World leaders in 1968

Everyone who held a state’s top posts at some point in 1968, in the order they held them. Names are from Wikipedia’s list of state leaders and appear only where the person’s Wikidata record agrees on the post and the years. What happened in 1968 →

Major powers in 1968

United StatesUnited States history

President: Lyndon B. Johnson

United KingdomUnited Kingdom history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Harold Wilson

Soviet UnionRussia history

General Secretary: Leonid Brezhnev
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet: Nikolai Podgorny
Chairman of the Council of Ministers: Alexei Kosygin

People's Republic of ChinaChina history

Chairman; Paramount Leader: Mao Zedong
President: Liu Shaoqi
Premier: Zhou Enlai

FranceFrance history

President: Charles de Gaulle
Prime minister: Georges Pompidou, then Maurice Couve de Murville

East GermanyGermany history

Chairmen of the State Council: Walter Ulbricht
Chairman: Willi Stoph

West GermanyGermany history

President: Heinrich Lübke
Chancellor: Kurt Georg Kiesinger

JapanJapan history

Emperor: Hirohito

Republic of IndiaIndia history

President: Zakir Husain
Prime minister: Indira Gandhi

Africa

Arab Republic of EgyptEgypt history

President: Gamal Abdel Nasser
Prime minister: Gamal Abdel Nasser

Central African Republic

President: Jean-Bédel Bokassa

Equatorial Guinea

President: Francisco Macías Nguema

Ethiopian EmpireEthiopia history

I, Emperor: Haile Selassie

Federal Republic of Nigeria: Fourth RepublicNigeria history

Military Head of State: Yakubu Gowon

French Upper Volta/ Republic of Upper VoltaBurkina Faso history

President: Sangoulé Lamizana

GabonGabon history

President: Omar Bongo

Islamic Republic of MauritaniaMauritania history

Acting Head of State; President: Moktar Ould Daddah

KenyaKenya history

President: Jomo Kenyatta

Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland)

King: Sobhuza II
Prime minister: Makhosini Dlamini

Kingdom of LesothoLesotho history

King: Moshoeshoe II

Kingdom of LibyaLibya history

King: Idris
Prime minister: Abdul Hamid al-Bakkoush, then Wanis al-Qaddafi

LiberiaLiberia history

President: William Tubman

Malagasy RepublicMadagascar history

President: Philibert Tsiranana

Mauritius (Commonwealth realm)Mauritius history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Seewoosagur Ramgoolam

People's Democratic Republic of AlgeriaAlgeria history

Chairman of the Revolutionary Council: Houari Boumediene

Republic of BotswanaBotswana history

President: Seretse Khama

Republic of BurundiBurundi history

President: Michel Micombero

Republic of CameroonCameroon history

President: Ahmadou Ahidjo
Prime minister: Salomon Tandeng Muna

Republic of ChadChad history

President: François Tombalbaye

Republic of DahomeyBenin history

Head of State: Alphonse Alley
President: Émile Derlin Zinsou
Prime minister: Maurice Kouandété

Republic of GhanaGhana history

Military Head of State: Joseph Arthur Ankrah

Republic of GuineaGuinea history

President: Ahmed Sékou Touré

Republic of Ivory CoastIvory Coast history

President: Félix Houphouët-Boigny

Republic of MalawiMalawi history

President: Hastings Banda

Republic of MaliMali history

President: Modibo Keïta
Chairman of the Military Committee for National Liberation: Moussa Traoré
Prime minister: Yoro Diakité

Republic of RwandaRwanda history

President: Grégoire Kayibanda

Republic of SenegalSenegal history

President: Léopold Sédar Senghor

Republic of South AfricaSouth Africa history

Prime minister: Balthazar Johannes Vorster

Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville)

President: Alphonse Massamba-Débat, then Alfred Raoul
Prime minister: Alfred Raoul

Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)

President: Mobutu Sese Seko

Republic of the NigerNiger history

President of the Republic: Hamani Diori

Republic of the Sudan (1956–1969)Sudan history

President: Ismail al-Azhari

Republic of TunisiaTunisia history

President: Habib Bourguiba

Republic of Uganda

President: Milton Obote

Republic of ZambiaZambia history

President: Kenneth Kaunda

Rhodesia, unrecognised state

Prime minister: Ian Smith

Sierra Leone (Commonwealth realm)Sierra Leone history

Queen: Elizabeth II

Somali RepublicSomalia history

President: Abdirashid Ali Shermarke
Prime minister: Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal

Sultanate/ Kingdom of MoroccoMorocco history

King: Hassan II
Prime minister: Mohamed Benhima

The Gambia (1965–1970)Gambia history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Dawda Jawara

Togolese RepublicTogo history

President: Gnassingbé Eyadéma

United Republic of TanzaniaTanzania history

President: Julius Nyerere

Americas

ArgentinaArgentina history

de facto President: Juan Carlos Onganía

BarbadosBarbados history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Errol Barrow

BoliviaBolivia history

President: René Barrientos

Brazilian Military regimeBrazil history

President: Artur da Costa e Silva

CanadaCanada history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Lester B. Pearson, then Pierre Trudeau

