Image: Carol M. Highsmith via WikiCommons
About This Quiz
It takes a lot to be effective in a leadership role, and even more so when that role is expanded to the world stage. That is why the greatest leaders never embrace their role alone. Whether it was evident that someone was working behind the scenes or if a pairing was publicly sharing responsibilities, these world leader duos left their mark on history, be it good or bad.
What exactly does it take to work with another leader on the world stage, though? Some of these pairings balanced each other out — one was the perfect fit to make up for the shortcomings of the other. However, not all of these duos got along. Sometimes a partnership was based more on necessity and a desire for power than on mutual respect and understanding. In the end, they made it work — for a time at least.
Are you going to be able to identify all of the duos this quiz throws at you? From ancient warriors to powerful monarchs and even recent politicians, this quiz covers an array of leaders throughout history, so expect a variety of personalities to be thrown your way.
If you're ready, get started and see if you can conquer this quiz on your own.
Woodrow Wilson and Thomas Marshall
Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis
Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon
John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson
After John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson became the 36th president of the United States. Johnson carried over many of Kennedy's policies while also calling for the creation of a "Great Society."
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Albert Lutuli and Walter Sisulu
Nelson Mandela and Ahmed Kathrada
Fearing a rebellion, the South African government arrested Nelson Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada and others who were part of the armed group known as Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation). The arrested were found guilty of sabotage at the Rivonia Trial and served over 25 years in prison.
Andrew Mlangeni and Mac Maharaj
Govan Mbeki and Raymond Mhlaba
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John and Jacqueline Kennedy
Richard and Pat Nixon
Ronald and Nancy Reagan
Bill and Hillary Clinton
As Bill Clinton's second presidential term came to an end, Hillary Clinton ran for and won a seat in the Senate. She would later serve as secretary of state under Barack Obama after losing the 2008 Democratic primary. She ran for the presidency again in 2016 but lost that year as well.
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Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev
By the time Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met in 1985, the nuclear arms race was at its height, and neither side budged during that first meeting. The two sides met a year later, and though no formal agreement was reached, the meeting is credited with cooling tensions and opening positive dialogue between the two powers.
Dwight D. Eisenhower and Georgy Malenkov
John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev
Lyndon B. Johnson and Leonid Brezhnev
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Lucius Sulla and Pompey the Great
Augustus and Marcus Brutus
Julius Caesar and Marcus Crassus
Julius Caesar and Marcus Crassus formed the First Triumvirate, a political pact, with Pompey the Great in 60 B.C. Crassus' death brought an end to the pact, leading to a war between Caesar and Pompey that resulted in Caesar's rise to power.
Tullius Cicero and Antonius Hybrida
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Andrew Johnson and Rutherford B. Hayes
Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant
Abraham Lincoln went through several generals in the Civil War, but he was dissatisfied with them all because they failed to secure a definitive victory against the Confederacy. That was until Ulysses S. Grant came along — a soldier who Lincoln realized was willing to fight.
James A. Garfield and Chester Arthur
William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt
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Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale
Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford
Barack Obama and Joe Biden
Near the end of his second term in office, Barack Obama rewarded Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The ceremony, which took place in 2017, was a complete surprise to Biden — he didn't know he was receiving the honor until the end of Obama's emotional speech.
Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge
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Pierre Augereau and Andre Massena
Napoleon Bonaparte and Louis-Alexandre Berthier
Louis-Alexandre Berthier gained Napoleon Bonaparte's support and ear after serving the French leader loyally during his campaigns in Italy and Egypt. Berthier remained by Bonaparte's side until Bonaparte was forced to abdicate the throne in 1814. Bonaparte returned the following year, but Berthier was mysteriously killed, ending their partnership.
Michel Ney and Louis-Gabriel Suchet
Jean-Baptiste Bessieres and Joachim Murat
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Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin
As the elder statesman of Russia, Vladimir Lenin held a deep disdain for Joseph Stalin, the young politician on the rise. However, despite this tension, the two leaders crafted Russia into a superpower that rivaled the United States during the Cold War.
Nikolay Krestinsky and Vyacheslav Molotov
Alexei Rykov and Sergei Syrtsov
Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko
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Joanna and Charles I
Louise and Louis I
Maria Amalia and Charles III
Isabella and Ferdinand
Queen Isabella and Prince Ferdinand united Aragon and Castile, becoming the first monarchs of a united Spain. As Catholic rulers, they initiated the Inquisition to find and kill any heretics residing in their country.
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Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler is often credited with encouraging Adolf Hitler to begin the racial purification of Germany by killing off other races, particularly Jews. Himmler was instrumental in either imprisoning or forcing Jews out of occupied territories and replacing them with German settlers.
Hermann Goring and Joseph Goebbels
Rudolf Hess and Reinhard Heydrich
Adolf Eichmann and Martin Bormann
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Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
Before Henry VIII could marry Anne Boleyn, he had to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. However, Pope Clement VII refused to annul their marriage, which forced Henry to separate from the Catholic Church. This resulted in the start of the English Reformation.
