Greatest General (Military leader)

Who do you feel is the greatest military leader throughout history and why? This is a pretty hard choice, so please feel free to list multiple individuals and in no particular order if you feel it's necessary.


Some examples:
Alexander the Great
Themistocles
Militiades
Zhukov
Zaragoza
Napoleon
Patton
Jackson
Hannibal
Scipio Africanus
Lee
Nelson
Hideyoshi
Genghis Khan
Subotai
Thucydides
Marius
Samudragupta
Philip II (of Macedon)

And many many more...

 

Sun Tzu, that is if he ever actually existed and achieved the things he was said to achieve.

 

Alexander the Great----hes not even on your list?

 

Sun Tzu oh man...The Art of War was one of my favorite books when I was younger! It was like my bible....quite literally too, when I was forced in to going to church I would actually take that with me and read it over and over again.

Yes I included him, I use to continually get into a discussion with my best friend at the time as to whether or not Genghis Khan was a better military commander and all around leader than Alexander. Essentially it's hard to say...but Alexanders kingdom certainly didn't last...it broke up upon his death and fell into "successor kingdoms," whereas Genghis' empire flourished as he set up provincial governments and allowed for the flow of commerce in between them. Then again, Alexander was a master at implementing assimilation into his kingdom as well.

And master, I could create a MASSIVE list regarding this subject...I've always been very interested in military history, but I doubt you guys would want to sift through such a huge list.

Another of my personal favorites I did not add and who just so happens to be the daimyo of my favorite clan throughout Japanese history:

Takeda Shingen

Hence my disdain for Oda Nobunaga and his use of firearms, particularly at the battles of kawanakajima. So do not expect me to add this "unifier" to the list....rather I shall attribute the unification of Japan under the Shogunate of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and not his predecessor.

 

what about George Bush ?

 

this doesnt mean their victories should have a lasting meaning... additionally, you may need to point out what "great" means... "great" in the meaning of military success?

well, some additions:

Prince Eugen
Bernard Montgomery
Erwin Rommel
Guderian
Eisenhower
Arminius

personal note: I am generally not very fond of the military because of its singular purpose of killing people and destroying things. there are many much more intelligent things to do in live than that.

 

Great as in achievement wise basically.

Nor am I, but it just so happens that military history is VERY entwined with nearly every other aspect of history because of its influence, therefore including the contemporary times as well.

 

you didnt add my generals

 

I wonder who counts as a "military leader"?

Should we consider Churchill? or is he not a "military leader"?

 

Oh I didn't realize we were adding generals to the list...ok, well than let's start a list!

No he certainly would be, he planned multiple "military operations"....however so far as "great" goes...not so sure. He was the "mastermind" behind the Galipoli Campaign and it failed miserably.

His more nasty side: He ordered the bombings of German civilians before Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe to bomb any British ones.

 

Crazy Horse...

 

Given the position that Churchill was in, I'd count that as a great military victory. But I wouldn't put Churchill on the short list of military leaders. He belongs on the long list.

Does anyone recall the name of the Russian general who beat Napoleon?

 

Crazy Horse for sure... William Wallace, and Hannibal

 

Alexander Suvorov, Mike E

 

Thanks, Lillith

 

Gen. George Custer.......lol....

 

Did he ever make it to the rank of general? He did alright as a cavalry commander during the civil war if I remember correctly, but little bighorn is another story....

 

He attained the rank of Major General of volunteers during the civil war then reduced to Capt/ Lt Colonel of the regular Army.....

 

Ernesto Guevara, you fuckers.

 

Erwin Rommel tops the list for me.