Top 10 Greatest Military Generals of All Time

Was able to conquer an empire larger than the Romans in only 12 years. He was undefeated in battle and was the greatest strategic general. No other person in history is able to beat that

There's a reason why the Persian Empire was the most vast at the time - because they were ruthless and intelligent. This was an empire the likes of which the world had never seen. The Persian Empire stood the tests of time and defeated anyone who dared try to stand against it. Until Alexander the Great. He was undefeated. There wasn't a single force he ever met that he didn't utterly destroy. But what made him the greatest general was not just his ability to win, but his ability to know what to do with a victory. This is where generals like Hannibal flounder. He was always the victor, but not the annihilator. He recognized the importance of the persons he conquered. He didn't strive for assimilation like other generals, in fact quite the opposite. He did spread Greek culture, yes, but he also took with him the cultures of the lands he spent time in. His empire was a beautiful melting pot of races.
The inability of his empire to survive without him says much about him as well. He ...more

He is quite simply the most accomplished general in history. He defeated the greatest empire the world had ever seen, and in doing so conquered the entire known world. His wide spread empire not only amassed the most impressive amount of land, but also the most impressive amount of races. In doing so, he mixed the races in an invulnerable exchange of knowledge and cultural accomplishments, which helped to shape the world as we know it today. He didn't conquer for the sheer glory, but for the new world that he could create because of Greek influence. It's no news that the Greeks have done more for Western civilization than almost anyone, but without Alexander, those contributions wouldn't have been nearly as widespread. He never lost a battle, and it's his brilliance as not only a general, but as a man that made that so. He never asked his men to do anything he didn't also do, and thus gained their unwavering loyalty which was critical in their conquests for years all over the world. ...more

He never lost a battle. He also never met a tactical problem he couldn't solve. He won many different types of battles. He won a difficult siege battle against an island, an open field battle against an opponent that vastly outnumbered him, beat an Indian army with lots of war elephants, beat a horse archer army (Sycthians), won a counterinsurgency campaign (Afghanistan), etc. He had a winning solution to ANY military problem. He is the greatest general of all time.

That said, he had many serious shortcomings. However, none of these shortcomings could lessen the greatness of his generalship.

Genghis Khan ruled the largest contigious empire in the world to date: The Mongol Empire. It pretty much covered almost ALL of Asia and some parts of Eastern Europe. The Mongols pretty much killed anyone who got in their way and nobody could've stopped them. Even the Abbasid Islamic Empire couldn't stop them. Of course they were defeated off by the Mamluks, but remember the only reason they didn't conquer Western Europe was because their king got sick. Otherwise, who knows how the history of the world could've changed considering that Western Europe pretty much took over the entire world.

Master of organization and discipline. Contrary to common misperception, his army was not an unruly mob. They were usually outnumbered. Yet they never lost a battle until 33 years after his death (Goliath's Well, 1260AD). He turned a bunch of nomads into a well organized army. The best light cavalry the world had ever seen.

He understood now best to exploit the superior mobility his force usually enjoyed. Also, showed a flair for psychological warfare.

There are others on this list who have a good case, but Genghis Khan (born Temujin) is my personal favorite.

Started as a son of a tribal lord of a handful of troops father dies has nothing left but his immediate family an a few loyal friends. Captured became a slave. Escaped slowly built up a tribe breaking tribal traditions. Conquered rival an blood brother an eventually all the tribes. Fought in the desert snow forest steppes. Was able to form tribal bands into one of the most formidable empires of all time. Was able to recognize an promote skilled warriors an trust them with major campaigns in far away lands subdued much of Asia demolished the khwarezm empire. Started with a army with no idea of siegecraft but when he was done no city was safe. His empire survived him an died in old age. A ridiculous summary of a truly great general/leader. How is he not in top 5?

The greatest military leader to ever live. Unlike leaders like Alexander the Great and others who inherited the throne, Genghis Khan came from nothing to rule what would become the largest empire in history.

The Mongolian army was at one point invading Japan and Europe at the same time with success, something not to be accomplished before or since. Even after the death of Genghis Khan who was an active participant in battle, his empire continued to thrive under the tactics and strategies he utilized.

Brilliant general. Battle of Cannae was a masterpiece. Once was trapped in a valley at night by a larger Roman force got out by tricking the Romans into thinking he was going to charge them by tying torches to oxen and sending them out the valley towards the Romans. Romans brought all their troops to the place they thought he was about to try break through while he left the valley by a route they had just left open to him as they moved to help their friends. Battle of Lake Trasimene was a amazing piece of deception. While he was the man who almost beat Rome, he was also the one who forged it in to the empire we remember it as in the fires of his war with them. They learnt the tactics that gave them an empire from him.

