Great unknown Generals in History

[Adler17]

Ludwig von Benedek, the "Austrian Bayard", is also forgotten. He fought in the wars with France and Italy in Italy and was one of the few Austrian comanders with outstanding abillities. He won the battle of San Martino for example. Later he was assigned, against his wishes, to defend Bohemia against the Prussians in the German War of 1866. He was not as aggressive as he was in Italy and lost the battle of Königgrätz but was able to save the rest of his army to Olmütz. However his plan at Königgrätz was made invain, when the two corps commander Festeticz and Thun attacked the Prussians and left the positions, just where the Prussian 2nd army appeared.
He died at Graz 1881, dismissed and forgotten. He had to sway an oath never to say anything about the discussion he had with the Austrian Kaiser after Königgrätz.

Adler

 

[deo]

So, no one knows what he said to the Kaiser after Koniggratz?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Probably not, as I never ever made something insanely hard. My questions are always very easy, and he was indeed the subject of one of this easy picture-association questions. If you find them difficult, it's just because you are not up to it

Tomayto - tomahto.

 

[Maimonides]

Walther Wever might be up there, though he never commanded a force in combat.

Then what makes him a great general?

Bright day
Don't also some people held him as pioneer for later turn of the century tactics and in that being Napoleon's predecessor in that regard? Anyway, he was rather cool character.

I'm pleasantly suprised that someone else here has heard of Suvarov.

It was years ago that I wrote a paper on him, but I don't remember him developing any new tactics. He was very impressive for being able to march his armies very long distances quickly. Maybe a precursor to blitzkrieg? Another impressive trait was that he was a soldier for around sixty years seeing combat numerous times & died peacefully as an old man. His troops were very loyal to him throughout his career. The fact that he served under three tsars as a general shows he had political prowess as well.

 

[Gladi]

I'm pleasantly suprised that someone else here has heard of Suvarov.

It was years ago that I wrote a paper on him, but I don't remember him developing any new tactics. He was very impressive for being able to march his armies very long distances quickly. Maybe a precursor to blitzkrieg? Another impressive trait was that he was a soldier for around sixty years seeing combat numerous times & died peacefully as an old man. His troops were very loyal to him throughout his career. The fact that he served under three tsars as a general shows he had political prowess as well.

OKay, I bit rusty on my Russian generals. But not that he developed new tactics but pursued more aggresive tactics, which could be precursors to Napoleon's columns. Like, I think, when he took that Turkish fort that was rumoured to be invincible . And think what you may og Polsih uprising the coresponence on Suvorov's victory gets cool points "Hurrah from Warsaw, Suvorov" to which Catherine replied in letter "Congratulations Field Marshall, Catherine" (though I had to check wiki for the exact sounding of his depeche, I knew there was hurrah in it and his name, but forgot city).

 

[privatehudson]

I've heard of Suvarov, I think most people familiar with the early Napoleonic period have to be fair. Although there's certainly a difference between having heard of him and holding an in depth knowledge of his campaigns.

 

[Dachs]

I've heard of Suvarov, I think most people familiar with the early Napoleonic period have to be fair. Although there's certainly a difference between having heard of him and holding an in depth knowledge of his campaigns.

I've heard of Suvarov as well - too bad about Switzerland in '99. Everything else was fantastic, though (especially northern Italy, 1799) - wasn't he around as early as the Pugachev Rebellion?

What about Epaminondas - Leuktra 371 BC, Mantineia 362 BC? Most of what Friedrich der Grosse did (i.e. oblique order) he got from the great Theban, as did Alexander the Great and his own father Philip II; he singlehandedly ended Sparta's domination of Greece and installed his own federal Boiotian state in its place for awhile. He revolutionized hoplite warfare, as well (it's those minor things that make the difference ). B.H. Liddell Hart called him one of the greatest generals in history in his Strategy.

 

[cubsfan6506]

Good point. I've been wondering for a few years at the importance of this battle. It may have been one of the most important of the 20th century - a soviet victory might have led to the fall of Poland and intervention in Germany, placing the communists in power - WW2 would have been between two very different blocks.


Józef Klemens Piłsudski

had the soviets moved into germany france britian and German troops probaly would of driven them back perhaps even Japan.

