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Who Were the Greatest Military Commanders (Of All Time) ?

Posted on 11/14/2004 5:23:06 PM PST by Cyropaedia

In light of the upcoming film Alexander (the Great), who in your opinion were actually the greatest military commanders our world has known...?

Mine are Genghis Khan, Alexander, and U.S. Grant.


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: milhist; militarycommanders; militaryhistory
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To: Cyropaedia

Judging from the MSM--Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean.


641 posted on 12/22/2005 11:40:50 AM PST by Busywhiskers ("...moral principle, the sine qua non of an orderly society." --Judge Edith H. Jones)
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To: Cyropaedia

Patton-Washington-Grant


642 posted on 12/22/2005 11:40:53 AM PST by PISANO (We will not tire......We will not falter.......We will NOT FAIL!!! .........GW Bush [Oct 2001])
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To: Blood of Tyrants
Winning with what you have is the name of the game in war and Grant did that.The allies won through uninterrupted supply lines and industrial capacity (think US)in WWII but a win is a win.
643 posted on 12/22/2005 11:45:54 AM PST by luvbach1 (Near the belly of the beast in San Diego)
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To: luvbach1

"The war is over and the South will not rise again."

I gather you have never spent any time in the South.


644 posted on 12/22/2005 11:47:24 AM PST by indcons (FReepmail indcons to join the MilHist ping list)
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To: HockeyPop

What country?


645 posted on 12/22/2005 11:48:33 AM PST by luvbach1 (Near the belly of the beast in San Diego)
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To: ATOMIC_PUNK

Kudos for Audie Murphy!!


646 posted on 12/22/2005 11:49:17 AM PST by luvbach1 (Near the belly of the beast in San Diego)
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To: Cyropaedia
US Grant was not a "great military commander"; he simply had more cannon fodder than the opposing army - he never "out general-ed" anyone.

I'll put my money on R.E. Lee. Had Lee decided to fight for the Union, the "civil war" would have been over in about four months - at far less cost.

647 posted on 12/22/2005 11:49:48 AM PST by Logic n' Reason (Don't piss down my back and tell me it's rainin')
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To: Williams

You're right. Grant believed that winnning meant crushing the enemy. Still the best strategy.


648 posted on 12/22/2005 11:51:57 AM PST by luvbach1 (Near the belly of the beast in San Diego)
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To: 0siris
Belisarius, Scipio Africanus

+1 on that
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belisarius
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scipio_Africanus
649 posted on 12/22/2005 11:54:19 AM PST by CLRGuy (If crypto is security, then trees are houses.)
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To: clee1
Can't fault Franks for applying overwhelming force. It was a strategy that won handily and spared his troops. A good parlay. And remember, critics at the time said we did not have enough troops and materiel for the task. Of course, not referring to the aftermath in Iraq.
650 posted on 12/22/2005 11:59:00 AM PST by luvbach1 (Near the belly of the beast in San Diego)
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To: Strategerist
MacArthur attacked the Bonus marchers apparently against Presidential orders.

He was a colonel at that time, not a general.

651 posted on 12/22/2005 12:00:42 PM PST by luvbach1 (Near the belly of the beast in San Diego)
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To: indcons

Thank you sir! :)


652 posted on 12/22/2005 12:05:37 PM PST by Leatherneck_MT
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To: JustAnotherOkie
>>>,i>How about 'John Kerry', 'Saddam Hussein', 'Wesley Clark', and Montgomery<<<

Great examples!...of military men that were adept at accumulating masses of self-congratulatory credit for virtually no accomplishment.

653 posted on 12/22/2005 12:05:48 PM PST by HardStarboard
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To: Cyropaedia

Gen. George Washington & Gen. Patton


654 posted on 12/22/2005 12:06:49 PM PST by KenmcG414 (wHAT'ST)
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To: Cyropaedia

Grant, far an above the greatest American miliatry commander of all time.


655 posted on 12/22/2005 12:07:36 PM PST by Casloy
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To: TADSLOS

John Kerry was in Vietnam?

Why didn't he mention it in the campaign?


656 posted on 12/22/2005 12:11:40 PM PST by Netheron
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To: HardStarboard
'Saddam Hussein'

I enjoyed General Swartzkopff's analysis of his military prowress at the final briefing.

657 posted on 12/22/2005 12:13:59 PM PST by Semper Paratus
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To: Cyropaedia

James Tiberious Kirk


658 posted on 12/22/2005 12:14:52 PM PST by Ramcat (Thank You American Veterans)
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To: Tallguy
There was a lot of animosity toward the war in the North, they generally saw the South as backwards and not worth fighting. Plus, they really wanted interruption of cotton and agriculture products to end (we tend to forget that the effects of the blockade were felt on both sides). Lee's attempts to engage the Union in the North made many of the "fence sitters" pro-war.

I really think if Lee had done as Washington did in the Revolution, he would have been successful -- that was to make the enemy come to you, get victories where you could, but mainly avoid humiliating defeat. Had this happened, the Northerners would have eventually tired of the costs both in terms of loss of life and economically, the desire to become trading partners with the South would have been too great.

659 posted on 12/22/2005 12:15:00 PM PST by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
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To: Cyropaedia

I haven't read through all the replies but most seem to mention land Generals. What about naval commanders? For those commanders of the seas, I nominate Nimitz and Arleigh Burke.


660 posted on 12/22/2005 12:16:18 PM PST by 7thson (I've got a seat at the big conference table! I'm gonna paint my logo on it!)
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