What is you three favorite generals of all time??

[onejayhawk]

Originally posted by jack merchant
1. Stadhouder Prince Maurits of Orange - revolutionized warfare during the early 17th century, and not incidentally, helped preserve the newly founded Dutch Republic's independence against the Spanish
2. Quintus Fabius Maximus the 'Procrastinator'- defeated the Carthaginians by not fighting them
3. Slim - defeated the Japanese in the CBI theater in next to impossible circumstances and terrain

Slim I'll buy, and while the Prince of Orange is a stretch, I can certainly acknowledge the impact of his innovations in fortifications, but Fabius Maximus? Hannibal was never going to beseige Rome anyway. Finding someone who was smart enough not to get an army shot out from under him is laudable, but hardly top three material, even in a personal preference test like this isnt it?

Mine
1) Gustav Adolph - King, statesman, general, innovator.
2) Hannibal - The best that has yet lived
3) Nathan Bedford Forrest - Uneducated private who carved his way to Major General by sheer dint of arms at all levels. Possibly the most personally reprehesible man listed so far.

J

 

[samildanach]

Nathan Bedford Forrest - Uneducated private who carved his way to Major General by sheer dint of arms at all levels.

Who also just happened to have raised a huge fortune from the slave trade which he used to raise his own cavalry battalion- kind of makes for a speedy ascent up the ranks.

Possibly the most personally reprehesible man listed so far.

Do you think that the massacre at Fort Pillow is a real event? I mean he didn't eactly get on with his subordinates. Why didn't the Union hang him after the war.

 

[Mrogreturns]

I'll just throw in one for consideration.

Sir John Monash.

If you have never heard about him you read a bit here

and here

 

[PolishAssassin]

if were goin back to WWI how bout General Pershing

 

[jack merchant]

Originally posted by onejayhawk
Slim I'll buy, and while the Prince of Orange is a stretch, I can certainly acknowledge the impact of his innovations in fortifications, but Fabius Maximus? Hannibal was never going to beseige Rome anyway. Finding someone who was smart enough not to get an army shot out from under him is laudable, but hardly top three material, even in a personal preference test like this isnt it?

Mine
1) Gustav Adolph - King, statesman, general, innovator.
2) Hannibal - The best that has yet lived
3) Nathan Bedford Forrest - Uneducated private who carved his way to Major General by sheer dint of arms at all levels. Possibly the most personally reprehesible man listed so far.

We should probably start a thread on the Second Punic War to discuss Fabius and Hannibal Also, as you pointed out, this thread is about favourite generals, not on the best. Hence my inclusion of Prince Maurits - even I am occasionally guilty of chauvinism
Bash my personal favourites all you like, but then don't be surprised if I bash your inclusion of a man who by your own admission was reprehensible !

 

[ss3goku]

1. Fredrick Williams the Great- the dude was really weak in one arm, but he managed to keep the French, Austrians, and Russians at bay for a while, but he was losing until Russia got a new leader who liked Fredrick and signed a peace treaty, Fredrick's 250,000 men versus more than half a million! He expanded Prussia's territory and made the army the greatest in Europe.

2. Maharaj Ranjit Singh- expanded his kingdom's territory in every direction until he had to sign treaties he abided by. Had some of Napoleon's generals and was even called Napoleon of the East. Unlike Napoleon however, the Maharaj was a great ruler. His army was the only army in India that was feared by the British

3. Suleyman the Great- expanded Ottoman empire's territory all the way to Austria and was nearly undefeatable. Muslims say he was the greatest Islamic ruler in history with his just ways. And he wasn't that evil at home.

I don't agree with Hernan Cortez being a great general. Because the only advantage he had on the Aztecs was technological in guns. The Aztecs were a glorious civilization that only lost because provinces previously conqered rebelled and that they welcomed the invaders into the city of Tenochitlan.

 

[Xen]

Originally posted by onejayhawk


2) Hannibal - The best that has yet lived

J

well wouldnt Scipio, the man who defeated him in open battle, with the carthaginians even having the advantage at Zama, be his better? There is no such thing as the "best general
", save a general who can garuntee victory with ANY force in ANY circumstances