This genius gained victory after victory against the mighty Roman Empire. As a military general none is equal to this man. He should be on top of the list. He combined various warriors from different races into one superieur and effective army. He made good use of terrain and laid ambushes. He studies his adversaries and thus knew his enemies before engaging them. Above everything else his tactics made him win battles. This guy is the Einstein of military warfare. If Sun Tzu was the writer of the War Bible then Hannibal Barca is Jesus Christ. He was capable of annihilating entire armies. If the system in Carthage was comprised similar to the Roman Empire then nothing would be able to stop Hannibal Barca. The only thing that stopped Hannibal was the lack of support he had from Carthage. One has just to look into one of his battles and everyone will agree that he should be on top of this list.

Hannibal Barka will forever be remembered as the man who brought Rome to its knees. Such a feat has seldom been repeated, and many of my friends would never have even heard of Carthage were it not for him. Every battle he fought, the Romans had every advantage, numbers, terrain, you name it, the Romans had it. But the one thing they didn't have was Hannibal. He was, defeated, it's true. But as I said, Rome still had every advantage. The general who beat him did not beat him purely out of military skill the way Hannibal did.

The greatest general in the history of the world, and here is why. If you were to talk about greatest field commander, there could be argument that Erwin Rommel or someone else was better. If you were to talk about the greatest strategist, there is argument that Napoleon or others were better. But when you consider a general as a whole, Hannibal takes the cake. Surprising the Romans by marching across the Pyrenees and Alps (a feat thought to be impossible for an army) Hannibal fought in enemy lands with less men, no supplies, worse equipment, and most importantly absolutely no backing by his home nation Carthage. Had Carthage stepped up to even one of his requests for reinforcements the Carthaginian Empire would be talked about as the great Empire of Antiquity. His encirclement tactic at Cannae is still studied today, and his ability to effectively lead an army of many different nations was unimaginable. Hannibal Barca's the best.

Few commanders have ever enjoyed the loyalty in which Caesar's legions had for him. Even fewer have won as many pitched battles as he. With odds usually stacked against him, Caesar utilized brilliant tactics and discipline to overcome all odds. Fighting battles in most corners of the known world, he conquered all of Gaul and then even Rome itself. Aggression, preparedness, ingenuity and courage, his legacy has been carried through the ages making him a household name even still to this day, and his battle tactics studied by most military minds ever since. In my opinion, no military commander since has displayed such a well roundness mixed with as high of success rate.

Very few generals can boast having one so many pitched battles at such damning odds. He was a brilliant tactician, able to make effective use of his troops to achieve various and often unorthodox tactical advantages. To add to this, he was able to wage and win a civil war against a powerful general with an army of equal discipline and greater numbers AND the weight of legitimacy against him. He could not have done just anything to win the civil war. The politics of civil war in Rome were extremely tricky, and only a brilliant man could win a war while acting within the socio-political constraints of Rome to preserve his popularity and establish his supremacy.

Most others like to mention Alexander "the Great" as the greatest general. Granted, he did some spectacular things, that should be remembered. However, we should not remember generals purely for the spectacular aspects of their leadership. Regardless, if we did, Caesar would still be near the top of the list, considering ...more

While Alexander was struggling to manage his empire as it crumbled, Julius Caesar was creating an empire to last for the centuries. While Alexander the Great couldn't even defeat Porus of India, Julius Caesar was able to conquer lands such as but not limited to Gaul to expand the Roman empire. Julius Caesar won the Roman Civil War despite the odds being stacked against him. Unlike Alexander the Great, he an excellent planner and strategist.

Simply put:

Caesar > Alexander

He is the greatest general being the first general to use what is thought as steel gladiolus, his Calvary extraordinaire were deadly and he used scorpion bows that were in turn deadly if the enemy were on a charge. his army had a great disciplined in combat and sendemly retreated. he would make conversation with his soldiers and gave them hope even at damning odds. It is said his army never fought for rome but for caesar alone. Now that was loyalty and the strengths of such a general

First of all at least spell his first name right... He was a godlike figure whose amazing charisma and military genius brought him victory after victory on the European continent, and in Egypt. He was the Alexander the Great of his time, the modern Caesar, and none could stand against him. His great flaw that ultimately led to his defeat was his belief in his own invincibility, that grew out of previous military victories that he had won.

