50 famous war generals > CommonSense

50 famous war generals


Alexander the Great (Macedonia)

Conquered the Persian Empire and expanded his empire to the Indus River.
Julius Caesar (Rome)

Played a critical role in the rise of the Roman Empire; notable for the Gallic Wars.
Napoleon Bonaparte (France)

Emperor of France; won numerous battles during the Napoleonic Wars.
Genghis Khan (Mongolia)

Founded the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous empire in history.
Hannibal Barca (Carthage)

Known for crossing the Alps with elephants during the Second Punic War.
Sun Tzu (China)

Author of The Art of War; military strategist from the Spring and Autumn period.
Frederick the Great (Prussia)

Modernized the Prussian army and achieved significant victories in the Seven Years' War.
Saladin (Ayyubid Dynasty)

Famed for recapturing Jerusalem from the Crusaders during the 12th century.
George Washington (United States)

Commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Dwight D. Eisenhower (United States)

Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II.
Erwin Rommel (Germany)
"The Desert Fox," renowned for his campaigns in North Africa during WWII.
Douglas MacArthur (United States)
Key leader in the Pacific Theater during WWII and the Korean War.
Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (United Kingdom)
Defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.
Tamerlane (Timur)
Conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire and devastated much of Asia.
Yi Sun-sin (Korea)
Korean admiral known for his victories against Japanese fleets during the Imjin War.
Horatio Nelson (United Kingdom)
Defeated Napoleon's navy at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Shaka Zulu (Zulu Kingdom)
Revolutionized Zulu warfare tactics and expanded his kingdom in Southern Africa.
Richard the Lionheart (England)
Leader of the Third Crusade; renowned for his military prowess.
William the Conqueror (Normandy)
Conquered England in 1066 after the Battle of Hastings.
Simón Bolívar (South America)
Liberated much of South America from Spanish rule.
Ulysses S. Grant (United States)
Commanding General of the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Robert E. Lee (United States)
Commanded the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.
Subutai (Mongol Empire)
Genghis Khan’s top general, known for his strategic brilliance.
Belisarius (Byzantine Empire)
Key general under Justinian I; known for reconquering much of the Western Roman Empire.
Scipio Africanus (Rome)
Defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama in the Second Punic War.
Oda Nobunaga (Japan)
Laid the groundwork for the unification of Japan during the Sengoku period.
Tokugawa Ieyasu (Japan)
Established the Tokugawa Shogunate after the Battle of Sekigahara.
Khalid ibn al-Walid (Rashidun Caliphate)
Known as "The Sword of Allah"; undefeated in over 100 battles.
Atilla the Hun (Huns)
Leader of the Huns; feared for his invasions of the Roman Empire.
Philip II of Macedon (Macedonia)
Father of Alexander the Great; reformed the Macedonian army.
Cyrus the Great (Persia)
Founder of the Achaemenid Empire; known for his tolerance and military genius.
Oliver Cromwell (England)
Led parliamentary forces during the English Civil War.
Marshal Zhukov (Soviet Union)
Played a key role in defeating Nazi Germany during WWII.
John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough (United Kingdom)
Won decisive victories during the War of the Spanish Succession.
William Tecumseh Sherman (United States)
Famous for his "March to the Sea" during the American Civil War.
Francisco Pizarro (Spain)
Conquered the Incan Empire.
Hernán Cortés (Spain)
Conquered the Aztec Empire.
Jan Žižka (Bohemia)
Military leader of the Hussite Wars; innovator in battlefield tactics.
Gustavus Adolphus (Sweden)
Known as the "Lion of the North" for his role in the Thirty Years' War.
Trajan (Rome)
Expanded the Roman Empire to its greatest territorial extent.
Maurice of Nassau (Netherlands)
Innovator in military tactics during the Dutch Revolt.
Alfred the Great (England)
Defended England from Viking invasions.
Ferdinand Foch (France)
Supreme Allied Commander during World War I.
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (Finland)
Led Finland during the Winter War against the Soviet Union.
Suleiman the Magnificent (Ottoman Empire)
Expanded the Ottoman Empire and reformed its legal system.
Leonidas I (Sparta)
Led the Spartan forces at the Battle of Thermopylae.
David Ben-Gurion (Israel)
Played a key role in the establishment of Israel and its early military strategy.
Chandragupta Maurya (India)
Founder of the Maurya Empire; unified most of India.
Ahmad Shah Durrani (Afghanistan)
Founder of the Durrani Empire; considered the father of modern Afghanistan.
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne (France)
Known as "Turenne," one of France's greatest military commanders.