The greatest fighting force of all time?

Question

What do you think was the greatest fighting force of all time? Why?

I want an answer that is an actual group, not just something like "samurai" or "ninjas" or "knights." I want something like "The 47 Ronin" or "The 300 Spartans" or "Delta Force."

Also, NO FICTIONAL GROUPS.

Answer 1

Waffen SS. Before you call me names, consider this:

Some divisions lost over 90% of their strength in seminal battles on the eastern front, like the Demjansk pocket or before Moscow, yet still held the line.

I don't know of any other force doing this. To sum it up, they never surrendered (no matter the odds) and rarely retreated (only case I know of was in 1945, facing a manpower ratio of 1:25).

Finally, their exploits are well documented (as opposed to some ancient formations that might be partially legend) and they had ample opportunity to prove themselves in that titanic struggle that was WW 2 (as opposed to some ultra-special forces that engage once in a blue moon).

Answer 2

Coming from a Marine Wife, I do think this generation is the greatest, because even though most of them don't agree with the war, they still are over their fighting for this country's freedom. I almost said no, WWII was the greatest, but that war was fueled with propaganda that made them wanna fight, although I will say there was some fierce fighting in WWII.

Answer 3

I was gonna say those guys in Gundam, but since you said no fictional groups, I would have to go with the Spartans.

Those guys were incredible, imagine 300 hundred people holding off an army of one million and lost only because of a betrayal! They were great because essentially they were just disciplines fighting machines. And they lived in a culture that encouraged it.

These days, for all the advance technoligies and training of our modern armies, our society has grown yellow when it comes to war that even just one or two casualties will make some people call for a retreat. This may be a good thing showing we are more sensitive to the pains of war. But its one of those things that make modern armies weaker by comparison.

In contrast, Spartan wives told their husbands to come back victorious or never come back at all!

Answer 4

I would say that the men who held off the Mexicans at the Alamo did a pretty fair job holding up the whole Mexican army for a week or so with only about 100 men against at least several 1000 this time they gave to Sam Houston helped him organize his army so they could defeat the Mexicans , and by the way a lot of Mexicans fought for the Americans at the Alamo and died there ,

Answer 5

not counting technolegy ,would be the Spartens ,or the early Persians ,they were armies not groups ,that were born to be soldiers and lived only for that

and the question is limited to what we know or is recorded.
A Greek champion Athleet for example was physically far superior to todays champions .
they unearthed a greek champion from his tomb and the bone structure and muscles with computor simulation proved that .
there is a good series called the greatest warriors ,it covers a lot ,including ,Ninjas,Romans ,Greek ,Vikings etc.
the toughest guys were the forces of Persia
i Babylonian times

Answer 6

The so-called classic divisions of the Waffen SS, the armoured divisions that humiliated the 4th largest army in the world in 1991 including the Republican Guard and their T-72s, the Red Army under Zuchov during their advances in 1944 and 45, Ghengiz Khans horde that brought an empire larger than Alexanders, Hitlers and the Romans combined....hmmmm

I pick the classic Waffen SS divisions.

Answer 7

Any of the United States SpecOps groups: DEVGRU, Delta Force, SEAL, Green Berets, Rangers, Scout Snipers etc.

These are highly trained, highly courageous individuals who do the unthinkable. Where it would take hundreds of men to carry out a mission these groups can do it with less than a dozen. There are rescue missions, training missions, assassinations and other operations that were executed flawlessly that you won't hear about until years after they happen. That is... if they're ever declassified.

Answer 8

The Army of Northern Virginia

Answer 9

Modern army wise the British army considered the best despite there poor equipment and lack of funding.

otherwise threw out history: the Romans, Mongolians, in ww2 The British, Germans and poles (they achieved a lot despite losing there own country) and the Finnish in the winter war of 1939.

No offence to you Americans but your army hasn't achieved a lot you may have lots of technology but you lost Vietnam, your unable to win in Afghanistan your losing Iraq...

Answer 10

The Prussian Hussars, now comprising a branch throughout the entire British Commonwealth.

Sources: http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/cav/D10KRH.htm