ColombiaColombia history

President: Carlos Lleras Restrepo

Dominion of Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Eric Williams

Duvalier dynasty, HaitiHaiti history

President for Life: François Duvalier

EcuadorEcuador history

Constitutional President: Otto Arosemena

El SalvadorEl Salvador history

President: Fidel Sánchez Hernández

El Stronato: ParaguayParaguay history

President: Alfredo Stroessner

Fourth Dominican RepublicDominican Republic history

President: Joaquín Balaguer

GuatemalaGuatemala history

President: Julio César Méndez Montenegro

Guyana (1966–1970)Guyana history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Forbes Burnham

HondurasHonduras history

President: Oswaldo López Arellano

JamaicaJamaica history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Hugh Shearer

MexicoMexico history

President: Gustavo Díaz Ordaz

Military Junta of PeruPeru history

President of the Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces: Juan Velasco Alvarado

NicaraguaNicaragua history

President: Anastasio Somoza Debayle

PanamaPanama history

President: Arnulfo Arias
Military Leader: Omar Torrijos

Presidential Republic (1925–1973) of ChileChile history

President: Eduardo Frei Montalva

Republic of Costa RicaCosta Rica history

President: José Trejos Fernández

Republic of CubaCuba history

President: Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado
Prime minister: Fidel Castro

Republic of PeruPeru history

Constitutional President: Fernando Belaúnde Terry
Prime Minister: Raúl Ferrero Rebagliati, then Ernesto Montagne Sánchez

Republic of VenezuelaVenezuela history

President: Raúl Leoni

Suriname (Kingdom of the Netherlands)Suriname history

Prime minister: Johan Adolf Pengel

United StatesUnited States history

President: Lyndon B. Johnson

UruguayUruguay history

President: Jorge Pacheco Areco

Asia

Ba'athist IraqIraq history

President: Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr
Prime minister: Abd ar-Razzaq an-Naif, then Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr

BhutanBhutan history

Druk Gyalpo: Jigme Dorji Wangchuck

Democratic KampucheaCambodia history

General Secretary: Pol Pot

Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) (1945–1976)Vietnam history

President: Ho Chi Minh
Prime minister: Phạm Văn Đồng

Dominion of CeylonSri Lanka history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Dudley Senanayake

Emirate of Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Emirate of AjmanUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi III

Emirate of DubaiUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum

Emirate of FujairahUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi

Emirate of Ras Al KhaimahUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi

Emirate of SharjahUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi

Hakims of Bahrain/ State of BahrainBahrain history

Hakim: Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa

Imperial State of IranIran history

Shah: Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

Iraqi Republic (1958–1968)Iraq history

President: Abdul Rahman Arif
Prime minister: Tahir Yahya

Islamic Republic of PakistanPakistan history

President: Ayub Khan

IsraelIsrael history

President: Zalman Shazar
Prime minister: Levi Eshkol

JapanJapan history

Emperor: Hirohito

Kingdom of AfghanistanAfghanistan history

King: Mohammad Zahir Shah

Kingdom of Cambodia (1953–1970)Cambodia history

Prime minister: Son Sann, then Penn Nouth

Kingdom of JordanJordan history

King: Hussein

Kingdom of LaosLaos history

King: Sisavang Vatthana
Prime minister: Souvanna Phouma

Kingdom of NepalNepal history

King: Mahendra

Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia history

King: Faisal

Lao People's Democratic RepublicLaos history

General Secretary: Kaysone Phomvihane

LebanonLebanon history

President: Charles Helou
Prime minister: Rashid Karami, then Abdallah El-Yafi

MalaysiaMalaysia history

Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Ismail Nasiruddin of Terengganu
Prime minister: Tunku Abdul Rahman

Mongolian People's Republic

Prime minister: Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal

New Order, IndonesiaIndonesia history

Acting President: Suharto

North KoreaNorth Korea history

General Secretary: Kim Il Sung
Premier: Kim Il Sung

North Yemen: Yemen Arab RepublicYemen history

Chairman: Abdul Rahman al-Eryani

People's Republic of ChinaChina history

Chairman; Paramount Leader: Mao Zedong
President: Liu Shaoqi
Premier: Zhou Enlai

PhilippinesPhilippines history

President: Ferdinand Marcos

Protectorate of Brunei / Nation of BruneiBrunei history

Sultan: Hassanal Bolkiah

QatarQatar history

Emir: Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani

Republic of China: TaiwanTaiwan history

President: Chiang Kai-shek
Premier: Yen Chia-kan

Republic of CyprusCyprus history

President: Makarios III

Republic of IndiaIndia history

President: Zakir Husain
Prime minister: Indira Gandhi

Republic of TurkeyTurkey history

President: Cevdet Sunay
Prime minister: Süleyman Demirel

Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) (1955–1975)Vietnam history

