Who were the best fighting soldiers in history?

Question

Spartans? Aztecs? Roman legionaries? Who were the best?

Answer 1

Depends upon the type of fighting. There are contenders for most types of armies, from all over the globe. However, it is how well the soldier will stand up to new situations and technologies that may dictate the answer.

The Spartans have been mentioned and there is a lot to be said for them. The Greek warrior of the time relied upon sheild and speer, fighting in a phalanx. You might also say that the Hoplite Immortals were champions of this style of fighting.

The Roman Legions drew upon the basis of Hoplite fighting and developed it, so that the separate formations were mutually supportive. However, while the Romans, Spartans, etc. were devastating when moving forward, they were vulnerable to the flank and rear. It was this weekness that Hannible used to great effect when destroying Roman legions. Hannible is therefore a stong contender. Hannibles armies relied upon their generals brilliance, rather than the merrits of the troops involved. The same applies to Alexanders armies. It was his tactics of using infantry to pin an opponent, while cavilry struck from behind. A revolutionary idea that saw him conquer the known world. That said, the legionary is still ahead.

Although they could be bested by clever opponents, overall the Legions were versatile. Each Roman soldier was an engineer and farmer. A poineer force that was able to construct communication systems, defences and forts. A versatile soldier who, in the right hands, would help Rome to become an Empire. The Legions were not adverse to using auxiliarys for cavalry, archery, etc. So that a Roman garison could call upon the fighting skills and knowledge of all of the armies of the known world.

The British army of the 19th century also gets a mention, for the same reasons. This army forged the largest army that the world had ever seen. This was partly because of technology, but also because the army was adaptable and absorbed the technologies and ideas of its subject peoples.

For Modern times, that is a tricky one. There are several elite formations that could be said to be the best. The SAS. US Navy Seals, etc. However, these are specialist units. They are precise surgical tools that, while good in one situation, would not work quite so well in another. Adaptability is the key, like the Legions and the British.

So the best fighting soldiers today? The French Foreign legion is a good, elite, all arms force. I would also say that the British Royal Marine Commandos are very adaptable and capable. They are able to opperate in any theater of war and are more of a thinking soldier than, for example the Paras who would have a see the hill, take the hill mentality.
The Marines are definately up there in the top three.

Someone mentioned the Israelis. I am inclined to agree. The average Israeli soldier is adaptable. He is able to think on his own initiative. This means that he is able to exploit the situation as opportunity arrises. Also, unlike other countries, Israel knows that, should it fail, the country would be whiped from the face of the earth and its people would suffer terribly. If you consider Poland. This is a country that has been invaded and ruled by foreign powers for the virtual entirity of its existance. Even decades of Soviet rule could not errase the fact that, once the Russians pulled out, Poland was back in business again. The same would not be true for Israel. For this reason, the average Israeli soldier will fight harder and longer than any other on the face of the earth. Units will not withdraw with less than 50% causalties. Any commander who did pull his troops out would be dismissed unless he had heavy casualties. They have also been exposed to peace keeping duties and dealing with suicide bombers, for a very long time. This means that they have a great deal of experience.

So, my top four would be the Romans, The British 19th C, the Marines and the Israelis.

Luck

Answer 2

Lemme see the candidates:

Caesar’s Tenth Legion
Charlemagne’s Paladins
Napoleon’s Old Guard
Stonewall Brigade
100/442nd Regimental Combat Unit
Leonnides' 300
503rd Heavy Tank Battallion (HEER)
Rommel's Africa Corps
II SS Panzer Corps
Attila's Huns
The great Khan's Mongollian horde
Zhukov's overwhelming tank armies in 45

my personal favorite are the Texas and Louisiana regiments of JB Hoods Division......

Answer 3

The Mongol infantrymen: the Mongol invasion of Rus' interior the 1240s: present day-day Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus. additionally prevalent as Kipchak Khanate, the territory of the Golden Horde at its top lined maximum of eastern Europe from the Urals to the nicely suited banks of the Danube River, extending east deep into Siberia. on the south, the Golden Horde's lands bordered on the Black Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, and the territories of the Mongol dynasty prevalent simply by fact the Ilkhanate formed the main important contiguous Empire interior the historic past of mankind. That considered one of those small forces, using on horsebacks, could desire to triumph over all a thank you to the Black Sea grew to become into certainly exceptional, that even the armored Crusades fell alongside the way in opposition to the Mongol infantrymen. The inhabitants of the super Russian Empire grew to become into decimated by one million/2 in the process the Mongols war marketing campaign.

Answer 4

The Huns.....Attila the Hun also known as Scourge of God, was Khan(king) of the Huns from 434 until his death. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire which stretched from Germany to the Ural River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea . During his rule he was one of the most fearsome of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires' enemies: he invaded the Balkans twice, he marched through Gaul (modern day France) as far as Orleans before being defeated at the Battle of Chalons; and he drove the western emperor Valentinian III from his capital at Ravenna in 452. He reached Constantinople and Rome but refrained from attacking either city. He was a fantastic leader and Fighter and in my opinion, the best ever

Answer 5

Vikings

Answer 6

There were some really good and strong armies trough out the history but you can't really say which one is the best. That wouldn't be fair. But you can always classify the good ones.

Answer 7

The Ghurkas

Answer 8

there was a military unit that was out of thebes egypt called the lions of thebes.they had a went undefeated for over 400 years until alexander the great beat them in battle and killed all of them.

Answer 9

Israeli army.