World leaders in 1972

Everyone who held a state’s top posts at some point in 1972, 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 1972 →

Major powers in 1972

United StatesUnited States history

President: Richard Nixon

United KingdomUnited Kingdom history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Edward Heath

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
Premier: Zhou Enlai

FranceFrance history

President: Georges Pompidou
Prime minister: Jacques Chaban-Delmas, then Pierre Messmer

East GermanyGermany history

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

West GermanyGermany history

President: Gustav Heinemann
Chancellor: Willy Brandt

JapanJapan history

Emperor: Hirohito
Prime minister: Kakuei Tanaka

Republic of IndiaIndia history

President: V. V. Giri
Prime minister: Indira Gandhi

Africa

Arab Republic of EgyptEgypt history

President: Anwar Sadat
Prime minister: Mahmoud Fawzi, then Aziz Sedky

Central African Republic

President: Jean-Bédel Bokassa

Democratic Republic of the SudanSudan history

President: Gaafar Nimeiry
Prime minister: Gaafar Nimeiry

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
Prime minister: Gérard Kango Ouédraogo

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

LiberiaLiberia history

President: William R. Tolbert Jr.

Libyan Arab Republic / Socialist People's Libyan Arab JamahiriyaLibya history

Prime minister: Muammar Gaddafi

Malagasy RepublicMadagascar history

President: Philibert Tsiranana, then Gabriel Ramanantsoa

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

People's Republic of the Congo

President: Marien Ngouabi

Republic of BotswanaBotswana history

President: Seretse Khama

Republic of BurundiBurundi history

President: Michel Micombero
Prime minister: Albin Nyamoya

Republic of CameroonCameroon history

President: Ahmadou Ahidjo
Prime minister: Salomon Tandeng Muna

Republic of ChadChad history

President: François Tombalbaye

Republic of DahomeyBenin history

Chairman of the Presidential Council: Hubert Maga
President: Mathieu Kérékou

Republic of GhanaGhana history

President of the Second Republic: Edward Akufo-Addo
Military Head of State: Ignatius Kutu Acheampong

Republic of GuineaGuinea history

President: Ahmed Sékou Touré
Prime minister: Louis Lansana Beavogui

Republic of Ivory CoastIvory Coast history

President: Félix Houphouët-Boigny

Republic of MalawiMalawi history

President: Hastings Banda

Republic of MaliMali history

Head of State: Moussa Traoré

Republic of RwandaRwanda history

President: Grégoire Kayibanda

Republic of SenegalSenegal history

President: Léopold Sédar Senghor
Prime minister: Abdou Diouf

Republic of Sierra LeoneSierra Leone history

President: Siaka Stevens

Republic of South AfricaSouth Africa history

Prime minister: Balthazar Johannes Vorster

Republic of the GambiaGambia history

President: Dawda Jawara

Republic of the NigerNiger history

President of the Republic: Hamani Diori

Republic of TunisiaTunisia history

President: Habib Bourguiba
Prime minister: Hedi Amara Nouira

Republic of Uganda

President: Idi Amin

Republic of ZambiaZambia history

President: Kenneth Kaunda

Rhodesia, unrecognised state

President: Clifford Dupont
Prime minister: Ian Smith

Somali Democratic RepublicSomalia history

President: Siad Barre

Sultanate/ Kingdom of MoroccoMorocco history

King: Hassan II
Prime minister: Mohammed Karim Lamrani, then Ahmed Osman

Togolese RepublicTogo history

President: Gnassingbé Eyadéma

United Republic of TanzaniaTanzania history

President: Julius Nyerere
Prime minister: Rashidi Kawawa

Zaire

President: Mobutu Sese Seko

Americas

ArgentinaArgentina history

de facto President: Alejandro A. Lanusse

BarbadosBarbados history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Errol Barrow

BoliviaBolivia history

President: Hugo Banzer

Brazilian Military regimeBrazil history

President: Emílio Garrastazu Médici

CanadaCanada history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Pierre Trudeau

