Computer game, Risk, Tournament, or other venue. Who were the greatest generals, and who would eventually be considered the best of all time? Alexander, Napoleon, Rommel, Genghis Khan, Lee, Hannibal, MacArthur, Grant, Montgomery, Eisenhaur, Atilla, Wellington, Jackson .......?
Ok, I'll start out. William Tecumseh Sherman. Yea, I know that is gonna be as popular as an Obama fundraiser around here.
But, if we are talking about a popularity contest that's one thing, we're not. It's always the most commited who wins. You want popular we're in the wrong subject.
There's a different set of circumstances for each. Some fought a modern war, some are from antiquity. Rommel and Patton come through as excellent for WWII Europe. Lee, Grant, Sherman, Jackson and others for the American Civil War. But, Alexander the Great must go down as the greatest, at least in my estimation. He conquered the known world and could have gone farther had he not died at 33. He was benevolent to those he conquered. I think young Alex is in a league of his own. TJ
But, Alexander the Great must go down as the greatest, at least in my estimation. He conquered the known world and could have gone farther had he not died at 33. He was benevolent to those he conquered. I think young Alex is in a league of his own. TJ
I agree, Teejay, that Alexander is in a class of his own and every bit deserving of the ledgend he became, but he was far from perfect. Alexander's biggest flaw was that he led from the front too often, and in the end it was his death. It was of course the practice of the time for leaders to be chosen based on their personal bravery and combat prowess, and then expected of them to be up front. The role of the most effective generals in battle is to direct his forces by maintaining command and control from the most desirable position, not to prove his personal bravery in direct combat.
I think that one of the most under rated generals of out time was "Black Jack" Pershing. He was of course the right man for the job as commander of the AEF with his diplomatic skills and clear resolve in dealing with the Western Allies in the Great War. Had the war continued for another year (thank goodness it didn't), and the AEF was able to become a separate and cohesive army, Pershing's combat leadership abilities would have been put to the test and I have no doubt he would have proved himself more than equal to both his allied counterparts and German opponents.
Alexander of Macedonia would win hands down. He defeated armies on the field of battle many times over greater than his own forces and did so in a time when technology wise armies were pretty much on equal footing. He stomped the Persians not once but twice with an Army of 40,000 in a hostile land against forces estimated at 200,000 to 300,000 souls.
Baybars, arrived too late, The strategy of Saladdin of waiting until the crusaders crossed the desert of Hatteen, thirsty, hungry and tired and then attacking them in the decisive battle of Hatteen signaled the end of the european ocupation of the near east.
Baybars, arrived too late, The strategy of Saladdin of waiting until the crusaders crossed the desert of Hatteen, thirsty, hungry and tired and then attacking them in the decisive battle of Hatteen signaled the beginning of the end of the european ocupation of the near east.
Pound for pound the toughest and most ruthless of all and the most able field general in spite of being in the front lines, Attila the Hun. He and Patton would have gotten along on the battle field.
Rommel (Erwin, by the way, not Irwin) was great, agreed, but his teacher was Heinz Guderian (who was not as politically astute as Rommel was, early on).
On modern times Heinz Wilhelm Guderian.
For sure great were also : Giulio Cesare, Alexander, Napoleon, Nelson, and coming more to our days Rommel, Montgomery... Difficult to say WHO because different are the "war machines" & era.
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