Pierre Trudeau

             A charismatic leader bases his/her power on the projection and perception of extraordinary personal qualities. Webster defined charisma as "a certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities." By definition, charismatic leaders are prophets, saints, shamans or similar figures. Nevertheless this word is often used inappropriately. In modern culture the term charisma has been debased to mean little more than popularity. Pierre Elliot Trudeau never claimed to be anything more than a leader of a political party, nor did he claim to rule on the basis of divine inspiration. Trudeau was perhaps not charismatic in the technical sense, although he had a certain aura reminiscent of charisma. It is clear however that the legacy left by Pierre Elliott Trudeau changed the Canadian political landscape forever.
             Pierre Elliot Trudeau was born on October 18, 1919 in Montreal to Emile Trudeau a wealthy lawyer and Grace Elliot, a woman of mixed French and Scottish descent. Trudeau's mother spoke English and French and she raised her son to do the same. Pierre's father died when Pierre was only 15. His mother instilled in him his passion for learning and reading, as well as his love for the French culture. This is one of the reasons that motivated him to enter politics.
             Trudeau had many experiences during his life which led to his development as a strong leader. In 1943 he completed a law degree at the University of Montreal, and in 1945 a master's degree at Harvard. After the completion of his studies he traveled the world, making contacts with people in Asia and the Middle East. Trudeau became a firm opponent of the anti-labor actions in 1949 when he participated in the bitter strike of Quebec's asbestos miners. He went on to write a book about it. From 1950-1960 Trudeau wrot...

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Pierre Trudeau. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 09:24, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/76974.html