the most talented general in human history?

Question

History of menkind has been the history of warfare...and it will always be, I believe...anyway, my personal choice would be Genghis Khan. This guy built an empire twice bigger than modern China + the states!

Answer 1

While I agree that Genghis Kahn was mighty, I would choose Napoleon Bonaparte. Though his reign as Emperor of France was short by any standard, he was a brilliant general.
The Italian Campaign and the Egyptian Expedition were resounding successes....His remarkable series of military triumphs were a result of his ability to apply his encyclopedic knowledge of conventional military thought to real-world situations, as demonstrated by his creative use of artillery tactics, using it as a mobile force to support his infantry. He said of himself..."I have fought sixty battles and I have learned nothing which I did not know at the beginning."

Answer 2

I am confused by this question - because conquerors are being confused with their generals / strategists.

Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great etc were all great conquerors, but a King is only as great as his generals and strategists. Alexander was lucky that he inherited his father's best generals and strategists - Alexander provided the drive and the ambition. Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great did leave a long lasting legacy.

Where Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar were already great generals / strategists before they became conquerors in their own right. But both Bonaparte and Caesar went beyond what their respective countries were capable of defending. Bonapartes expansion into Russia and Caesar's into North Germany would both become undone - because their nation could not simply defend the territories.

But I dont think that a great general is made by how much they conquer / or the waste in human lives that they cost - a war of attrition. Its realising the futility of a situation and avoiding those loses.

Personally, id give the vote to Confederate General James Longstreet. A general who could see a situation and realise the futility behind making an attack - being able to analyse that even a victory could mean a defeat.

A good general realises that his troops are real men with real families, not to be wasted on a very costly battle that acheives very little. A victorious general might get fame and triumphs and honours - but what happens when the nation simply runs out of soldiers?

Answer 3

The new warefare is corporate. Colonel Sanders built an empire that spans almost every single continent without ever firing a shot. Same can be said about Roy Kroc or Dave Thomas, they never had to put a gun to anyones head to make them swallow their product. Doesn't matter where I am: Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany; when I step into a McDonalds,KFC,Wendy's or Krispy Kreme for that matter I can't help but to think I am stepping into a piece of land conquered by the United States. The thing is that this corporate warfare doesn't just stop at fast food or soft drinks. Good warfare I believe is stepping into a foreign country and being completely welcomed with open arms almost like when Hitler rolled his army into Austria (though I am not saying Hitler was a great millitary tactician, he was a fool i.e, attacking Russia in the winter).

Answer 4

Three way tie. King Leonidas, the Spartan king in the Battle of Thermopylae (he took 300 Spartans against 2 million Persians and killed around 1/5 of the Persians). Alexander the Great. Took on armies five times his size. Genghis Khan. Largest continuous land empire in history. Give the horse herders some credit.

Answer 5

This question inherently has a difficulty in being answered simply due to the fact that a truly good general or strategist in general would be the one who won the most wars without ever having to fight.

That being said, one of the best to come to mind would be Sun Tzu for truly revolutionizing the way we look at the art of war as one fought and won by means of psychology and advantage, as opposed to pure brute force. In fact, many of the greatest generals in History such as Napolean are well known for using tactics garnered directly from his works. Another Asian General more than worth mentioning would be Guan Yu, who did so well that he actually became worshipped as a god, and still has shrines and statues built in his honor all over the world.

As for the classical western world, one of the people most attributed as being the greatest general is Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, whose actions both on and off the field of combat earned him the title of being "the prop of the Roman Empire". He is also the one man who was able to deafeat Hannibal Barca, and whom also helped to shape the policies of the army of Rome which assured it's long lasting authority.

And, if you're looking for the greatest modern general, it gets a little tough. I would have to say von Manstein who was not only a brilliant tactician and politician, but avidly made himself a thorn in Hitler's side while heading his forces, and refused to actually join the Nazi party throughout his career as a soldier. In no real order, I would also have to give credit to Guderian, Rommel, Balck, Patton, Bradley, and Zhukov as backups.

Answer 6

Khan after uniting the Mongols had the advantage of numbers and good reform ideas that made assimilation for locals progressive.

My choice is Hannibal who is better known for strategic ideas, and keep in mind, at the Battle of Cannes his army of 35,000 slew 140, 000 Romans in a few hours. Go to any school that teaches military science and you will study Hannibal above all!

Answer 7

I am not sure about Khan as best general, now as far as organization go he is one of the tops. I would go with Alexander of Macedonia for he fought the Persians at their height and beat them on every occasion. Now the Tartar's had a tactic that worked well on a worn out Islamic empire(s) and on India and the Russians (all were bound to their settlements.) but once their enemy's figured out their tactics (Islam,Europe) their swiftly put in their place and their golden yokes removed and their Khanates taken away. I don't comment on India because I am ignorant of the details.

Answer 8

Alexander the Great was pretty good as well. But Genghis had quite the empire and lived a lot longer.

Answer 9

There were so many great generals, but we tend to appreciate the ones who were from a time before automatic weapons. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Charlemagne, Cortes, and Mehmet II. I don't count the really bad ones like Stalin, Attila the Hun, and Hitler.

Answer 10

Khan had a overwhelming army. Robert E. Lee took a ragtad bunch of hill-billys and defended the American army off for years.