Napoleon has certainly done much more good for the world than bad. Many people label him a tyrant and military dictator, and in some ways he was. However he was the embodiment of the French Revolution. He was building an empire, but at the same time he was spreading the ideals of liberty, equality, and brotherhood, bred out of the French Revolution. He freed enslaved peoples in Croatia and Poland (so much that his name is mentioned in the Polish national anthem) and wrote a law code that remains with France to this day, and is the base for ...more

This man was simply the greatest of all time, hands down. He was constantly outnumbered in his battles and many he still demolished his foe in (like the Battle of Austerlitz). He fought in 60 total battles, and only lost eight of them. Only eight. And he only lost 2 Decisive battles. Although he may not have conquered the most land ever or built the strongest empire ever, he was 100% the best on the military. Many generals may have one or even 2 miracles where they defeat their foe while they were outnumber (if they were lucky). Napoleon did it as constantly as picking a piece of hay out of a hay stack with only one needle. Over and over he did it. It got to the point where he was so confident that he purposely make himself outnumbered in invading a major city... and still win. Leipzig and Waterloo were miracles for the Sixth and Seventh Coalition. Hell, he won five wars... in a row against a bunch of nations banded together. There is no doubting that he is the best general that has ...more

I'm surprised Arthur Wellesley isn't on this list. While I do believe that there are a few Generals in history (Wellesley being one) who could defeat Napoleon given many tries and the right conditions, I cannot think that there is even one out there who could stand against his sheer might. He brought every King in Europe to their knees, they were all just "babies in the fists of a giant." People say he was a tyrant, but he fought against the idea of a King, and this scared European rulers, for France was the first modern European republic and they had to kill him for his ideals. In all the ages, there isn't likely to be a man who will be able to stand toe to toe with Napoleon and beat him consistently.

Napoleon's remarkable personality was one key to his influence. Above all he inspired his men, for he inspired confidence from privates to field marshals. His opponents learned from Napoleon's innovations. Napoleon was responsible for spreading the values of the French Revolution to other countries, especially in legal reform and the abolition of serfdom. Napoleon was imprisoned Saint Helena in exile by the British, a tropical island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean and One of the most isolated islands in the world.

If the Mongolian Empire had the strongest army in the world during that period of time, then the one that defeated that army three times must be even more fearful. Therefore, 1 vote for Tran Hung Dao.

Under his command, Dai Viet (currently Vietnam) armies defeated 2 major Mongolian Invasions in 1285 and 1287. His victories over the mighty Mongol Yuan Dynasty under Kublai Khan are considerably the greatest military feats in world history with strategies of protracted people's war.

The greatest general ever. One of the famous hero I Vietnamese history

In reality, Tran Hung Dao's army was not at all a strong army compared to the Mongolian Empire's, but instead very thin and would not last in a head-to-head fight. He employed a unique tactic which was trapping the Mongolian army in the empty citadel of Thang Long, which the imperial court and citizenry had evacuated from beforehand (the Mongolian army believed that the imperial court is still in the citadel). Consequently, they were trapped in the city until their rations were drained (when the citizenry evacuated, they also tok their resources, including food and water); this is when Tran Hung Dao's army struck the weakened enemy. This strategy was repeated 3 times.

Lee is overrated, and certainly isn't in the same class as the greatest of world history. Gettysburg was winnable, and likely the war with it due to the spectre of the peace democrats looming over the 1864 election. But due to mistakes by Lee and by his subordinates like Ewell and Hill, whose blunders he is as much responsible for as their triumphs, he was outmaneuvered by George Meade and lost both the battle and war decisively- the only war in which he was ever a major player.

Moreover, Lee's level and frequency of success declined markedly and immediately upon the death of Stonewall Jackson. While there were obviously other factors in play, I believe it's reasonable to give Jackson a healthy share of the credit for Lee's early success, or alternatively to fault Lee for his inability to coach up lesser officers to execute adequately to maintain that success.

Lee was a decent defensive general, but poor when on offense. His offensive campaigns basically destroyed the Army of Northern Virginia by bleeding it to death.

How many enemy armies did he destroy? His famous victories are very overrated. Shortly after Chancellorsville the army he defeated was stopping him at Gettysburg with heavy losses.

His great strength was not defeating the Union armies he faced, but in defeating the enemy commander, causing them to retreat after taking a stinging but, non-decisive blow. All the Union armies he defeated were capable of fighting again, very soon after their defeats.