Philip II and Mary I
James I and Anne of Denmark
Charles I and Henrietta Maria
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George Washington and Alexander Hamilton
As the first secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton served an important role during George Washington's presidency. In this position, Hamilton was instrumental in establishing the national bank, which he believed was a necessary financial institution for a developing country.
John Adams and John Jay
Sam Adams and Benjamin Franklin
John Alsop and Abraham Baldwin
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Malcolm X and Jawaharlal Nehru
Jackie Robinson and Subhas Chandra Bose
Jesse Jackson and Bhagat Singh
Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi
Martin Luther King Jr. was only 19 years old when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. However, despite never meeting, the pair made the perfect match when King started implementing Gandhi's approach to change through nonviolent resistance. Both men had a profound impact on the world, but their lives ended the same.
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Grigori Rasputin and Nicholas II
Grigori Rasputin's influence over Nicholas II was viewed negatively across Russia, which had fallen on hard times after losing a series of battles in World War I. Rasputin was assassinated by Russian nobles. Still, the move was too late, as the Romanov dynasty was already on the verge of collapse.
Theofan of Poltava and Alexander III
Sergei Trufanov and Alexander II
Georgiy Dolganyov and Nicholas I
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George Washington and John Adams
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison
The relationship between Thomas Jefferson and James Madison developed while Jefferson was serving as the Governor of Virginia and Madison on the Council of State. Needing the council to pass legislation, Jefferson worked beside Madison on a daily basis, building a friendship that would shape the country.
Alexander Hamilton and John Jay
Benjamin Franklin and James Monroe
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Neville Chamberlain and Woodrow Wilson
Clement Attlee and Harry Truman
Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt
At the start of WWII, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt fought two completely different battles. Churchill inspired British subjects to remain firm while Germany took the European mainland, and Roosevelt tried to gain support for the war in the United States. Neither leader would be in power by the end of the war, but their efforts helped secure the victory.
Anthony Eden and Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Benito Mussolini and Victor Emmanuel III
Fearing the effects of civil unrest in Italy following WWI, Victor Emmanuel III appointed Benito Mussolini as Prime Minister after he led the March on Rome. However, as it became clear that Italy would fall in WWII, Emmanuel removed Mussolini in 1943 and established a separate government until the war was over.
Luigi Facta and Umberto I
Pietro Badoglio and Umberto II
Ivanoe Bonomi and Napoleon
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Ngo Dinh Diem and Ngo Dinh Nhu
Nguyen Ngoc Tho and Duong Van Minh
Huynh Tan Phat and Vo Chi Cong
Ho Chi Minh and Pham Van Dong
Pham Van Dong first met Ho Chi Minh when he traveled to China in 1926 to study communist theory at the Huangpu Military Academy. The two eventually returned to Vietnam to fight for independence by establishing a coalition known as the Viet Minh.
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David II and Edward Bruce
Robert II and John Balliol
William Wallace and Robert the Bruce
Following his victory over the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace was recognized as the Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland. He was defeated a year later at the Battle of Falkirk. After this defeat, he lent his support to Robert the Bruce, the future King of Scotland.
Rob Roy MacGregor and Alexander III
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Yuan Shikai and Zhou Enlai
Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek
As a member of the Kuomintang, Chiang Kai-shek served as a lieutenant under Sun Yat-sen as they sought to bring down the Beiyang government. Chiang would eventually lead China to reunification after the death of Sun in 1925.
Sun Fo and Wang Jingwei
Liao Chongzhen and Song Jiaoren
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Emperor Taisho and Fumimaro Konoe
Emperor Meiji and Mitsumasa Yonai
Emperor Hirohito and Hideki Tojo
Asserting that he was merely a puppet, Emperor Hirohito took little blame for the events that occurred during WWII and was not prosecuted for war crimes. Hideki Tojo, on the other hand, was credited with instigating much of the conflict and executed for his involvement.
Emperor Akihito and Kuniaki Koiso
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Plato and Philip II
Aristotle and Alexander the Great
Aristotle spent seven years tutoring Alexander the Great in Greek philosophy, helping Alexander transition from a boy into a philosopher-king. Alexander was so enamored by his tutor that he spread Aristotle's work across the regions he conquered.
Socrates and Amyntas IV
Pythagoras and Perdiccas III
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Dwight D. Eisenhower and Sergio Osmena
George Patton and Manuel Rozas
Jimmy Doolittle and Jose Laurel
Douglas MacArthur and Manuel Quezon
Manuel Quezon is recognized as the second president of the Philippines, a position he held from 1935 until his death in 1944. During this time, he built a relationship with Douglas MacArthur, who he appointed Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. MacArthur is the only person ever to hold this title.
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Victoria and Albert
Though there are conflicting views on how they actually felt about each other, mainly based around Albert's desire for power, Queen Victoria was greatly affected by his death in 1861. His death caused her to seclude herself from the public, and the crown suffered for a bit because of it.
