The 15 Best Military Commanders In Human History, Ranked

Ойын-сауық

Of all of history's great military commanders, who was number one? We did a deep dive into the achievements of generals from antiquity through the 20th century, and found these to be the 15 best of all time.
#GenghisKhan #Napoleon #Military
15. Simón Bolívar | 0:00
14. King Leonidas of Sparta | 1:15
13: Tamerlane | 2:34
12. Themistocles | 3:42
11. Charlemagne | 4:32
10. Frederick the Great | 5:32
9. Hernán Cortés | 6:34
8. Vo Nguyen Giap | 7:46
7. Saladin | 8:55
6. Hannibal Barca | 10:01
5. Dwight D. Eisenhower | 11:06
4. Napoleon | 12:03
3. Genghis Khan | 13:17
2. Julius Caesar | 14:17
1. Alexander the Great | 15:15
Voiceover by: Tim Bensch
Read Full Article: www.grunge.com/1469637/best-m...

Пікірлер: 421

  • @GrungeHQ
    @GrungeHQ2 ай бұрын

    Who do you think is the G.O.A.T. military commander?

  • @edljnehan2811

    @edljnehan2811

    2 ай бұрын

    Where's George Patton or Omar Bradley I believe you have too many ancient rulers on this list😮

  • @swiftsilva7723

    @swiftsilva7723

    2 ай бұрын

    Can’t believe you got mr Barca at 6 . At least 2. Hannibal could’ve copied Alexander with Alexander’s troops. Not sure if Alexander could’ve wielded hannibals army so well

  • @brokenbridge6316

    @brokenbridge6316

    2 ай бұрын

    The GOAT is Alexander the Great. So glad you had him as number one on your list.

  • @Bullet-Tooth-Tony-

    @Bullet-Tooth-Tony-

    2 ай бұрын

    @@edljnehan2811 Patton is so overrated

  • @Bullet-Tooth-Tony-

    @Bullet-Tooth-Tony-

    2 ай бұрын

    Alexander or Napoleon

  • @wersc211
    @wersc2112 ай бұрын

    Khalid ibn al Waleed is easily a top 5 commander the fact that he isn't even on this list says how much people in the west don't even know who he was. Which is pretty sad.

  • @doylekitchen9795

    @doylekitchen9795

    2 ай бұрын

    and Baibars. The Muslims cheered Baibars over Salah ad Din. Salah ad Din lost.

  • @iftikharuddin999

    @iftikharuddin999

    2 ай бұрын

    very much true. How come the author ignore Khalid Bin Walid whose successful victories against both Roman and Persian Empires during the peak broke and defeated both empires and created a new one the Caliphate that set into motion the changes which saw Spain and places far as North East as Siberia. He has also been insnstumental in subduing the Arabian peninsula from Oman till Iraq and Syria, Palestine and present day Jordan. He is also said to have defeated the combined forces of the Roman and Perian Empires who after successive defeats joined hands to face the Muslim Armies and were also defeated again. Yet Khalid Bin Walids name is missing from the list which is mind beyond comprehension.

  • @wersc211

    @wersc211

    2 ай бұрын

    @@iftikharuddin999 The reason why he is left off almost every list is simply they don't know who he is. They just list the same old names who are already well known.

  • @qudusask

    @qudusask

    2 ай бұрын

    Western bias and hatred for Arab Muslims. That’s the only explanation

  • @lonelywolf1480

    @lonelywolf1480

    Ай бұрын

    @@doylekitchen9795 Yavuz Sultan Selim and Fatih Sultan Mehmet should also be in the list.

  • @Sunbeard.9
    @Sunbeard.92 ай бұрын

    Genghis khan's general Subutai should have been added to this list. He never lost a battle with 65 victories. Unprecedented military genius! Hands down!

  • @davidk6269

    @davidk6269

    2 ай бұрын

    Subutai and also his colleague Jebe should both be on this list.

  • @WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle

    @WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle

    2 ай бұрын

    Nice addition! I agree!

  • @marcobiagioli3905

    @marcobiagioli3905

    2 ай бұрын

    Also for me he was the greatest, but he was once defeated by the Volga Bulgarians.

  • @Sunbeard.9

    @Sunbeard.9

    2 ай бұрын

    @davidk6269 Agreed, thanks for that .👍👍

  • @Schimenator

    @Schimenator

    2 ай бұрын

    Attacked Russia IN THE WINTER and won. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Napoleon and Adolf

  • @jameswaterfield
    @jameswaterfield2 ай бұрын

    Eisenhower does NOT belong in this list, as he never commanded troops in battle! He was a great administrator, who knew how to delegate. All the achievements he made were through other peoples efforts, a bit like Edison really. Also, wouldn't a qualifier for this list be that the leader involved, never lost a battle? Like Sir Arthur Wellesley or to create such clever tactics, that your force consistently defeats foes with far greater power, like Thomas Cochrane or Horatio Nelson. I do note a distinct lack of British leaders here! Oh and I forgot. William "Uncle Bill" Slim, who took charge of a defeated army, turned it round and soundly defeated the Japanese on the mainland, it should also be noted, that two divisions of the 14th army were only prevented from destroying the Viet Minh, by the French returning to south east Asia and, basically, telling them that "It's OK, we are back, we can finish the job"! They, of course dithered enough for the Viet Minh to re-arm and re-equip and, eventually, soundly defeat first the French and then the US armies.

