Who do you think was the greatest general of all time?

I am just curious as to who Ats collectively thinks the greatest general of all time. This is for the entire world and not just America... Now for my vote.

General George S. Patton.

George Smith Patton, Jr. (also George Smith Patton III) (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a distinguished though controversial United States Army officer.

Commissioned in the army in 1909, Patton participated in the unsuccessful attempt to capture Pancho Villa in 1916-17. In World War I, he was the first officer assigned to the new United States Tank Corps[1][2] and saw action in France. After the war he was a strong advocate of armored warfare.

It was in World War II that he made his mark, commanding both corps and armies as a general in North Africa, Sicily, and the European Theater of Operations. Near the end of the Sicilian campaign, Patton jeopardized his career by slapping a soldier recuperating from battle fatigue at a hospital; Patton considered him a coward. The well-publicized incident caused General Dwight D. Eisenhower to relieve him of command. Thus, instead of playing a major part in the Normandy Landings and Operation Overlord, he was relegated to commanding the decoy mission Operation Quicksilver. However, he was later given command of the U.S. Third Army and ably led it in breaking out of the hedgerows of Normandy and across France. When a surprise major German offensive at the Battle of the Bulge resulted in American units being surrounded in Bastogne, Patton rapidly disengaged his army from fighting in another sector and moved it over 100 miles in 48 hours to relieve the siege.

Patton often got into trouble with his outspokenness and strong opinions. In addition to the slapping incident, towards the end of the war, he voiced his detestation and mistrust of the Soviet Union and his desire to fight it. However, he was greeted warmly by the public when he returned to the United States in June 1945. He died in December of that year in an automobile accident. His career during the war was the subject of the Academy Award-winning film Patton.

wiki

Smedley D. Butler..... A Marine that TPTB don't want you to know about.

General George Washington.

Far before the time of political greed and corruption this man represented part of our freedom by fighting against the british and supporting America in its beginning.

We owe this man everything because we're it not for him, we'd have no freedom.

Ironic that now we're once again coming to a point where our freedom is again threatened.

George Washington is easily the best general. Now for those of you who don't think George was ever appointed the rank of General. He was honored and given the title of General of the Armies of the United States (posthumously in 1976).



[edit on 8/30/2009 by AceOfAces]

reply to post by iamjesusphish


Wars not make one great...

As clever as many of the military minds have been throughout the years most of their ingenuity was utilized for death and destruction...

Hands down

Sun-Tzu

He is still being taught around the world both in military academies as well as business schools etc.

IMO, It would be a tie between Alexander the Great, and Sun Tzu. Alexander was the greatest conqueror ever, but Sun Tzu's thoughts and tactics are still applied in warfare and business today.

yes,war is great!
the best generals have the largest body counts.
it's the way bitter old men can have dumb young men killed off so the old farts can have their young women.
war is just legalized murder,rape and robbery.

Cyrus The Great

Not only was he a great general, but he was a great ruler as well.



Cyrus was an Aryan.



[edit on 30-8-2009 by In nothing we trust]

reply to post by nowayjose


War has helped people to. The revolutionary war, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam war started good, Zulus fighting Britain, natives fighting America/European colonialists, we did free the Iraqis from Saddam, the Afghans from the Taliban, six day war, Yom Kippur war, Israeli Independence, gulf war, UN intervention in Kosovo, Bosnia (I think), and Somalia. And no matter what you think of the modern Iraq and Afghan war we did free them and give them democracy, no matter why it started and what else happened during it, even though they may be slightly corrupt. And best modern General is Patton then MacArthur, ancient general is Sun Tzu.

[edit on 30-8-2009 by walsbg22]

George S Patton would not be my first choice. Eisenhower told patton where to go and thought ahead because he had the bigger map infront of him. Sun Ztu's concepts are good but obsolete in todays modern military. I am no Nazi, but I like Erwin Rommel as an incredible military mind. He was a field marshall which is the same as saying general.

Heinz Guderian
The father of Mechanized Combined Arms

You're all off base.

The greatest general ever is...

Bobby Knight

reply to post by iamjesusphish


Julius Caesar. He could do more with less, was able to secure the populace afterwards, and was a damn fine orator, writer, and historian.

Originally posted by hypervigilant
Smedley D. Butler..... A Marine that TPTB don't want you to know about.

I'll second this one. Unfortunately the only thing that spoke louder than his actions were his criticisms of others.

Originally posted by AceOfAces
General George Washington.

Far before the time of political greed and corruption this man represented part of our freedom by fighting against the british and supporting America in its beginning.

We owe this man everything because we're it not for him, we'd have no freedom.

Ironic that now we're once again coming to a point where our freedom is again threatened.

George Washington is easily the best general. Now for those of you who don't think George was ever appointed the rank of General. He was honored and given the title of General of the Armies of the United States (posthumously in 1976).

[edit on 8/30/2009 by AceOfAces]

Yes and George Washington was the only 5 star general, which makes him the greatest general by default . But anyways he was seriously a good guy and the only reason I served in the military was to honor the bravery of our American founding fathers

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Of course I'm totally biased but still

[edit on 31/8/2009 by PsykoOps]

Originally posted by iamjesusphish
Who do you think was the greatest general of all time?

General Armchair Potbelly ............ because he never actually kills anyone.

Everyone wins.

Wow...all these high-speed names thrown out there.

Real hard to compete with what has been posted, but I'll try...


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3e58e8d26009.jpg[/atsimg]


For starters, he starred in his own movie...in addition, this General went from military god to slave to gladiator all-star! Not to mention hookin' up with a hottie duaghter-of-a-emperor-like-no-other.


Case closed!

I would be a hard choice...

My top 3, the three George......

George S. Patton, George Washington, Georgy Zhukov.



EDIT: Yes, Smedley D. Butler, great patriot.

And special mention to Guderian, if Hitler had followed his original plan, he probably would have won the war against the Soviet Union by taking Moscow.

[edit on 31-8-2009 by Vitchilo]

Shouldn't the topic be "...greatest military leader of..." because like mine, not all of them held the actual title of general? I wan't the topic changed so I don't have to change my answer