When Lee faced a general he could not intimidate (Grant) he was forced to fight a skillful but ultimately losing campaign. In that campaign he inflicted defeats comparable to his earlier ones, the difference was that the opposing general was not intimidated. Once that happened his army was doomed, since he was never able to inflict a decisive defeat tat destroyed ...more

One fact that is often forgotten about Lee is that he was not the commander of the confederate forces in the Civil War. He commanded one army, and with that single army conducted the total defense of the CSA. He was not allowed any command over the total war strategy used by his country, and had no control over resources, troop movements, and logistics that go into winning a war. The fact that his country mismanaged resources, did not collaborate in a cohesive defense, and offered not means of production for a prolonged war, illustrates how important and effective Lee's tactics really were. While the union were able to focus their whole war strategy in concert against the south, Lee became the south as he won victory after victory against larger, better equipped, better trained, and better fed troops. No other commander on this list had to fight with such handicaps, and no other commander would have seen Lee's success if they had to. It's easy to say that since the confederacy lost, ...more

Lee was undermanned and without resources to replenish needed arms and ammunition, as well as soldiers, in the field. However, his strategy and courage helped the south win amazing victories.

Gettysburg should have been an astounding win for the south however, Ewell who had been injured earlier in the war, lost his nerve and retreated back into the town after his troops had run the North off the highground. Had he stayed put, things would have becoming mighty interesting.

Lee is definitely one of the great generals of all time. Even fighting for a cause that he didn't believe in. He did honor home, and family.

Nguyen Hue or King Quang Trung was very talented in war strategies and tactics. He moved fifty thousands soldiers from Hue to Ha Noi (more than 600km apart) on foot in 3 days in the year of late 1780. He defeated Chinese Tang's army with 200,000 soldiers in one day. He defeated Thai's invasive army of fifty thousands soldiers also in few hours in another occasion. He defeated French's navy without a warship. He never lost one battle in his whole life.

Dai De Nguyen Hue Quang Trung is unbeatable because he did the impossible many times. He defeated 30 Qing armies, 20 Siamese armies, a French navy, and some others. The cool thing is that he had to fight with multiple overwhelming odds and his enemies had the advantages. And even better is he did all of this in 4 years. He was about to go and make Vietnam a huge empire by conquering China and other kingdoms. Sadly he died before he could do so but if he had lived for 10 more years, half of Asia would be under his control and Vietnam would be a world superpower fighting against powerful countries such as Russia, Britain, and America.

Nguyen Hue (1752-1792), also known as Emperor Quang Trung is a military genius. He was known for breaking the 30 armies of China's Manchu (in 1789) and 20 Siamese armies (in 1785).
The people of Vietnam are respected him! Forever...

Quang Trung? He just need a couple of days to destroy a whole army of Tang's Empire. Probably one of the fastest resistance war in Vietnam. Moreover, his strategy skill is exceptional, no loss to any enemies. When asked, Vietnamese will say their greatest regret is that Quang Trung would live longer to transform our beloved Vietnam - But you can easily say things with "if".

I agree George Washington was a great leader however, he was not one of the greatest 100 generals even. General Washington had extreme luck in every series of events that happened throughout the Revolutionary War. Back to even his British military career he was just about average. Same as in the Revolutionary War he never did anything great just good enough to accomplish what needed to be accomplished. He did benefit from being an inspiring leader and that is a list he would be in the top ten he did have the ability to inspire men to follow him this showed in all of the parts of his life.

Underrated as both a General and as President. Name a military leader other than Washington that defeats the greatest Army in the world, and then leads the new country "without force"
Washington was able to do what Julius Caesar did, except Caesar did it with the worlds greatest army and by force. An amazing leader, win/lose/draw, he wins in the end in all areas! Proclaimed an average Military man by many, there was nothing "Average" about Washington..."BY GEORGE" (who else had their name used in place of GOD by the people he led? )

George Washington was one of the greatest generals of all time definitely higher up on this list but at least its #9. Still, after the American Revolutionary War, when George Washington was going to retire, the king of England heard this and said, "If he does this, he will be the greatest man ever." I think that would be a bit amazing if the leader of the opposing army said that about me, I would be feeling pretty good about myself.

He lost plenty of battles, I mean he lost the city of New York to the British and was never able to recover it until after the war. It was only through sheer luck he caught the Hessian's sleeping at Trenton and gained the momentum he needed to win the war. The only reason he won is because of a few decisive battles and because the troops absolutely loved him. He was a great general but really given too much credit.

Out of his time, a highly sophisticated general, who in his high manners, ethics and moral in combat, reflected the true image of Jesus, Mohammad and the holy land! Even though the night templers used all the dirty tactics against him, sacked innocent women, babies etc. Drank the blood of their victims, rapped women and burnt holy shrines, he refused to act like them and instead respected and protected everyone including his enemies. Christians as well as Muslims fought under his leadership to free the holy land. He won the hearts of everyone, that even was praised by Richard the lion heart!