Co-operative Republic of GuyanaGuyana history

President: Arthur Chung
Prime minister: Forbes Burnham

ColombiaColombia history

President: Misael Pastrana Borrero

Dominion of Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Eric Williams

Duvalier dynasty, HaitiHaiti history

President for Life: Jean-Claude Duvalier

El SalvadorEl Salvador history

President: Fidel Sánchez Hernández, then Arturo Armando Molina

El Stronato: ParaguayParaguay history

President: Alfredo Stroessner

Fourth Dominican RepublicDominican Republic history

President: Joaquín Balaguer

GuatemalaGuatemala history

President: Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio

HondurasHonduras history

President: Ramón Ernesto Cruz Uclés, then Oswaldo López Arellano

JamaicaJamaica history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Hugh Shearer, then Michael Manley

MexicoMexico history

President: Luis Echeverría

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

Military Leader: Omar Torrijos

Presidential Republic (1925–1973) of ChileChile history

President: Salvador Allende

Republic of Costa RicaCosta Rica history

President: José Figueres Ferrer

Republic of CubaCuba history

President: Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado
Prime minister: Fidel Castro

Republic of PeruPeru history

Prime Minister: Ernesto Montagne Sánchez

Suriname (Kingdom of the Netherlands)Suriname history

Prime minister: Jules Sedney

United StatesUnited States history

President: Richard Nixon

UruguayUruguay history

President: Jorge Pacheco Areco, then Juan María Bordaberry

Asia

Ba'athist IraqIraq history

President: Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr
Prime minister: Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr

BangladeshBangladesh history

President: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, then Abu Sayeed Chowdhury
Acting President: Syed Nazrul Islam
Prime minister: Tajuddin Ahmad, then Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

BhutanBhutan history

Druk Gyalpo: Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, then Jigme Singye Wangchuck

Democratic KampucheaCambodia history

General Secretary: Pol Pot

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

President: Tôn Đức Thắng
Prime minister: Phạm Văn Đồng

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri LankaSri Lanka history

President: William Gopallawa
Prime minister: Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Dominion of CeylonSri Lanka history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Sirimavo Bandaranaike

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

Emir: Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Prime minister: Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa

Imperial State of IranIran history

Shah: Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

Islamic Republic of PakistanPakistan history

President: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

IsraelIsrael history

President: Zalman Shazar
Prime minister: Golda Meir

JapanJapan history

Emperor: Hirohito
Prime minister: Kakuei Tanaka

Khmer RepublicCambodia history

President: Lon Nol
Prime minister: Sisowath Sirik Matak, then Son Ngoc Thanh, then Hang Thun Hak

Kingdom of AfghanistanAfghanistan history

King: Mohammad Zahir Shah

Kingdom of JordanJordan history

King: Hussein
Prime minister: Ahmad Lozi

Kingdom of LaosLaos history

King: Sisavang Vatthana
Prime minister: Souvanna Phouma

Kingdom of NepalNepal history

King: Mahendra, then Birendra
Prime minister: Kirti Nidhi Bista

Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia history

King: Faisal

Lao People's Democratic RepublicLaos history

General Secretary: Kaysone Phomvihane

LebanonLebanon history

President: Suleiman Frangieh

MalaysiaMalaysia history

Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Abdul Halim of Kedah
Prime minister: Abdul Razak Hussein

Mongolian People's Republic

Prime minister: Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal

New Order, IndonesiaIndonesia history

President: Suharto

North KoreaNorth Korea history

General Secretary: Kim Il Sung
President: Kim Il Sung
Premier: Kim Il Sung, then Kim Il

North Yemen: Yemen Arab RepublicYemen history

Chairman: Abdul Rahman al-Eryani
Prime minister: Mohsin Ahmad al-Aini

People's Republic of ChinaChina history

Chairman; Paramount Leader: Mao Zedong
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, then Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani
Prime minister: Khalifa bin Hamad

