The most influential European of the 20th Century

[branch37]

The Beatles

[nrshida]

nrshida, by your definition Hitler did this in spades. He effected, at one point the lives of 100 million killed, designs of governments and international borders that remained points of contention for decades. He created leadership vacuums that were filled by other totalitarian regimes and concepts. His massacre of Jews ultimately lead to the birth of Israel and those tension points that have existed to this day.

I think we would need to go to Napoleon to find another egolamanic who has had such a massive impact on the world scene. As someone else noted Lenin is a close second in my mind, though he and Stalin played second fiddle to the Hitler vacuum. Even Mao received leverage he likely would not have received if it were not for the changing dynamics post-Hitler. All of this is of course, just my opinion.

Boo

I do not dispute that he and his movement affected the lives of millions and altered world events. I thought the theme was influence and in my opinion him and his minions tried and failed to do this.

I do see your point, and I'm not trying to be pedantic, but why belabour the actions of this poonibbler and his minions, hasn't this been done to death? Political upheaval and conflicts of social doctrine are insignificant compared to the huge, lasting and pan-cultural paradigm shifts of scientific or intellectual discovery. Why not pick someone else here listed. Many of them had a considerable and lasting impact to the progression of the human race.

[Tom5572]

Arch Duke Ferdinand, his death lit the tinder box to start WWI. With all the subsequent effects of that war, it could be argued his death had the greatest effect on the European continent.

[PR3D4TOR]

I nominate Emmeline Pankhurst. At the beginning of the 20th century half the population of Europe was disenfranchised. She played an important role in what surely must be the largest social revolution/evolution in modern history: Women's suffrage.

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


(PS: If your teacher is female she'll love this one.)

[Karnak]

But wouldn't you say that Hitler stimulated his greatness?

No, it doesn't work that way.

[Shuffler]

Benny Hill

[Rob52240]

Nobody's mentioned Doctor Who yet.

[Raphael]

Harry Potter
Voldemort
 

[Tank-Ace]

I disagree because I think influence means the capability to affect, manipulate or shape events, development, policy, doctrine etc. and Hitler totally failed to do this. Thankfully he was little more than the tragic end point of the distasteful European experimentation with fascism. Let's face it, his artwork sucked arse too.


It's hard to name one person because many have been influential in sequence. In addition to the others here mentioned, how about: Alan Turing, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Alexander Fleming, Richard Trevithick, Justin Bieber.

Depends on how you mean affect, manipulate, and shape events. Do you mean directly or indirectly?

Because if its indirectly, then its without question gavrilo princip. Yes, I change my vote from Hitler.

The number of lives lost as a result of the events set in motion by Princip are incalculable. While some may, and probably will, argue that WWI would have happened without him, the fact remains that WWI DID happen as a direct result of his actions. We can trace so much back to WWI; in part even the Great Depression was caused by that war. The communist revolution in Russia was sparked by the side effects of WWI. Possibly, he is even responsible for the cold war. Hitler probably would have remained anonymous were it not for Princip, WWII might have been averted, or at least the world might have been spared the horrors of the Holocaust.

The effects of his actions are so far reaching, and so tangled, that we'll probably never have an accurate guess of what he cost the world.

[Ardy123]

neither Hitler nor Stalin, they receive too much credit for rehashing like a broken record what every megalomaniac has done before them, the only difference was the technology available to them. Nothing is new about genocide nor delusions of world domination.

Someone else, whom you may have never heard of, is the reason why you are able to set at an electronic box and read an electronic BBS, has and will have had a greater impact on humanity in the long run than anyone else of the 20th century. That person is Alan Turing.

He was an English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, and the first computer scientist (for lack of a better term). He was the father of what we consider 'computer algorithms' and also the inventor of the concept of computer AI. His contributions were crucial in the development of what we consider a modern computer.

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


EDIT: Runner ups would be these three men, who invented the transistor;  John Bardeen, William Shockley, and Walter Brattain.

[wil3ur]

neither Hitler nor Stalin, they receive too much credit for rehashing like a broken record what every megalomaniac has done before them, the only difference was the technology available to them. Nothing is new about genocide nor delusions of world domination.

Someone else, whom you may have never heard of, is the reason why you are able to set at an electronic box and read an electronic BBS, has and will have had a greater impact on humanity in the long run than anyone else of the 20th century. That person is Alan Turing.

He was an English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, and the first computer scientist (for lack of a better term). He was the father of what we consider 'computer algorithms' and also the inventor of the concept of computer AI. His contributions were crucial in the development of what we consider a modern computer.

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


EDIT: Runner ups would be these three men, who invented the solid state resistor;  John Bardeen, William Shockley, and Walter Brattain.

+1 on this...

[Motherland]

Stalin was an Asian.

Princip or Trotsky were likely the most influential Europeans by far.

[Rob52240]

The only answer to this question can be Tesla.

[kilo2]

The only answer to this question can be Tesla.

Teslas most important work took place in the late 19th century so I disagree.

[Rob52240]

Teslas most important work took place in the late 19th century so I disagree.

True, but it came to fruition in the 20th century.