Edward VII and Alexandra
George V and Mary
Edward VIII and Wallis
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Konoe Sakihisa and Go-Yozei
Nijo Akizane and Toyotomi Hidetsugu
Oda Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide
Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu
Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu were prominent samurai during the end of the Sengoku period, a time of constant warfare in Japan. The two managed to put aside their differences to unify the country, but after the death of Hideyoshi, Ieyasu seized power and established the Tokugawa Shogunate.
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Aurangzeb and Nawab Bai
Muhammad Azam Shah and Rahmat Banu Begum
Bahadur Shah I and Nizam Bai
Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal
Though not his first wife, Mumtaz Mahal was the favorite consort of Shah Jahan. To his dismay, she died early, at the age of 38, while giving birth to their 14th child. To honor her, Jahan commissioned the construction of the Taj Mahal.
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James and Dolley Madison
Andrew Jackson and Emily Donelson
John and Abigail Adams
Primarily due to her advisory role to John Adams, Abigail Adams is viewed as one of the most prominent first ladies in U.S. history. The letters they exchanged expressed much of their political connection and just how important she was in policymaking during Adams' presidency.
Millard and Abigail Fillmore
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Boniface II and Clovis I
Gregory I and Louis the Pious
Leo III and Charlemagne
Fearing opposition within Rome, Pope Leo III sought an alliance with an empire powerful enough to defend him against his enemies. His desire for protection led the pope to crown Charlemagne as the Holy Roman Emperor, reestablishing a form of Roman influence in Western Europe.
Honorius I and Pepin the Short
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Henry II and Louis VII
Richard I and Philip II
After growing ill, Philip II of France was forced to abandon the Third Crusade, though he did leave forces behind to help Richard I of England. Richard gained a considerable amount of fame due to his victories in the crusade, but he never reconquered Jerusalem.
John and Louis VIII
Henry III and Louis IX
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Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai
Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai were two of the early leaders of the Communist Party of China, which they spent their lives building up. They went on to become the top officials in the People's Republic of China when it was established in 1949.
Liu Shaoqi and Lin Biao
Chiang Kai-shek and Sun Yat-sen
Hua Guofeng and Chen Duxiu
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Xianfeng Emperor and Empress Xiaoherui
Xuantong Emperor and Empress Xiaojingcheng
Tongzhi Emperor and Empress Xiaodingjing
Guangxu Emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi
Zaitian, who became the Guangxu Emperor, obtained the throne at the request of Empress Dowager Cixi. However, even after he came of age, the empress continued to push her influence, which eventually led the empress to stage a coup to reassert her power in 1898.
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James II and Anne
Charles II and Catherine
William III and Mary II
During their reign, William III and Mary II moved from Whitehall to Hampton Court, which upset others in the government due to its location. To answer these concerns, the two decided to purchase a house in Kensington from the Earl of Nottingham, which they turned into their personal palace.
Philip and Mary I
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Charles Cornwallis and Nathaniel Greene
Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell
Parliamentarians were fed up with the governorship of King Charles I, who had excluded Parliament's advice for over a decade. Their displeasure with the king led to the English Civil War, which ended with a Parliamentarian victory. The two most prominent leaders to come out of this war were Oliver Cromwell and Thomas Fairfax.
Warren Hastings and William Cornwallis
Richard Cromwell and John Bradshaw
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Justin II and Sophia
Tiberius II Constantine and Ino Anastasia
Justinian I and Theodora
Theodora was the wife of Justinian I, who served as the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire. According to some records, she was also his co-regent. Whether she was co-regent or not, her influence was substantial, particularly when it came to women's rights. She helped women with many issues, including prostitution, divorce and property ownership.
Maurice and Constantina
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George I and Robert Walpole
George II and Spencer Compton
George III and Frederick North
For a king and prime minister who lost the English colonies in the American Revolution, one might think they would blame one another. However, Frederick North's handling of other issues like the treasury and the Church of England earned him the favor of King George III.
George IV and George Canning
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Urban II and Peter the Hermit
When the Turks captured Anatolia from the Byzantine Empire, the Byzantine emperor reached out to the rest of Europe to aid in the conflict. Pope Urban II echoed this request at the Council of Clermont, calling for a retaking of the Holy Land. Peter the Hermit was one of the first leaders to answer the call.
Innocent III and Frederick II
Gregory I and Louis IX
Benedict IX and Edward I
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Plato and Socrates
Leonidas I and Themistocles
History teaches about Leonidas' stand at the mountain pass of Thermopylae, where he led a small group of Greek soldiers for three days against the overwhelming forces of Persia. However, what's often left out is that Themistocles also engaged in a naval battle with the Persians at this time that helped the Greeks organize for the coming assault.
Alexander the Great and Aristotle
Homer and Euclid
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Theodora and Justinian I
Mark Antony and Cleopatra
After losing the Battle of Actium, Mark Antony and Cleopatra were forced to retreat to Egypt, where they were pursued by Octavian as he sought to eliminate anyone who stood against him. In Egypt, incorrectly believing Cleopatra to be dead, Antony took his own life. Cleopatra soon followed suit.
Sviatoslav I and Saint Olga
Isabella & Ferdinand
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