 

[Miles Teg]

Jan Žižka:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_%C5%BDi%C5%BEka

The guy used howitzers and wooden tanks! He was a good general even without the innovations

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Jan Žižka:

The guy used howitzers and wooden tanks! He was a good general even without the innovations

That's really something amazing. Surprising he's not better known. And dissapointing.

 

[deo]

Wow! And thats why those Hussities are so damn powerful in EUII...

 

[Dachs]

He was a good general even without the innovations

IMHO without him, nobody would have heard of the Hussites just like no one knows about the Albigensians or the Conradines. It was all Ziska in Bohemia.

Unfortunately, his style of war was far more suited to the defensive than the offensive. Otherwise, we'd have a Czech Empire in central Europe!

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

IMHO without him, nobody would have heard of the Hussites just like no one knows about the Albigensians or the Conradines. It was all Ziska in Bohemia.

I know the Albigensians at least get some attention; in my Western Civ class they did, anyway.

I've never heard of the Conradines, though.

 

[Dachs]

I\'ve never heard of the Conradines, though.

That\'s probably because I mixed them up with the more famous Lollards. Whoops.

 

[burak]

I suppose any of polish famous commanders is unknown beyond Poland:

Stanisław Żółkiewski - battle of Kłuszyn, captured Moscow
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz - battle of Kircholm, battle of Chocim
Stanisław Koniecpolski - battle of Trzciana, where he defeated Gustav Adolf
Jan Sobieski - battle of Vienna, saved the city from Turks

 

[sydhe]

Sobieski's well enough known to be the subject of a trivia question on this forum. He even has a constellation named for him (Scutum was originally Scutum Sobiescianum, i.e Sobieski's Shield).

 

[ohcrapitsnico]

What about Khalid ibd al-Walid, one of the islamic generals in the early islamic conquests. He was said to have never lost a battle, conquered the Sassanian Persian empire, and most of his battles he was heavily outnumbered and outmatched(military not as organized and up to date as the byzantines and such). Really outstanding guy better than Napoleon hands down. Someone may have mentioned him already.

Khair ad-Din, a barbary pirate who was enlisted as the Ottoman admiral under Suleiman, he renovated the Ottoman navy and basically kicked ass and owned the Mediterranean.

 

[Joe Harker]

Alistar Downing, air chief during the battle of britain one of the forgooten heros of WW2

 

[Carl v.]

Among the great unknown generals, I miss the late Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrichi of the German Wehrmacht.

It is said his Catholic serviceman never became Feldmarshall just because of that. He was warned, but still attended Catholic services.

It might be therefore he has earned his reputation as one of Nazi-Germany’s greatest defenders. He is best known as the commander of the Army Group Vistula, and is portrayed in Cornelius Ryan’s book about the battle of Berlin (“Last Battle&#8221.

But his achievements against overwhelming odds and hostile environment in the USSR are impressive.

In a study made for the US armed forces (CARL), he describes how he gained terrain on the steppes of the USSR during freezing to death-conditions in winter time. A raiding party was send out, rather overwhelming forces against a single Russian outpost, with the operational task to kill the Russians, get into the building, and survive in the harsh Russian winter.

Gaining control of these outposts meant control of the whole area, as it was impossible to survive on the steppe where the soil was frozen and made digging bunkers for shelter impossible. (He is said to be the first commander who allowed use of ordinance to blow holes in the soil for shelter use.)

As Adolf H. issued his “no step behind”-order, Generaloberst Heinrichi defined the whole area in which the Wehrmacht was in control, as Hauptkampflinie (Main Battle Line). This way he could use the main German asset, superior mobility and better leadership, in the whole depth of the Hauptkampflinie.

His meetings with Adolf H. is described in the “Last Battle” (worth reading), and are some kind of amusing, but also very scary.

He is one of the few German top generals who has never written a book, and it is said; one of the few who felt no need to do it.

Despite what he fought for, he seems to have been an able craftsman.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

What about Epaminondas - Leuktra 371 BC, Mantineia 362 BC? Most of what Friedrich der Grosse did (i.e. oblique order) he got from the great Theban, as did Alexander the Great and his own father Philip II; he singlehandedly ended Sparta's domination of Greece and installed his own federal Boiotian state in its place for awhile. He revolutionized hoplite warfare, as well (it's those minor things that make the difference ). B.H. Liddell Hart called him one of the greatest generals in history in his Strategy.

That is an absolutely amazing book.