Republic of China: TaiwanTaiwan history

President: Chiang Kai-shek
Premier: Yen Chia-kan, then Chiang Ching-kuo

Republic of CyprusCyprus history

President: Makarios III

Republic of IndiaIndia history

President: V. V. Giri
Prime minister: Indira Gandhi

Republic of TurkeyTurkey history

President: Cevdet Sunay
Prime minister: Nihat Erim, then Ferit Melen

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

President: Nguyễn Văn Thiệu

Second Republic of Maldives

President: Ibrahim Nasir

SingaporeSingapore history

President: Benjamin Sheares
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: Kim Jong-pil

South Yemen: People's Democratic Republic of YemenYemen history

Chairmen: Salim Rubai Ali
Prime minister: Ali Nasir Muhammad

State of KuwaitKuwait history

Emir: Sabah III
Prime minister: Jaber Al-Ahmad

Sultanate of Oman: Al Busaidi dynastyOman history

Sultan: Qaboos bin Said

Syrian Arab RepublicSyria history

President: Hafez al-Assad
Prime minister: Mahmoud al-Ayyubi

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: Joan Martí i Alanis
French Co-Prince: Georges Pompidou

AustriaAustria history

President: Franz Jonas
Chancellor: Bruno Kreisky

BelgiumBelgium history

King: Baudouin
Prime minister: Gaston Eyskens

Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

General Secretary: Gustáv Husák
President: Ludvík Svoboda
Prime minister: Lubomír Štrougal

DenmarkDenmark history

King: Frederik IX
Queen: Margrethe II
Prime minister: Jens Otto Krag, then Anker Jørgensen

East GermanyGermany history

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

FinlandFinland history

President: Urho Kekkonen
Prime minister: Teuvo Aura, then Rafael Paasio, then Kalevi Sorsa

France: Fifth RepublicFrance history

President: Georges Pompidou
Prime minister: Jacques Chaban-Delmas, then Pierre Messmer

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: Kristján Eldjárn
Prime minister: Ólafur Jóhannesson

ItalyItaly history

President: Giovanni Leone
Prime minister: Emilio Colombo, then Giulio Andreotti

Kingdom of Greece: 4th of August RegimeGreece history

King: Constantine II

Kingdom of the NetherlandsNetherlands history

Queen: Juliana
Prime minister: Barend Biesheuvel

Liechtenstein

Prince: Franz Josef II
Prime minister: Alfred Hilbe

LuxembourgLuxembourg history

Grand Duke: Jean
Prime minister: Pierre Werner

Military junta of Greece (1967–1974)Greece history

Regent: Georgios Zoitakis, then Georgios Papadopoulos
Prime minister: Georgios Papadopoulos

Monaco

Prince: Rainier III
Minister of state: François-Didier Gregh, then André Saint-Mleux

NorwayNorway history

King: Olav V
Prime minister: Trygve Bratteli, then Lars Korvald

People's Republic of BulgariaBulgaria history

General Secretary: Todor Zhivkov
Chairman of the State Council: Todor Zhivkov
Prime minister: Stanko Todorov

People's Socialist Republic of AlbaniaAlbania history

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

Polish People's RepublicPoland history

First Secretary: Edward Gierek
Chairman: Józef Cyrankiewicz
Prime minister: Piotr Jaroszewicz

Republic of IrelandIreland history

President: Éamon de Valera
Taoiseach: Jack Lynch

San Marino

Captains Regent: Marino Vagnetti

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: Dom Mintoff

SwedenSweden history

King: Gustaf VI Adolf
Prime minister: Olof Palme

SwitzerlandSwitzerland history

President of the Confederation: Nello Celio

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandUnited Kingdom history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Edward Heath

Vatican City

Sovereign: Paul VI

West GermanyGermany history

President: Gustav Heinemann
Chancellor: Willy Brandt

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: William McMahon, then Gough Whitlam

Dominion of FijiFiji history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Kamisese Mara

Nauru

President: Hammer DeRoburt

New ZealandNew Zealand history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Keith Holyoake, then Jack Marshall, then Norman Kirk

TongaTonga history

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

Trust Territory of the Pacific IslandsUnited States history

High Commissioner: Edward E. Johnston

Wallis and Futuna

King: Tomasi Kulimoetoke II

Western Samoa/ Independent State of Samoa

O le Ao o le Malo: Malietoa Tanumafili II