The 100 Most Important Women in World History

[Kim Sung]

We omitted a very important woman, Anne Boleyn. I find no other woman who changed the course of European history and, at the same time, whose influence has not been fully recognized.




http://www.tudorhistory.org/boleyn

[Gren-Schell]

We omitted a very important woman, Anne Boleyn. I find no other woman who changed the course of European history and, at the same time, whose influence has not been fully recognized.

Not sure why she was so important... please Elaborate??

[Kim Sung]

Not sure why she was so important... please Elaborate??

She caused separation of the Anglican Church from the Catholic Church and British independence from the Papal power. And she provided a momentum for Henry VIII to establish British royal power. According to 'The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain' edited by British historian Kenneth Morgan, Henry VIII, by using Anne Boleyn, added 'imperial concept' to feudal system of the British monarchy. And she gave a birth to a daughter who paved the way to the British Empire. Without her, Britain might have remained largely Catholic and the history of Britain and Europe would have progressed quite differently.

[Gren-Schell]

Agreed, she did give birth to Elizabeth the First, who also had King Henry the Eigth's blood flowing through her veins. Perhaps the most important 100 women then, are the mothers that gave birth to the 100 most Important Women in World History???

[Kim Sung]

Agreed, she did give birth to Elizabeth the First, who also had King Henry the Eigth's blood flowing through her veins. Perhaps the most important 100 women then, are the mothers that gave birth to the 100 most Important Women in World History???

Anne Boleyn not only gave birth to the greatest British queen, but also provided a momentum for changes of Britain's religious and social backgrounds. 'Important' in this thread doesn't necessarily mean that a woman is great and talented, but means that she affected political economic and social backgrounds on which she lived to a great extent. For example, Empress Dowager Cixi and Jiang Qing were neither talented nor good women and they left bad legacies to their country. But, anyway, they are important in the point that they changed the course of Chinese history.

[cj]

The hard part in making such a list would be excluding interest pieces like Amelia Airhart, she was a fascinating woman but her accomplishments weren't all that important

[Kim Sung]

If Amelia Airhart is included to the list of 100 Most Important Women in World History, Hanna Reitsch can also be included.

Hanna Reitch at a Libyan desert in 1939


http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/reitsch.html

[Kim Sung]

Another 'Nazi woman' Leni Riefenstahl left an important footstep in the history of women.



http://www.dasblauelicht.net/films_dire ... fensta.htm

[Alaric]

Another 'Nazi woman' Leni Riefenstahl left an important footstep in the history of women.



http://www.dasblauelicht.net/films_dire ... fensta.htm

If you're going to use a label like that, go back and label all the Russian women mentioned as "Commie woman" as well. And didn't one of the administrators say to keep this to WWI or before since that's the are this thread is in?

In that light, I'd mention Boudicca/Boadicea of Britain (someone did earlier in a list), Edith Wilson (who ran the government while the president was suffering from a stroke which happened in Sept 1919), Clara Barton, Mother (Mary) Jones, Queen Victoria.

As for whether Eleanor worked with the NKVD, it wouldn't surprise me. She and Franklin were both fellow travellors. Harry Hopkins, Harry Dexter White, Alger Hiss, Owen Lattimore and many, many others were all communist agents.

[Kim Sung]

If you're going to use a label like that, go back and label all the Russian women mentioned as "Commie woman" as well. And didn't one of the administrators say to keep this to WWI or before since that's the are this thread is in?

Leni Liefenstahl cooperated with the Nazis in their propaganda works and later told that she was fascinated by National Socialism although she admitted she was politically naive. On the contrary, the three Soviet women I mentioned in this thread basically fought for their motherland invaded by Nazi Germany, as any patriotic woman in any country will do.

As for the timeline, Potzdamerplatz, the author started this thread in Pre-WWI Section. I think it would be more relevant if this thread moved to the Lounge. If we discuss developments of women's role in our world, we can't omit Post-WWI Era when women's awareness of their social role began to be full-blown.

[Alaric]

If you're going to use a label like that, go back and label all the Russian women mentioned as "Commie woman" as well. And didn't one of the administrators say to keep this to WWI or before since that's the are this thread is in?

Leni Liefenstahl cooperated with the Nazis in their propaganda works and later told that she was fascinated by National Socialism although she admitted she was politically naive. On the contrary, the three Soviet women I mentioned in this thread basically fought for their motherland invaded by Nazi Germany, as any patriotic woman in any country will do.

As for the timeline, Potzdamerplatz, the author started this thread in Pre-WWI Section. I think it would be more relevant if this thread moved to the Lounge. If we discuss developments of women's role in our world, we can't omit Post-WWI Era when women's awareness of their social role began to be full-blown.

Which proves nothing. Either prove your Soviet heroines weren't ideological communists or apply an ideological nametag to all of them. Leni Riefensthal (not Liefensthal) was just as much a patriotic German as your communist heroines were patriotic Russians.

A member of the forum staff said that the timeline should be WW1 or before, since that's where this thread is, so take it up with him.

[Kim Sung]

Which proves nothing. Either prove your Soviet heroines weren't ideological communists or apply an ideological nametag to all of them. Leni Riefensthal (not Liefensthal) was just as much a patriotic German as your communist heroines were patriotic Russians.

Riefenstahl greatly contributed to spreading the Nazi ideology while it is difficult to find an evidence to prove that those Soviet heroines were ideological communists.

A member of the forum staff said that the timeline should be WW1 or before, since that's where this thread is, so take it up with him.

It would be better to move this thread to other section that to stick to Pre-WWI era when women's awareness of their social role was low. With exclusion of the 20th century, I doubt that we can fill 100 Most Important Women in this thread. It's up to moderators' decision.

[Robb]

Agreed - now moved to The Lounge.

Robb

[John W]

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)

Interestingly Florence Nightingale, the most famous nurse in modern history, was a nurse for only three years of her life. And back in her time, she faced incredible opposition from her family and society in general (she was a "high society" woman) because she chose to be a nurse - a profession considered fit only for drunks and prostitutes.

How times have changed!

Not only that, but Nightingale's concept of a "good nurse" bears little (if any) resemblance to today's practice (and I don't mean mere technological advances!)

cheers,

[WalterS]

We omitted a very important woman, Anne Boleyn. I find no other woman who changed the course of European history and, at the same time, whose influence has not been fully recognized.




http://www.tudorhistory.org/boleyn

I don't normally engage in discussions about "who was most important," "the Best Nazi General," etc, etc.

I must say, however, that I am at quite a loss that any serious student of history would post that Anne Boleyn was "one of the most important Women in World History." Are you kidding me?

Anne Boleyn did nothing, except seduce and screw Henry VIII. She was no noble pioneer, striving to elevate the status of women. She was pimped to the king by her father, and engaged in an aldulterous relationship with Henry while he was still married to Catherine. When Anne failed to bear Henry a son, he dropped her like a hot rock, fabricated treason and incest charges against her and murdered (ahem.... executed) her less than 3 years after he married her.

Anne Boleyn might rank among the 100 most tragic women, but certainly not among the 100 most important.