Greatest Generals Greatest Campaigns - Page 2 - Historum

Tennenbaum · December 30th, 2010, 12:51 PM

Sherman's march to the sea.

**Qymaen** · December 30th, 2010, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjadams

1863-CSA general Robert E. Lee's victory at Chancellorsville, Virginia.

Wasn't Mr. Jackson the cause of Lee's victory/defeat?

Quote:

Originally Posted by srb7677

I don`t know enough about ancient or medieval times to say anything with absolute certainty, but if I had to choose a greatest general of all time I would say Alexander the Great.

Definately, the greatest general of the last 300 years, in my view, was Napoleon Bonaparte.

As for the greatest general of the last 100 years, I would say there are five possible contenders, all from the Second World War, 3 of them German. The five are - Erich von Manstein, Heinz Guderian, Erwin Rommel, Georgi Zhukov, and George Patton. I find it hard to definitively decide which of the 5 is the best.

Patton is the best, then Zhukov.

**Viperlord** · December 30th, 2010, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qymaen

Wasn't Mr. Jackson the cause of Lee's victory/defeat?

Patton is the best, then Zhukov.

Personally, Patton and Zhukov wouldn't crack my top ten. Different opinions are always fun.

Edit: For the last 100 years Patton and Zhukov probably would crack my top 10. Not overall though.

Tennenbaum · December 30th, 2010, 02:59 PM

Nobody mentioned Westmoreland....

**Viperlord** · December 30th, 2010, 03:05 PM

Since my favorite subject, the Civil War, came up, I'll throw in the Vicksburg Campaign for Grant.

**Lucius** · December 30th, 2010, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chookie

... but Bill Slim was head and shoulders above both.

Yep. Every factory and field was working overtime to provide the ETO with everything needful. If anything was left over, it went to the Pacific Theater. If anything was left over after that, it went to the CBI. Slim and Stilwell were pretty much all on their own out there.

At one point, Slim had to approach the jute manufacturers in Calcutta to provide parachutes for resupplying his troops on the front.

**Alcibiades** · December 31st, 2010, 01:12 AM

I may be wrong,but I thought the topic is just those five generals(Alexander,Caesar,Napoleon,Genghis,Hanniba l)and their greatest campaigns.

Alcibiades

**srb7677** · December 31st, 2010, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chookie

I disagree here. I don't consider Rommel or Patton to be great generals. They were at best competent. Manstein and Zhukov were undoubtedly two of the best generals of WWII, but Bill Slim was head and shoulders above both.

I do maintain my contention that both Patton and Zhukov were great generals: I think their military records prove that. But I take your point about Slim. Yes, I committed the injustice of forgetting about him when I named 5 possible contenders for greatest general of the last 100 years. I concede that Slim also ought to be included as a sixth possible contender. And as a Briton, I pretty much guess that makes him Britain`s top general in living memory.

**Frank81** · December 31st, 2010, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daftone

There's been a lot of debate over who was the greatest general in history. The list shifts depending on who's making it but the same men seem to come in the top 10 on everyone's list. I was wondering what you consider the best campaigns of these generals and why.

Caesar: the conquest of Gaul, specially the campaign against the Suebi
Napoleon: his victory over the Fourth Coallition in 1806-1807
Genghis Khan: the campaign against the Khwarezmians, a masterpiece job in the military history
Hannibal: of course his invasion of Italy
Alexander: his misty campaign in India

**srb7677** · December 31st, 2010, 03:11 AM

As someone more knowledgeable about World War 2 than any other, I will say what I think was the best campaign of that war.

I believe it was the German conquest of France and the Low Countries in 1940. In Belgium and Holland the Germans employed airborne troops for the first time in war, capturing numerous strategic locations in advance of their armies. This included putting the Belgian fort of Eben Emael with it`s garrison of 1100 out of action by landing about 70 glider borne troops on top of it. The British and French were thus lured into Belgium to assist the Belgian defence.

But the bulk of the German armour took the Allies completely by surprise by advancing through the Ardennes forests to the south, to break through the French lines at Sedan by crossing the Meuse, and then advancing headlong to the sea. This brilliant tactical move ultimately split the Allied armies in two, doomed the Belgians to defeat, destroyed a significant chunk of the French army, and forced more of it, along with most of the Britsh, to abandon most of their equipment and desperately escape by sea. The failure of the Germans to actually finish off the trapped enemy before they could escape is their only real failing of significance in the campaign.

After the Dunkirk evacuation, France was left too weak to withstand furthur German attacks for long, and soon succumbed to defeatism and defeat.