The Eleven Most Succesful Military Commanders In History - Including President Barack Obama
When it was announced that President Obama had secretly flown off to Afghanistan to address the troops and tout his marvelous defeat of Osama Bin Laden one year ago, I began to reflect on other historic , victorious military commanders and their stalwart drive to fight wars with their own personal blood and treasure, as well their fellow countrymen's.
As an American, I have special regard for those great United States military fighters, who for God and country, laid their lives down - such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Dwight Eisenhower, Patton, MacArthur and countless other American Presidents and military leaders, too many to mention.
There are many lists of great military conquerors in history, but here are a few names that should make it to the Hall Of Fame.*
Number 11 - Attila The Hun - Attila the Hun was the leader of the Hunnic Empire which stretched from Central Asia to modern Germany
Number 10 -George S. Patton - In WWII, he gladly used the Germans’ blitzkrieg against them, using the maneuverability of American armored units to out maneuver German lines and gaining large amounts of ground over short periods of time.
Number 9 - William The Conqueror - William the Conqueror led the Norman invasion of England which was the last time that England was successfully conquered by a foreign power. His army defeated the English army at the battle of Hastings preceding his march to London.
Number 8 - Ghengis Khan - Ghengis Khan was the founder of the Mongol Empire; the largest contiguous empire in history. The Mongol Empire occupied a substantial portion of central Asia.
Number 7 - Julius Caesar - The famed consul of Rome was perhaps the ablest of the late Republic’s military leaders, vying with his co-consul, Pompey for glory in subjugating territory to Rome’s expansionist will. His campaign against the Gauls is still required reading in many military academies, and his defeat of Pompey nearly granted him the kingship of firmly republican Rome.
Number 6 - Hannibal Barca - Hannibal invaded the mighty Roman Empire through the Alps. He defeated the Romans in a series of battles at Trebia, Trasimene and Cannae. Never personally losing on the battlefield to the Romans.
Number 5 - Robert E. Lee - Lee, perhaps the most successful commander in history against numerically and materially superior forces, was the gentle genius in charge of the Army of Northern Virginia and most Confederate forces during the Civil War.
Number 4 - Napoleon Bonaparte - Napoleon was a General during the French Revolution. He would eventually take absolute control of the French Republic as Emperor of the French. He became King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine.
Number 3 - Alexander The Great - Alexander the Great conquered much of the known world by the age of 30. He crushed the once mighty Persian Empire, defeated the much larger army of Darius III at the battle of Issus, and influenced the spread of Hellenistic culture throughout his empire. Alexander mastered the use of the phalanx formation in his armies.
Number 2 -George Washington - Washington was the pivotal, and probably most successful, leader of the American revolutionary forces vying for independence from the British Empire. The stamina and travails of George Washington, fighting for this country's liberty, would place him in the top spot, if it were not for that gladiator of gladiators - President Barack Obama.
Number 1 Most Successful Military Commander In History - Barack Hussein Obama, who gave the order, and personally warranted, after much soul searching and duress, despite his Vice President's objections, the famous American Naval Seal Team Six to assassinate Osama Bin Laden. [Mitt Romney would not have been so bold, according to White House sources and this gripping 17 minute video , narrated by former President BJ Clinton, who extols Barack Obama for his bravado and military daring-do.]
*Most of the descriptions of famous military leaders above were lifted from Listverse.com and Toptenz.net
** There can be much conjecture as to who were the greatest,and what order, but see a complete list at the above cited websites.
posted by joeclarke at Tuesday, May 01, 2012
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