Saladin was both an excellent general and an excellent human. His wars were fought without the bloodthirstiness that many of the generals on the list had. Unlike many others he showed mercy, something that truly separates him from most. He should be ahead of many on this list (especially Lee and Hue - as it is impossible to travel 600km on foot in three days, and accepting the erroneous numbers provided for his enemies - was it 1.4 million , 600,000 or as modern estimates state more like 112,000？） With Saladin, as with Alexander the war was a means to an end, something that is understated with both men. He belongs in the top 5.

He should be placed in top five. He had some attributes that cannot be found in other generals of his time. He showed respect to his opponents and unlike the crusaders, recaptured Jerusalem without bloodshed. He showed how to win over the enemies if you cannot defeat them.

Gained Jerusalem, defending it all his life until his death bed against the knight's templar and the entire crusade army, you can't deny his military prowess. He defeated Richard the Lionheart! One of the best generals in Islamic history.

He is one of the most prominent general of all time! Without him, Vietnam couldn't defeat French Colonial and America!

I come from Vietnam, I love my country and I love the World where we are living! Protect it - Make love not War!

Oh yes, the general who haven't ever been defeated. Even he defeated two capitalist empire - France and America.

For me, greatness does not mean bringing army to conquer the whole world as well as war, blood and tears to mankind. Greatness is to lead a small nation to stand up to protect itself, to protect the good, to protect the righteous values with the most human-saving strategies. Vietnam's victories over the invaders of the US, France and China are not only for the people of Vietnam but they are also great encouragement for the slavery nations to regain independence and government for themselves. I love Vietnam, President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap!

Sorry, can't agree with this selection. Great generals defeated foes who outnumbered them, or by employing amazing tactics. Germany was at the verge of defeat at the hands of the Russians even before D-Day. So the western Allies attacked France when much of Germany's armed forces were busy in the East. Patton therefore wasn't taking on a superior foe, but a half defeated and depleted enemy. In France the Allies had complete air superiority and harassed German ground forces incessantly. Patton had little Luftwaffe opposition. And for the most part, he was well supplied, unlike the Germans. Of course he accomplished many things and helped defeat the Nazis. But he doesn't belong on a list with Alexander the Great and Hannibal. Of course, we'll never know if he could have defeated Germany's best troops if they were well supplied, only had to do battle on one front, and had a strong Luftwaffe to support them.

Offensive in planning, attacking, and commitment. Even his logistical methods were far advanced than those he fought with or against. Decision in the heat of battle was something given to only those to whom it was in all human interest to succeed. A vision of the battlefield gained from the vision of the past. Patton used that vision to defeat his enemy. His lust for achieving glory was his only defeating quality. He fought Rommel on even tactics and won at every turn. Hitler was not affraid of Patton but his generals were. He was certain to reach Berlin if not for Allied political positions that held up the war and increased loss of life. Patton for the age and the moment in the world at war was the best leader and the best combat soldier to win.

During the War in Africa, which ironically ended today on May 11, 1943 with the signing of the Axis surrender to the allies, was because of Patton's bold moves. Before World War II, he was involved in the tank design for the Americans towards the end of World War I. He was the reason why we had the tank division of World War II. Granted, he slapped soldiers with PTSD, (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), but he was important in defeating the Desert Fox. His use of artillery to batter the Germans was the reason for taking Africa, and he was the cause for the Axis losing so much of their supplies. This has caused many to call Patton's victories "inferior," but in actuality, it was he who caused that shortage in the first place. He also helped quench the Germans in Sicily, by making an extremely bold attack, by coming through the shore, and beating the British General Montgomery to Sicily. He then helped strike quickly and at irregular times, to help prevent the ability for the Germans to ...more

War is meant to be fought by warriors, not timid politically correct paper pushers like Eisenhower and Bradley. Patton was correct about the Nazi/democratic party analogy as well as the looming Russian threat. Eisenhower compromised the end of the war by constantly appeasing the british, trying without success to hold him back in Sicily, halting Pattons army when he could have pushed straight thru to Berlin and promoting Bradley over Patton. Patton was constantly held in check even though his strategies were far better than anything Ike and Bradley could pull off. Eisenhower was a politician who never experienced combat and Bradley was never respected by the troops like Patton. My grandfather was part of Pattons third army and had nothing but respect for him. Also the troops loved the profane speeches where as Bradley was kind of an unknown element. That "GI General" nickname Bradley was given is nonsense and was pure baloney created by Ernie Pyle.

In 1121, he led his army of 55,000 men and won against Seljuks. Their army composed of 600,000 soldiers. The battle of Didgori is often regarded as battle of "miraculous victory". Before the battle, David ordered his troops to block their way back addressing soldiers that they would either win or die there. Over 70 percent of Seljuks were killed and rest were taken in prisoners.

