The greatest military commander of all time

[Sphinx777]

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The Holy Roman Empire...​

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Medieval 2 Total War - Holy Roman Empire Win




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[USincognito]

Genghis Khan.

 

[MarkSB]

Wow, there's alot of people with great knowledge of history here.

From my limited studies of history I would have to say that I definitely wouldn't consider Napolean to be one of the best generals of all time. He definitely seemed to have some 'other-worldly' power to conquer, but suffering such major defeats in Northern Africa and Russia - both in which he left his men behind to die.

 

[General Patton]

Hands down General Patton!!! He knew the truth as well and was killed for it!!

 

[TigerKanga]

Commander John Shepard.

 

[CTD]

Threads like these always seem for-entertainment-purposes-only. Nobody has the encyclopedic knowledge coupled with the judgment to make much of a compelling case. In the end, they wind up being educational, for there's always a gotcha! or two, always someone you forgot to consider, and really should have.

My gotcha: Chinese Gordon. Those unfamiliar with his accomplishments would profit little from my summary, but I should still offer some argument. One of the most impressive things about Charles George Gordon was that in all his campaigns he never commanded regular British combat troops. His capacity to understand how to motivate and command regardless of culture, coupled with his success in a wide variety of environments, in my opinion must surely qualify him for consideration. His campaigns required him to be proficient tactically, strategically, and even logistically.

I confess I'm biased. The first account I read of the man was very secularized, and not written by a fan. He was criticized for ''eccentricities'', but when they were listed I thought 'He's not eccentric - he's a Christian!' ...And so it has turned out he is.

In time I may post a bit more. There's been some treatment along the way which I don't think has done justice to candidates. Not sure it's worth it to set everything straight, but I'm tempted in some cases.

 

[Xenocide]

OnTheWay was correct in invoking Scipio Africanus.

It has been attributed to Hannibal, who did meet Scipio after the war, tha when asked who the greatest General was replied Alexander, however if "I had beaten you it would be me." Which is a rather backhanded way of saying Scipio.

After the battle of Cannae Hannibal had the chance to march on Rome when it had no army left. Instead he did nothing. It was then recorded that the commander of the Numidian cavalry demanded to know why he was not going to march on Rome. Later sources attributed the quote to said commander about Hannibal "He knows how to win a battle but not use it."

That comment is substantially correct. At the moment after Cannae Hannibal could have taken Rome if he moved immediately. If one wishes to attribute logistical concerns to his reticence to do so Hannibal's own actions in getting to Italy refute that argument.

Ultimately this suggests that Hannibal was aiming for a limited victory in what was perhaps the first or second case of 'total war' between two city states. Unfortunately for him the Romans would accept nothing less than the abject and total surrender of Carthage.

Hannibal didn't attack Rome and finish the war because the city of Carthage was full of snakes who would execute their own victorious generals.

Also by your logic the duke of wellington should be considered better than napoleon

 

[Xenocide]

Although we are comparing apples to oranges, seeing as how the nature of war has changed over the course of human history, I would have to say Alexander the Great was the greatest military commander. He expanded to create one of the largest empires of all time. The Achaemenid empire was larger, but it was expanded over several generations. They also had more success in the long run, but I wouldn't attribute that to their military capabilities. I would say they were just very efficient at managing the internal workings of the empire.

Genghis Khan created the largest land empire the world has ever seen and he started off with nothing but a tribe, actually he was abandoned by his tribe as a little boy and later went back to get revenge to become it's khan so basically he started off with nothing as opposed to alexander who had the world on a platter

 

[Steve Petersen]

Who do you think was the greatest military commander of all time?

It is difficult to determine who is the greatest because the way in which wars are fought has drastically changed over the last 2,500 years.For example, in the ancient world, the general usually modified his army and hired auxiliaries(sometimes calvary, slingers,archers, etc.) to supplement his army.

However, I though this would be an interesting topic where posters can give their opinion.

So, who do you think was the greatest general?

Alexander.

 

[Xenocide]

the greatest general i would say is cortez he brought an entire continent to its knees with like 300 people

 

[McScribe]

Chris.

Would you care to do us the honour of explaining your choice?

One obstacle that you have to overcome in supporting your argument is explaining that apparent poor handling of men and resources that led to the loss of the Philipines.

Bear in mind that we Australians did not find his willingness to put politics before military matters , not to mention his lack of loyalty to those beneath him and his willingness to waste lives .... particularly enjoyable.

Apologies for playing spoiler in this thread, but military history is a minor interest..... particularly where it affects my own country.

Regards......... Peter

I would say that while MacArthur had some great moments (Inchon comes to mind) that he has a lot of prestige and was probably among the most senior commanders that I question whether he is greatest.

My picks would be:
Napoleon Bonaparte
Philip of Macedon
Alexander the Great
George Patton
Scipio Africanus
Hannibal Barca
Minamoto
Saladin
Stonewall Jackson
Sennacherib
Zhukov
Heinz Guderian