Women Who Made History

She commanded armies and built warships. She was ruthless with rivals and quick to eliminate traitors. She spoke at least nine languages, received diplomats and negotiated with kings. But the last woman to rule Egypt is a legend today because of her powers of seduction.

The first woman who made history in Western civilisation, who believed she had a divine mission and saved France during the dark days of the Hundred Years War, was a girl from a simple background who defied all the institutions of the day.

In an era dominated by men, Queen Elizabeth I was the only woman. She ruled England for 45 years, laying the foundation for the British Empire, and when she died in 1603 she gave her name to an entire epoch: the Elizabethan Age. Nobody would have thought this possible when she was younger - least of all herself.

At the age of 14 Sophie Auguste Friederike von Anhalt-Zerbst a princess from a minor German aristocratic family, journeyed to Russia... because she had been chosen to marry Grand Duke Peter, heir to the Russian throne. For the sake of the marriage she converted to the Russian Orthodox religion and was given the name that has become famous in history: Catherine.

Some countries attain crucial characteristics under female rule, such as the England of Queen Elizabeth I and the Russia of Catherine the Great. And then there are women who do not rule and yet manage to leave their mark on their land, their era. One of these, known as the Queen of Hearts during her lifetime, was Louise of Prussia.

Unlike the other women in this series, Sophie Scholl had neither power nor influence. She has gone down in history because she took a stand against injustice, virtually ignored by the world at large, and paid the ultimate price for her principles. Alongside Count von Stauffenberg, she is now one of the most popular figures of German resistance against Hitler during the Second World War.