He was very young when was crowned. He inherited not only political and economical problems, but disastrous results from earthquakes of previous years. But in several years he managed to gain victory on Seljuks, who were hazardous for Europe and thus he saved not only his own country, but Europe too.
His name was widely spread in contemporary world and in Europe he was compared to St. Peter. He was savior also of Armenia and Shirvan (territory of modern Azrebaijan). These countries were quite week by that time, they asked the king David the Builder, to take them under his protection. By the way, the king was the only, who managed to free Ani, former capital of Armenia, and give it back to Armenians. So, his strategic point of view was covering quite a wide territories and what's main - he was not an Emperor, but maintained national state structure in each country, who went under his protection.
He managed to begin the Golden Age of Georgia, which lasted almost 2 centuries. ...more

One of the greatest Military General world have ever seen... King who rebuilt from ruins his country and made it strongest in East Europe... He deserves being FIRST!

Due to the time frame of DAVID his tactics and strategy can only be compared to the bravery and superiority of the spartans who sacrificed themselves to protect Greece. Though he was out numbered greatly his leadership against extreme odds has proved that he was a superior general. The proof of his success not only against the seljuks but his "miraculous victory" also led to the protection of other countries. Because of his wisdom and guidance in each country he protected led to the Golden Age of Georgia. Because of this he was given the name of Saint King David the Builder! For these reasons he deserves being first General of all history.

This man took the worst of situations and made the very best of them. Prussia had a strong military and that was about it. It had divided territory, a weak economy, a small population, and had a small land area compared to powers such as France and Russia. He proved to the world that Prussia was a force to be reckoned with and could easily contend with the larger European powers of the time.

Fredrick The Great has to fight off four massive powers: Russia, France, Sweden and Austria. His army was extremely small compared to his enemies but he proved that a smaller army could defeat a much larger force.

He pioneered what he called 'The Oblique Attack', was studied and admired by Napoleon, and was able to defend Prussia against three European Empires allied against him with limited resources at his disposal.

When Napoleon entered Berlin on 27 October 1806, he visited the tomb of Frederick the Great and instructed his marshals to remove their hats there, saying, "If he were alive we wouldn't be here today".

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking. His works focus much more on alternatives to battle, such as stratagem, delay, the use of spies and alternatives to war itself, the making and keeping of alliances, the uses of deceit and a willingness to submit, at least temporarily, to more powerful foes.

Sun Tzu is mistaken as great tactician from his book. Many people misunderstand unfortunately. He was a great strategic minds, a genius to be honest. Tactics win battles. Strategy wins wars, simple as that. Even in his book, most of his teachings improve strategic leadership instead of tactics. The book is not completely depleted of tactical prowess but is lacking. I, however, think he meant to make it a book about leadership(strategy) and not tactics. He was the leader of a unified army, not the general of a battle force like Rommel, Khalid Ibn El Walid, and many others.

Defined what it meant to be a general, and taught the greatest how to be great. This man wrote the literal War Bible, of which also every great wartime leader after his time read. The "Art of War" was read all across the world, and influenced many great (and slightly bad) men to create true strength behind their armies, and lead forward with pride. He was such a fine general, that he has transgressed to a sort of myth, as while his book exist, it is unknown whether he truly existed. That, is to be a legend.

Sun Tzu at number 18? What!? Aight, let's break it down. Sun Tzu is literally a model for modern strategy and even business. His legendary "Codex" I must say (The Art of War) reached the furthest corners of the globe, influencing the strategy of generals, and leading many to victories at incredible odds. Example:Vietnam War. He shaped history forever, and simply deserves a higher place on this list. I'm sorry for my brevity and lack of description and reasoning. But such a man deserves at least top 3.

Manstein was easily the best general during World War II. "What about Eisenhower?" You say, just look at how unorganized and a wreck D-Day was. Manstein, on the other hand, is the reason Germany conquered France and held out as long as they did on the Eastern front. The reason why he failed is that Hitler didn't give him enough authority as he should've been given. He is very brave too, as he regularly spoke out when Hitler suggested a stupid idea, something that most couldn't. This political aspect also made him a very influential person during WWII.

Awesome guy, he literally could have had Germany win WWII if not for Hitler (which I don't even know why he's on the list, people like Von Moltke deserve to be here more than him). He wasn't an idiot like other German staff, knew tanks and airplanes were the future, and was basically Rommel's counterpart in the East, and that was where people like Rommel were most needed. Although I agree this guy should be top 10, I still argue for Von Moltke te Elder to be on the list. He was 40 years ahead of his generation, established the first General Staff, understood tanks and logistics, and steamrolled the Austrians and the French even with inferior equipment. He 'accidently' only sent about 30,000 troops to deal with a 130,000 French army, and they STILL managed to win a crushing victory.

