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Who Were The Greatest Military Minds?

Donkey1499

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I would have made a poll out of this one, but there are just too many to choose from. I'm going to put down 5 names, but not in any particular order. And this is NOT for fictional military leaders either (so in other words, NO Aragorns or Darth Vaders).

1.) Alexander the Great
2.) Attilla the Hun
3.) Hannibal (The dude from Carthage)
4.) Ceasar
5.) Gen. George Patton

These are my 5 favorite, although some of them were either barbarians or dictators. But their wits on military strategy were awesome. I would've put Napolean on the list, but he's French... LOL j/k.
 
1. Sun Tzu
2. Ghengis Khan
3. Alexander
4. Napoleon
5. Atilla
6. Oda Nobunaga (Jap)
7. Patton
8. Hannibal
9. Eisenhower
10. Charlamagne

(In no particular order)
 
Lets see military minds. Hmmm...

This is too difficult cause ther are just too many to chose from and they are all in different times and different circumstances. So its hard to crown one over the other casue you never know what the capabilities of each are.

All your notions to different military leaders are good. Each one has proven to be exceptional in their own ways. I guess since I dont want to be redundant I wil name a few others.

Stonewall jackson, Robert E Lee, Montgomery, Schwarzcopf, Powel, Yamamoto, Hannibal, and of course many many more.
 
I think the greatest military minds came from German Officer leadership during World War II. Heinz Guedarian who pioneered blitzkrieg which is still used in the US Army till this day. Erwin Rommel was an awesome general and was kicking the crap out of the British and Americans even when he was outmanned and outsupplied. Man for man, the German Army in World War II inflicted more casaulties on their enemies and outfought the US Army, the British Army and the Soviet Army, even though they still lost the war. I hold the German World War II army in high regard when it comes to their ability to fight and prosecute a war.
 
The Real McCoy said:
1. Sun Tzu
2. Ghengis Khan
3. Alexander
4. Napoleon
5. Atilla
6. Oda Nobunaga (Jap)
7. Patton
8. Hannibal
9. Eisenhower
10. Charlamagne

(In no particular order)

I would definately agree with your picks as far as Patton and Napoleon. Patton was the only general the Germans feared during World War II and he was ahead of his game.
 
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General Douglas Mcarthur

Fought a war on the Pacific front on larger scale across vast tracts of surface area with significantly less resources than Patton and won.
 
bandaidwoman said:
The Trung Sisters who led an army and fought off the Chinese for many years? http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/heroine10.html

But you probably meant the modern Vietnam conflict I suppose.

I meant the 60's Nam Conflict. But a good post anyways.

How about Joan of Arc? She sort of got Nationalism started.
 
Donkey1499 said:
I meant the 60's Nam Conflict. But a good post anyways.

How about Joan of Arc? She sort of got Nationalism started.

Napoloean got Nationalism started.
 
The Real McCoy said:
1. Sun Tzu
2. Ghengis Khan
3. Alexander
4. Napoleon
5. Atilla
6. Oda Nobunaga (Jap)
7. Patton
8. Hannibal
9. Eisenhower
10. Charlamagne

(In no particular order)

Here is one of my favorite quotes from Sun Tzu:

"All warfare is based on deception."

Very good quote.
 
TimmyBoy said:
Napoloean got Nationalism started.

At least he did in Europe and he helped to create the environment that made World War I possible.
 
Donkey1499 said:
Nah, I do believe you're wrong there. But this debate isn't for this thread.

I was making the case that Napoloean got it started in Europe when most of Europe was under his occupation. His occupation awakened nationalist feelings in many countries he occuppied and this power stayed long after the defeat of Napolean and was one of the major factors for the outbreak of World War I.
 
TimmyBoy said:
I was making the case that Napoloean got it started in Europe when most of Europe was under his occupation. His occupation awakened nationalist feelings in many countries he occuppied and this power stayed long after the defeat of Napolean and was one of the major factors for the outbreak of World War I.

Oh, alright then. I misread what you wrote.

Joan of Arc got FRENCH nationalism going.
 
Donkey1499 said:
Oh, alright then. I misread what you wrote.

Joan of Arc got FRENCH nationalism going.

I miswrote what I was trying to say, hence my second post.
 
TimmyBoy said:
I think the greatest military minds came from German Officer leadership during World War II. Heinz Guedarian who pioneered blitzkrieg which is still used in the US Army till this day. Erwin Rommel was an awesome general and was kicking the crap out of the British and Americans even when he was outmanned and outsupplied. Man for man, the German Army in World War II inflicted more casaulties on their enemies and outfought the US Army, the British Army and the Soviet Army, even though they still lost the war. I hold the German World War II army in high regard when it comes to their ability to fight and prosecute a war.

Good points. Eisenhower and Patton are much more well known because they were Americans. But truth be told, they (in general) had overwhelming superiority over the Germans in terms of men and material, and were fighting a Germany that was already pretty much beaten by 1944.

Truly great generals accomplish the unexpected against greater odds. That is one reason Alexander was the Great. He regularly defeated armies more than twice the size of his.

The German general staff accomplished this as well, as you point out -- in France in 1940 they were outnumbered and outgunned, but their tactics defeated the combined allied forces in a shockingly short time. Rommel regularly defeated larger forces. In Russia the Germans faced a larger opponent as well, albiet one that had been purged of leadership. The initially had great victories, but old man winter and a deranged CiC proved to be stronger factors...
 
Iriemon said:
Good points. Eisenhower and Patton are much more well known because they were Americans. But truth be told, they (in general) had overwhelming superiority over the Germans in terms of men and material, and were fighting a Germany that was already pretty much beaten by 1944.

Truly great generals accomplish the unexpected against greater odds. That is one reason Alexander was the Great. He regularly defeated armies more than twice the size of his.

The German general staff accomplished this as well, as you point out -- in France in 1940 they were outnumbered and outgunned, but their tactics defeated the combined allied forces in a shockingly short time. Rommel regularly defeated larger forces. In Russia the Germans faced a larger opponent as well, albiet one that had been purged of leadership. The initially had great victories, but old man winter and a deranged CiC proved to be stronger factors...

True. Russia would be speaking German if it wasn't for mother nature intervening.
 
I maybe biased here with me being in the UK and all but... Wellington! Wellington! Wellington! The ONLY man who beat Napolean head on and defeated all his commanders. The Battle of Vitoria was a piece of pure poetry!
 
Donkey1499 said:
True. Russia would be speaking German if it wasn't for mother nature intervening.

And the British invading Greece to suspend the Nazi invasion of Russia by 2 weeks.
 
Was there a singular figure or general that staged or led the Six Day War? Talk about overcoming phenomenol odds and a brilliant decisive battle (the air strikes and the great desert tank warfare) in a matter of less than a week against an overwhelming coalition of Middle Eastern countries bent on annihilating them off the face of the earth.
 
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