What widely-praised historical figure do you think was actually not very admirable when you scrutinize them? - eviltoast
  • Raisin8659@monyet.cc
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    1 year ago

    All of them is most likely the most accurate answer. The tilted examples would be: Genghis Khan is widely admired as a hero by the Mongolians and almost universally hated by others. Leopold II is admired by the Belgians but would be a criminal, probably crimes against humanity, today.

    A Congolese man, Nsala, looking at the severed hand and foot of his five-year-old daughter who was killed and allegedly cannibalized by members of the Force Publique in 1904, as a result of Leopold’s policy.

    • guangming@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Had a book assigned for history class that totally and forever changed my understanding of Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World I think it’s called.

      Dude and his empire basically singlehandedly spread the written word, religious freedom, and lots of other ideas we generally consider good today. Not saying he didn’t kill a lot, because he did, but his historical impact is much more complex than “barbarian invader kills a bunch of people”