A pure military genius, he could have won the Second World War for the Nazi Germany had he been given the freedom of actions that he asked Hitler so many times. His idea for an attack trough Ardennes has led to an almost complete victory over France and her allies in 1940. In East he starting distinguishing himself by conquering the most fortified port in the world at that time (Sevastopol) in a bloody fight. Then he saved the Southern part of the German Eastern front by conducting a masterful retreat in the winter of 1942-43, only for stopping the Soviet offensive in whan it is called the Third Battle of Kharkov. His defeat at Kursk was mostly caused by the inability of Army Group Center to put enough pressure on the Northern part of the Soviet bulge, although he was nearly to achieve a breakthrough into the enemy's rear, being stopped by the stiff Soviet resistance and Hitler's decision to halt the operation "Citadel". In 1943-44 he showed good skills by inflicting huge Soviet ...more

Probably the greatest strategic genius in WWII. He was able to fight many successful defensive battles against a massively superior enemy. If Hitler had allowed him freedom of action on the Eastern front, we may have had an entirely different outcome, At the very least it would have taken the Soviets far longer to push into Germany.
Compared to him Zhukov was a joke, who only ever won a battle by outnumbering the Germans 10-1.

The greatest American general in history, and one of the greatest generals in human history. He should be ranked higher. He was both a strategic and tactical genius, as well as a logistical genius, resulting in an undefeated record (even Cold Harbor was not a true defeat), across multiple theaters while simultaneously directing five armies across a continent by the end of the Civil War. He won the lower mid-west in a string of victories, then the Mississippi River (Vicksburg, etc), and then whipped Lee in less than eight weeks to force a siege and ultimate victory. His reputation was sullied by a persistent defamation campaign by Southern enthusiasts, but the facts speak show otherwise. US Grant was lionized in his time as one of the greatest generals and that rightful reputation is gradually being restored.

Three enemy armies destroyed. Victories when having a larger army, victories when outnumbered. Immediately took the initiative away from Lee and forced Lee to react to him until Lee surrendered. Unlike Lee his victories were decisive. Unlike Lee he nurtured a brilliant group of subordinates and replaced incompetents. Unlike Lee he coordinated armies on all fronts, not just his own. America's best general.

A somewhat unexpected great general given some of his traits, but he proved his valor on the battlefield. He was an honorable man with respect for his enemies. Until Grant came along, the Union was struggling greatly to suppress the traitorous CSA.

Perhaps one of the most underrated generals in American history. He was brilliant in seeing the large goals of the campaign. Although he may not have inflicted casualties in the Overland and Petersburg campaigns. His victories always served a great strategic purpose. He destroyed 3 armies, fostered great leadership under him, and in many ways won the war for the union.

A strong leader and powerful on the battlefield. As King he brought order to Israel and expanded its territory, defeating many long-time enemies. He wasn't the perfect leader, but he was a good one nonetheless.

As a boy, David killed a lion with his bare hands.

David then killed a bear. His first battle was fought against the Philistines, in which he saved the Israelite army from certain doom after slaying a fully armed 9'9ft warrior with just a slingshot. He also conducted a campaign against the Philistines in which he killed thousands. David then successfully invaded the lands of Geshurites, Gezrites, and the Amalekites. The Amalekites retaliate by capturing his wives and many more people which prompts King David to defeat them in a hostage rescue. Later on in his career, David takes the city of Jebus and renames it Jerusalem. Soon after David is crowned King of Israel, the Philistines attack; though they are unsuccessful. Israel then faces the Philistines and their allies - the Moabites, Zobah, Syria, and Edom. Not only are they defeated, but David conquers all of their lands and enslaves their people. Another War erupts when the Ammonites torture Israelite messengers after ...more

King David the great grand father of the Arab Jews, Jordan and Palestine, not Ashkenazi Russian Jews, had the greatest kingdom that ever existed. God gave him rule over all beings, including Humans, Animals, Plants, the Wind and Demons.

He was a ancestor to Messiah (Jesus Christ) and he foresaw and wrote prophetic about the messiah in the psalms (in Bible) as God's millennial king who will bring peace and prosperity to the world!

Could stand up to Stalin, a merciless paranoid dictator, and walk away alive on every occasion, commanded the defences of Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad (the most important battle in modern history) and drove the Germans all the way back to Berlin to see them sign an unconditional surrender to the Soviet Union and the Allies.

