WW1 Leaders/Government

[age]

What were the names of the leaders, and the types of government they ran (eg.Fascist, Communist etc.) in World War One? The following countries: Italy, Germany and the USSR (Russia)

[vittoria]

I may be talking through my hat here and I am sure Incitatus or someone will put me right but wasn't Germany the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Emperor Franz Joseph; in Russia (not the USSR) they still had the Czar; and in Italy it probably was a Liberal government, with King Victor Emanuel 3rd.

[mikewith]

Vittoria is half right.. she is talking through her hat!! [sorry Vittoria ;-)]

Italy was a constitutional monarchy under King Victor Emmanuel III. Prime Minister in 1914 was Antonio Salandra, replaced in 1916 by Vittorio Orlando.

Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II was more more autocratic and held more personal ppower over parliament and his Chancellor, Theobold von Bethmann-Hollweg.

In Russia, the Kaiser's cousin Tsar Nicholas II had overseen partial steps towards democracy during his reign though in a very limited form. There was a parliament, or Duma, under Prime Minister Stolypin. With the war going badly and the country in worsening pooverty the tsar was persuaded to abdicate in July 1917... Lenin and the Bolsheviks took control months later, declaring the country a Union of Soviet Socialist Republics... but that's another story!

[incitatus]

The Austro hungarian empire was run by Franz Josef. This was an autocracy in the old style, and it was here, or rather in sarajevo, that the war started. This is a historically interesting one as he was the last ruler who could claim to be the Holy Roman Emperor, and a direct descendant (in a way, anyway) of cvharlemagne. The habsburgs also claimed to be related to Jesus, but lots of people claim this sort of thing. The French were run by an elected primeminister: they had a few over the years but I believe Clemenceau was the most notable. He certainly came up with the best quote of the war. When Told that Woodrow Wilson was coming from america with his 14 points for peace he exclaimed "God Almighty only had 10". We were run by two liberal prime ministers, first Herbert Asquith, then (after he had stabbed Asquith in the back) Loyd George, who could claim with osme justification to have won the war. Japan was run by an emperor, and they were on our side for a change. The Canadians, I think it was Mackenzie King, wasnt it? Some help from the maple leaves out there?

[mikewith]

Franz Josef descended from Charlemagne.... Habsburgs descended from Jesus... the irony is that all these rulers were related to each other... and had far more in common with the kings and princes they were trying to topple than the poor saps they were using in the trenches etc this!! ie Kaiser Bill was a grandson of Queen Victoria (who was largely German by birth anyway) and therefore cousin of the Britain's King as well as a cousin of the Russian Tsar... who's wife was German too! Just stick all the royals in a locked room and let them sort it out ;-)