led union for first two years of world war, which he opposed. Formed workers’ Citizen Army and played leading role in Easter Rising of 1916. Shot by British government.

Constantine:
Roman emperor of early 4th century AD who moved capital of empire to Byzantium and made Christianity official religion.

Copernicus:
Polish monk of first half of 16th century who set out first modern European argument that earth moves round sun.

Cortés, Hernando:
Led Spanish conquest of Mexico in early 1520s.

d’Holbach:
French materialist philosopher of 18th century, associated with Enlightenment.

Daladier, Éduard:
Leader of French Radical Party, prime minister 1933, 1934, 1938-40.

Dante, Alighieri:
Italian poet, born Florence 1265, one of first writers in modern Italian.

Danton, Georges Jacques:
Lawyer on radical wing of bourgeoisie in French Revolution. Most revolutionary figure in Girondin government of 1792, then joined with Robespierre to overthrow that govenment. Member of Committee of Public Safety until guillotined April 1794.

De Gaulle, Charles:
Only senior figure in French army to oppose collaboration with Germany after June 1940. Figurehead for Resistance, based in London. Premier of France 1944-46. Returned to office against background of attempted coup in 1958, ran government until 1969.

De Valera, Éamon:
Participant in 1916 Easter Rising, declared president of Republic in 1919, opposed treaty with Britain 1921, elected prime minister of 26-county ‘free state’ 1932. Dominated government with brief period in opposition until death 1959.

Deng Xiaoping:
Veteran Chinese Communist leader, purged during Cultural Revolution of 1966-67. Return to power after death of Mao in 1976, dominated government and introduced market mechanisms. Responsible for crushing of Tiananmen Square demonstrations of 1989.

Dollfuss, Engelbert:
Chancellor of Austria 1932, proclaimed himself dictator May 1933, put down socialist rising February 1934, assassinated by rival Nazi organisation July 1934.

Dreiser, Theodore:
Major American realist novelist of first third of 20th century.

Durutti, Buenaventura:
Most famous Spanish anarcho-syndicalist. Assassinated archbishop of Saragossa in early 1920s, carried out bank robberies in Latin America in late 1920s, imprisoned for leading uprisings under second Spanish republic 1931-34. Helped organise rising against attempted military coup in Barcelona July 1936, led military column into Aragon, killed on Madrid front, end of 1936.

Eisner, Kurt:
German Social Democrat in Munich, supported Bernstein’s social reformism but opposed First World War. Revolutionary workers and soldiers made him prime minister of Bavaria, November 1919. Murdered by right wing officer.

Erasmus:
Early 16th century north European thinker of Renaissance, born in Holland and lived for time in England. Opposed Reformation, but condemned by counter-Reformation.

Feuerbach, Ludwig:
German materialist philosopher of 1840s who saw that humans had created god, not vice versa.

Ford, Henry:
Founder of Ford car company, established world’s first car assembly plant, vehement opponent of trade unions, sympathetic to Hitler in 1930s.

Franco, Francisco:
Spanish general, crushed Asturias rising 1934, led coup of July 1936 and fascist forces in civil war. Dictator 1939-75.

Franklin, Benjamin:
Rich printer and publisher in mid-18th century Pennsylvania. Agent for US colonies in London, friend of French Enlightenment intellectuals and scientist in his own right. Signatory to Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Friedman, Milton:
Free market economist, with ‘monetarist’ belief that if governments control money supply properly crises are impossible.

Galileo:
Astronomer and physicist of late 16th and early 17th century who laid foundations of modern physics.

Gandhi, Mahatma:
London educated lawyer who donned peasant clothes to lead Indian national movement after First World War. Opposed violent methods and strikes which might affect Indian capitalists, assassinated by Hindu chauvinists 1948. No relation to Indira Gandhi.

Gibbon, Edward:
English historian of 18th century whose
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
was scathing about influence of Christianity.

Giolitti, Giovanni:
Bourgeois politician who dominated Italian government before, during and immediately after First World War.

Gladstone, William:
Dominant figure in Liberal Party, as main party of industrial capital, in 19th century Britain.

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von:
Leading poet, playwright and novelist in Germany in late 18th and early 19th century.

Gomulka, Stanislaw:
Leading Polish Communist in post-war years. Imprisoned in last period of Stalin’s life. Returned to power to popular acclaim in 1956. Imposed repression of his own. Driven from office by strikes in 1969-70.

Gordon, Charles George:
British soldier who helped destroy Summer Palace in Beijing, then suppressed T’ai-p-ing rebellion in 1860s, killed at Siege of Khartoum in 1885.

Gracchus, Caius:
Reformer who became hero of Roman peasantry in 120s BC. Like his brother, murdered by rich.

Gracchus, Tiberius:
Reformer who became hero of Roman peasantry in 130s BC, murdered by rich.

Gramsci, Antonio:
Italian revolutionary Marxist. Leading figure in movement to establish workers’ councils in Turin in 1919-20. Founder member of Italian Communist Party 1921. Took over leadership 1924-26. Imprisoned by Mussolini until shortly before his death in 1937. In prison, opposed Stalin’s ‘third period’.

Guesde, Jules:
French socialist, in exile after Commune, led Marxist wing of socialist movement until he joined war cabinet in 1914.

Guevara, Che:
Young Argentian doctor among first of Castro’s guerrillas to land in Cuba in 1956. In charge of industrialisation in revolutionary regime established in 1959. Fell out with Soviet Union in mid-1960s, left Cuba to spread revolution abroad. Murdered by CIA in Bolivia in 1967.

Harmsworth, Alfred:
Later Lord Northcliffe. Newspaper proprietor who produced first mass circulation right wing popular papers at end of 19th century.

Hayek, Friedrich von:
Rabid pro-market economist who inspired Margaret Thatcher.

Healey, Denis:
Leading figure in British Labour Party 1950s to 1980s. Minister in 1964-70 and 1974-79 governments.

Hébert, Jacques:
Radical Jacobin, backed by
sans culottes
in Great French Revolution. Executed by Robespierre March 1794.

Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich:
German philosopher of late 18th and early 19th century, developed dialectical method but in obscure way.