During the 11 years that she served as Britain’s prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, who died Monday at age 87, was loved by many and hated by others.

But history can’t rewrite the fact that her years of leadership were good for her nation and, in fact, good for the world.

Her tough decisions paving the way for the revival of Britain’s economy angered many, making her become, in their eyes, something of a ruthless tyrant.

On the world stage, she showed no hesitancy in letting it be known that she was someone not to be regarded as weak, indecisive or a leader who could be easily coerced.

Her actions after an Argentine military junta seized the Falkland Islands in 1982 showed that she could not be intimidated.

Four years later, she demonstrated equally strong backbone in supporting the U.S. bombing of Libya, which was conducted in response to the bombing of a discotheque in West Berlin that killed three people and injured 229, some of them Americans.

After the bombing, President Ronald Reagan said, “When our citizens are attacked or abused anywhere in the world on the direct orders of hostile regimes, we will respond.”

In answer to her critics in the British Parliament following the attack, Thatcher quickly made it clear that she was having no second thoughts about her support of the U.S. operation.

“We have heard some . . . arguments in this country: ‘Don’t associate ourselves with the United States,’ some say; ‘Don’t support them in fighting back; we may expose ourselves to more attacks,’ say others.

“Terrorism has to be defeated; it cannot be tolerated or side-stepped. When other ways and other methods have failed . . . it is right that the terrorist should know that firm steps will be taken to deter him from attacking either other peoples or his own people who have taken refuge in countries that are free.”

“She was a real toughie,” said Bernard Ingham, Thatcher’s press secretary throughout her years as prime minister.

No one was more aware of that than those affected negatively by Thatcher’s determination to rework Britain’s government into a leaner, more efficient operation, bringing along with it more prosperity to a country that had been on a rough economic path with no turnaround in sight.

For good reason Thatcher came to be known as the Iron Lady; some would say merely that she was as tough as steel.

As beloved as Reagan remains among many Americans, still others disliked him because, like Thatcher, he embraced the belief that free markets would be better at revitalizing America than reliance on a strong, central government.

A debate about that continues in this country.

Some of the economic framework upon which both Thatcher and Reagan built their leadership careers would be beneficial to America at this time of economic uncertainty. Too bad in so many ways it’s being ignored.

Thatcher was a leader, in the full sense of the word. More leaders today with her skills and tenacity — and her pursuit of what’s right — would make the world a better place.