Great Generals

[Twodogs]

Been meaning to try and get this discussion topic up for a while and I understand that it's not a topic that many would be interested in. But I reckon we've got enough posters here with an interest in the subject.


Who's history's greatest general?

My list would include


Henry V
Napoleon
Ceasar
Hannibal
Alexander the Great



But my choice would be Marlborough-John Churchill. His feat of marching his men at night across inhospitable terrain without even his allies realising what he was doing to suprise the french/prussian army at Blenheim must rank as the greatest military feat of all time.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Great Generals

General Motors or General Electric.

[Twodogs]

Re: Great Generals

General Motors or General Electric.

Which battle did they fight?

[hujsh]

Re: Great Generals

Been meaning to try and get this discussion topic up for a while and I understand that it's not a topic that many would be interested in. But I reckon we've got enough posters here with an interest in the subject.


Who's history's greatest general?

My list would include


Henry V
Napoleon
Ceasar
Hannibal
Alexander the Great



But my choice would be Marlborough-John Churchill. His feat of marching his men at night across inhospitable terrain without even his allies realising what he was doing to suprise the french/prussian army at Blenheim must rank as the greatest military feat of all time.

Is he the "we will fight them on the beaches" one?

I don't know much about these things but i think he had a poor understanding of the technology such as U-boats.

How bout R.Eade

[Twodogs]

Re: Great Generals

Is he the "we will fight them on the beaches" one?

I don't know much about these things but i think he had a poor understanding of the technology such as U-boats.

How bout R.Eade

Different guy. Thet lived about 200 years apart, I dont even think they were related.

[1eyedog]

Re: Great Generals

Been meaning to try and get this discussion topic up for a while and I understand that it's not a topic that many would be interested in. But I reckon we've got enough posters here with an interest in the subject.


Who's history's greatest general?

My list would include


Henry V
Napoleon
Ceasar
Hannibal
Alexander the Great



But my choice would be Marlborough-John Churchill. His feat of marching his men at night across inhospitable terrain without even his allies realising what he was doing to suprise the french/prussian army at Blenheim must rank as the greatest military feat of all time.

Yep great thread and nice list up there TD. Mine are;

1) Hannibal. Pure and simply a military genius, the Kelvin Templeton of the ancient world. Hannibal brought together an army from 4 different countries (Spaniards, Gauls, Numidians, Africans and he had a bunch of the different Italian tribes thrown in there as well). How he kept this rag-tag bunch of mercenaries together in Italy for 16 years defeating Rome's finest at Trasimeno and Cannae is completely beyond me. His double envelopment movement (the first in recorded history) at Cannae was all class. They didn't speak one language and they absolutely hated one another. A truly amazing general and IMO the best there was with the resources and cattle he had on hand.

2) Alexander The Great. I am bias with the Ancient World but Alexander was in a class of his own, so charismatic and bold. He inherit the best army in Greece but he carved out an empire with it. I think (like Hannibal) he owed a lot to his Father for his successes but his men stood on the banks of the Indus and defeated the Great Indian King Porus. A remarkable achievement. The many Alexandrias around the world are testament to his greatness where he amalgamated into the cultures he conquered. Amazing man.

I find it very difficult to rank my next best but I will put in my next favourite 3, all of them are very different generals and have earned my admiration for different reasons.

Not in order

Erwin Rommel (a desert warfare master capable of beating the best the English and American's could throw at him). Terribly under-resourced if he had of got what he wanted when he need it Germany would have taken the Saudi oil fields and the Egyptians would now be speaking Deutsch. Ate with his men in the trenches and was a staunch ANTI-NAZI he was pure Wehmacht. The last of the romantic generals who inspired fear, awe and admiration from both sides.

I have a soft spot for Charlemagne for bringing Europe out of the dark ages. He wasn't your typical general, more one of the first true great statesmen since the Romans, but he could hold his own on the battle map.

Julius Caesar, anyone who has read The Gallic War would agree, this man was a nightmare for the Gauls. Anticipation of enemy movements and forced marches were the highlights of many of his campaigns, but he also wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

Genghis Khan ranks highly with me too for uniting the Horde.

The list goes on, Napoleon, Xanthippus, Pericles, Henry V, Saladin, Richard Lionheart, Leonidas.

[Scraggers]

Re: Great Generals

He was not a General when this happened; but for me it would be Roman Emperor Hadrian A.D. 117 - 138 ...

Anyone who can oversee the introduction of aquaducts ( the beginning of modern day toilets and other plumbing) whilst still conquering the majority of Europe and later Great Britain has gotta be the greatest of them all ...

And who said us men can't multi-task

[1eyedog]

Re: Great Generals

Different guy. Thet lived about 200 years apart, I dont even think they were related.

I always thought they were but I may be wrong.

[Twodogs]

Re: Great Generals

I always thought they were but I may be wrong.

Pretty sure that Winnie was desended from a relation of Arabella who was married to Marlborough and was Queen Ann's "bestest friend"-nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Of course Anne and Arabella fell out and Churchill got the boot.

^^^^^^

And who said us men can't multi-task

Who said that females wont go to any lengths to get revenge on one another?

[Dry Rot]

Re: Great Generals

Best of the twentieth century:

Zhukov (disambiguation).

Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, GCB (Russian: Гео́ргий Константи́нович Жу́ков) (December 1 [O.S. November 19] 1896 – June 18, 1974) was a Soviet military commander who, in the course of World War II, led the Red Army to liberate the Soviet Union from the Axis Powers' occupation, to advance through much of Eastern Europe, and to conquer Germany's capital, Berlin. He is one of the most decorated heroes in the history of both Russia and the Soviet Union.

Saved Moscow, took Stalingrad and Berlin.

Not a bad CV.



Honourable mentions to Admiral Yammato and General Monash.

[1eyedog]

Re: Great Generals

Best of the twentieth century:



Saved Moscow, took Stalingrad and Berlin.

Not a bad CV.



Honourable mentions to Admiral Yammato and General Monash.

Georgi was a legend but Stalin didn't want him to become too popular so he kept him on a short leash. He moved Georgi into Berlin at the same time as another Russian general (his name escapes me) so he could not take all the glory.

[Missing-Dog]

Re: Great Generals

One of my favourite generals is Isaac Brock. He lead the British Army (in Canada) in the War of 1812 against the U.S. The brits were fighting Napolean back in Europe, so he had no help from home. He managed to take Detroit with a force including his own men and some allied Indians, despite being outnumbered 2-1.