A general beloved by the Soviets, respected and even admired by the West, he is the greatest general of modern history and quite possibly the reason the USSR won the Eastern Front, and with it, the Second World War as a whole.

Thanks to Him, Patton, Eisenhower, MacArthur, Montgomery, Rokossovsky, Konev, Marshall, Nimitz, Vassilevsky, Govorov and Alexander. Great leaders like Roosevelt, Papa Stalin, Churchill and Chairman Mao and Kai shek cound lead their countries to defeat two of the worst Empires in history and prevented Countries like America, England, Australia, India and the rest of the Soviet Union to be invaded and annexed by The Japanese and The Germans during the war. God Bless them all they will never be Forgotten.

Without him this list would be in German
In all seriousness he inherited an army of peasants and obsolete tanks and never lost a battle with them (Rzhev was a stalemate that resulted in German retreat) against the best army in the world at the time.
In the process he turned the Red Army into the largest and best army in history with shock troopers, guardsmen and snipers which were arguably the best troops of the war at the end.

Stalin's very own Rommel, his strategies proved useful in taking out Hitler's panzer and ground forces. He was even a friend of eisenhower and if the cold war never happened, they would've been good friends

also why wasn't he thought of as a candidate for Premier

Attila the Scourge of God, the ruler of the Hunnic Empire, (434-453) which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared enemies of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. He crossed the Danube twice and plundered the Balkans, invaded the Eastern Roman Empire, attempted to conquer Roman Gaul (modern France), invaded Italy, devastating the northern provinces, but was unable to take Rome. He planned for further campaigns against the Romans but died in 453.

Ponder this. Rome fell due to multiple large Germanic tribes conquering their territory, including Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and Anglo-Saxons. It takes pretty hardcore people to do that. But why would they try? Because Atilla used his might to kick their butts. Long story short, he is better than the people who conquered the greatest empire of all time.

Brought the Roman empire to it's knees. It took the full force of the Romans, the Visigoths, and the Alans to fight the Huns and DRAW. Not defeat him, they pulled a stalemate. 3 armies against him and they weren't victorious and yet people put this guy below George S Paton?

At a time ruled by what some say was the greatest empire ever, Attila was the man who put fear into everyone. Can this be said about anyone else? No, why is he not top 3...

I don't know why Cyrus isn't the first. Alexander didn't compare his empire crumbled rapidly. Cyrus united people from tribes and empires across the known globe and managed him well. He is the only non-Jew to be considered a messiah in Jewish scripture. Created the very first declaration on human rights. He handled everything with great diplomacy and spread order across the world. And when the diplomacy didn't work, he managed to destroy and consume everything in his path. He dethroned the world, and still respected the people that he conquered. Even the fearsome Spartans were afraid of him.

He conquered Medes, Babylon, Lydia, Chaldean, Croesus and many greek nation states of his time. The empire he founded was truly the biggest of its time and many nations accepted him as their sovereign without a single shed of blood. What makes him great is not how many cities, nations, empires he defeated but how he governed them. His subjects were free to govern themselves, pray to their own god and have their own beliefs. The empire was stable, safe and economy and wealth flourished for everyone of his subjects. He was the first emancipator and truly the fist great general-king. If only other generals/kings followed his lead.

This is basically THE GUY who single handedly formed the first empire the world had seen, and the largest to date. At the peak of his power as the undisputed king of the Persian empire, he ruled over 4/5th of the known world in his thirties! He created the first human rights laws, was amazing at not only war but governing and economics, freed slaves and jews, protected people under the rule of law, pioneered city and country landscaping and building... become the obsessions and in some ways the idol of alexander the great before he was alexander the great... To this day his influence is seen in countries other than iran.. so many countries have zerostians and many more speak a form of farsi dialect or another. Yet he's not glorified in movies and hollywood like everyone else... he should be NUMBER 1 on this list. he was the first super military leader the world had every seen.

The first to be titled "the Great". He also completely destroyed 3 empires against all odds. The Spartans themselves threatened Cyrus that if he were to touch any Greek city state that he would be attacked, after one of Cyrus's satraps conquered some more Greek territory, the Spartans did nothing.

He took on the mantle of Moses and led the Hebrews to victory. He stayed loyal to his God and to his principles which allowed him to masterfully and brilliantly conquer the land of Canaan, establishing the land of Israel.

Great as it can be, men's strength comes from this world. Joshua's strength comes from domain above. For anyone fancy the real power, this man is whom you should look into.

Although he was awesome, Joshua won because God was with him. Example: the walls of Jericho. So, I suppose that this is more of a vote for God.

He was courageous as a young man and like David trusted God and God fought for him.