Characteristics of Strong Civilizations

Many strong civilizations share common characteristics of being successful but which one is the most important? You can have a strong education system like the Han Dynasty and have educated people building advanced technology. You can have a strong military like the Romans and conquer thousands of miles in land to claim as your own. But the best characteristic to have is strong leadership because they can unite a country and stuff like that. They can lead revolutions and uprisings. And they can lead strong militaries. One reason strong leadership is important is because they can unite a country, colony, empire etc.

Ben Franklin John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and others took an angry 13 colonies and united them as one as they declared independence from England. This made them successful because they united the colonies and eventually defeated England in the Revolutionary War to officially become independent. (Textbook, 559) Also, to unite the Incas the all powerful Sapa Inca united them by imposing their language and religion upon those they captured while also building a large road system. This made them successful because the roads allowed armies and news to move rapidly throughout the empire. (Textbook, 197)

Another reason why strong leadership is most important is because they can lead revolutions and uprisings. In 1791 slaves in the French colony Saint Domingue revolted against their slave owners. They were lead by Toussaint L’Overture and this became known as the Haitian Revolution. This made them successful because they overthrew their white slave owners and created the first black republic. (Latin American Revolutions Packet) One famous revolutionary leader is George Washington. George took many unskilled farmers and made them soldiers in a surprising victory over the stronger British army.

This made them successful because it was the last compromise to England and finally declared the 13 colonies free from England and created the new country the United States of America. (Textbook, 559-562) The last reason strong leadership is most important is because they can lead militaries. Before Julius Caesar was the Emperor of the Roman Empire he was once a strong military leader that one many battles and wars. This made them successful because they conquered many miles of land and made the Empire more powerful. (Textbook, 158) Also, Genghis Kahn of the Mongol Empire was a uthless military leader who had highly trained armies. He imposed strict military discipline and absolute loyalty. This made them successful because Mongol forces conquered a huge empire that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe. So as you can see, strong leadership is the best trait a powerful empire can have because they can unite the people, they can lead revolutions, and lead militaries. Examples like Julius Caesar and Genghis Kahn are always mentioned whenever strong leaders are brought up for the many successful things they accomplished. Which trait do you think is the best characteristic?