President: Nguyễn Văn Thiệu

Second Republic of Maldives

President: Ibrahim Nasir

SingaporeSingapore history

President: Yusof Ishak
Prime minister: Lee Kuan Yew

Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma

Chairman: Ne Win

Socialist Republic of Vietnam (1976–present)Vietnam history

General Secretary: Lê Duẩn

South KoreaSouth Korea history

President: Park Chung Hee
Prime minister: Chung Il-kwon

South Yemen: People's Democratic Republic of YemenYemen history

President: Qahtan Muhammad al-Shaabi

State of KuwaitKuwait history

Emir: Sabah III
Prime minister: Jaber Al-Ahmad

Sultanate of Muscat and OmanOman history

Sultan: Said III

Syrian Arab RepublicSyria history

President: Nureddin al-Atassi
Prime minister: Yusuf Zuaiyin, then Nureddin al-Atassi

ThailandThailand history

King: Bhumibol Adulyadej
Prime minister: Thanom Kittikachorn

Umm Al QuwainUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Ahmad bin Rashid Al Mualla

Europe

Andorra

Episcopal Co-Prince: Ramon Iglesias i Navarri
French Co-Prince: Charles de Gaulle

AustriaAustria history

President: Franz Jonas
Chancellor: Josef Klaus

BelgiumBelgium history

King: Baudouin
Prime minister: Paul Vanden Boeynants, then Gaston Eyskens

Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

General Secretary: Antonín Novotný, then Alexander Dubček
President: Antonín Novotný, then Ludvík Svoboda
Prime minister: Jozef Lenárt, then Oldřich Černík

DenmarkDenmark history

King: Frederik IX
Prime minister: Jens Otto Krag, then Hilmar Baunsgaard

East GermanyGermany history

Chairmen of the State Council: Walter Ulbricht
Chairman: Willi Stoph

FinlandFinland history

President: Urho Kekkonen
Prime minister: Rafael Paasio, then Mauno Koivisto

France: Fifth RepublicFrance history

President: Charles de Gaulle
Prime minister: Georges Pompidou, then Maurice Couve de Murville

Francoist SpainSpain history

Caudillo: Francisco Franco
Prime minister: Francisco Franco

Hungarian People's RepublicHungary history

Chairman: Pál Losonczi
Prime minister: Jenő Fock

IcelandIceland history

President: Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, then Kristján Eldjárn
Prime minister: Bjarni Benediktsson

ItalyItaly history

President: Giuseppe Saragat
Prime minister: Aldo Moro, then Giovanni Leone, then Mariano Rumor

Kingdom of Greece: 4th of August RegimeGreece history

King: Constantine II

Kingdom of the NetherlandsNetherlands history

Queen: Juliana
Prime minister: Piet de Jong

Liechtenstein

Prince: Franz Josef II
Prime minister: Gerard Batliner

LuxembourgLuxembourg history

Grand Duke: Jean
Prime minister: Pierre Werner

Military junta of Greece (1967–1974)Greece history

Regent: Georgios Zoitakis
Prime minister: Georgios Papadopoulos

Monaco

Prince: Rainier III
Minister of state: Paul Demange

NorwayNorway history

King: Olav V
Prime minister: Per Borten

People's Republic of BulgariaBulgaria history

Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly: Georgi Traykov
Prime minister: Todor Zhivkov

People's Socialist Republic of AlbaniaAlbania history

First Secretary: Enver Hoxha
Chairman: Haxhi Lleshi
Prime minister: Mehmet Shehu

Polish People's RepublicPoland history

Chairman: Edward Ochab, then Marian Spychalski
Prime minister: Józef Cyrankiewicz

Republic of IrelandIreland history

President: Éamon de Valera
Taoiseach: Jack Lynch

Second Portuguese RepublicPortugal history

President: Américo Thomaz

Socialist Republic of RomaniaRomania history

General Secretary: Nicolae Ceaușescu
President of the State Council: Nicolae Ceaușescu
Prime minister: Ion Gheorghe Maurer

Soviet UnionRussia history

General Secretary: Leonid Brezhnev
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet: Nikolai Podgorny
Chairman of the Council of Ministers: Alexei Kosygin

State of MaltaMalta history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Giorgio Borġ Olivier

SwedenSweden history

King: Gustaf VI Adolf
Prime minister: Tage Erlander

SwitzerlandSwitzerland history

President of the Confederation: Willy Spühler

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandUnited Kingdom history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Harold Wilson

Vatican City

Sovereign: Paul VI
President of the Governorate: Amleto Giovanni Cicognani

West GermanyGermany history

President: Heinrich Lübke
Chancellor: Kurt Georg Kiesinger

Yugoslavia: Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

President of the Presidium: Josip Broz Tito
President: Josip Broz Tito

Oceania

AustraliaAustralia history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: John McEwen, then John Gorton

Nauru

President: Hammer DeRoburt

New ZealandNew Zealand history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Keith Holyoake

TongaTonga history

King: Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
Prime minister: Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake

Trust Territory of the Pacific IslandsUnited States history

High Commissioner: William R. Norwood

Wallis and Futuna

King: Tomasi Kulimoetoke II

Western Samoa/ Independent State of Samoa

O le Ao o le Malo: Malietoa Tanumafili II
Prime Minister: Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II