Leaders Who Redrew the Map

Some leaders literally changed the map of the world. Simón Bolívar freed half of South America from Spanish rule. Bismarck united the German states into one empire.

Lenin created the Soviet Union, the largest country by area. Roosevelt and Churchill drew borders in the Middle East and Europe. Mao unified China.

De Gaulle granted independence to French colonies. Gorbachev presided over the dissolution of the Soviet Union into 15 separate countries. These leaders decisions about borders created nations, sparked conflicts, and shaped the world order for generations..