  • @TomTomicMic

    @TomTomicMic

    2 ай бұрын

    Yes the UK got the biggest empire with the smallest army!?!

  • @jackofswords7
    @jackofswords7Ай бұрын

    You missed out Wellington. The General who was never defeated. From India to Portugal, Spain, France and Belgium. He defeated every one of Napolian's generals sent against him and even Napoleon himself at Waterloo.

  • @davidbarkin8269
    @davidbarkin82692 ай бұрын

    Leonidas, one of the Great Generals in history? Really?

  • @streetscholar3539

    @streetscholar3539

    Ай бұрын

    Exactly. Id say the 1st half of the list is questionable at best.

  • @stevearmstrong1430
    @stevearmstrong14302 ай бұрын

    Grigory Zhukov. I'm just saying. The guy did more generaling than anyone else. He put more violence against more violence than anyone else. Not even close.

  • @bdleo300

    @bdleo300

    2 ай бұрын

    I prefer Suvorov, Russian general who never lost a battle. I guess not good enough for this Mickey Mouse 'list'.

  • @stevearmstrong1430

    @stevearmstrong1430

    2 ай бұрын

    @@bdleo300 Arguably a good choice. Both of our opinions have merit but, I don't believe you need to win every battle when the odds are actually against you. The only way to win all the battles is to avoid fearsome odds.

  • @swhip897

    @swhip897

    2 ай бұрын

    High casualties is no way to run an army

  • @stevearmstrong1430

    @stevearmstrong1430

    2 ай бұрын

    @@swhip897 Finishing a war is how you run an army.

  • @jpx1508
    @jpx15082 ай бұрын

    Eisenhower was a consummate 5-star staff general of generals, but Eisenhower never led troops at a combat level. There was always another general between Eisenhower and the fighting. If you want an American general the usual top two picks are George Patton and US Grant.

  • @WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle

    @WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle

    2 ай бұрын

    Glad some one said it! He was not so much a military commander, but a bureaucrat. That is fine, managing something of that scale requires those skills, but not a military commander in the sense people think of.

  • @mobrule8219

    @mobrule8219

    2 ай бұрын

    How about George Washington. He only defeated the greatest military power of the age, Great Britain to win our independence!

  • @jonmce1

    @jonmce1

    2 ай бұрын

    You could easily list a group of German generals better than all three of them.

  • @Patrick462

    @Patrick462

    2 ай бұрын

    Boys study tactics. Men study logistics.

  • @SeanBlantonPhD

    @SeanBlantonPhD

    2 ай бұрын

    His skills befit modern, large scale military campaigns. He was in charge of all the allied armies in Europe. Hard to deny his accomplishments

  • @laogalaxy3792
    @laogalaxy37922 ай бұрын

    Tamerlane should be way higher. He didn't have super generals like Genghis Khan to help him. The success of his battles and wars depended on him so much.

  • @willardsteele4857

    @willardsteele4857

    2 ай бұрын

    Agree. Way too low ranked. Some others don’t even belong on this list.

  • @Stefan-ei5wg

    @Stefan-ei5wg

    2 ай бұрын

    ​@@willardsteele4857Like Cortez..

  • @lonelywolf1480

    @lonelywolf1480

    Ай бұрын

    You are right. This list reflects the kind of education he (the host of this video) had and the culture he has.

  • @7seriesbeemer
    @7seriesbeemer2 ай бұрын

    Khalid ibn al Waleed?????

  • @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    2 ай бұрын

    Tyvm

  • @Stefan-ei5wg

    @Stefan-ei5wg

    2 ай бұрын

    Correct...the guy was undefeated in all of his battles..and he doesn't get a spot here?

  • @streetscholar3539

    @streetscholar3539

    Ай бұрын

    ​@@Stefan-ei5wg usually with smaller and inferior forces too, he used new tactics and revolutionary methods but dont expect him to be on a mickey mouse list like this 1 with ppl like cortez on it 🤦🏻

  • @TirabintaToktik-hz1lx

    @TirabintaToktik-hz1lx

    19 күн бұрын

    Who tf is that? 😂😂

  • @Dan-uf2vh
    @Dan-uf2vh2 ай бұрын

    a popularity commanders instead of the best commanders

  • @billybobobenner
    @billybobobenner2 ай бұрын

    Eisenhower was an effective administrator but as a Military Commander he should be nowhere near this list. You are missing many great commanders like Subatai, Scipio Africanus and The Duke of Marlborough.

  • @ciceroromavisa3399

    @ciceroromavisa3399

    2 ай бұрын

    He was a war criminal

  • @Schimenator
    @Schimenator2 ай бұрын

    Leonidas' victory at Thermopylae? Whaaaat?

  • @psier11

    @psier11

    2 ай бұрын

    If that's not a strategic victory!

  • @guydawe7231
    @guydawe72312 ай бұрын

    John Churchill Duke of Marlborough who won every battle he fought and succeeded in every siege he undertook deserves to be in any top five imho along with General Jackson, Napoleon, Tamarlane and Hannibal.

  • @jtpalooki7757

    @jtpalooki7757

    2 ай бұрын

    Uh… Galipoli was a tremendous military blunder!

  • @jonmce1

    @jonmce1

    2 ай бұрын

    @@jtpalooki7757 you are aware that the John Churchill Duke of Marlborough was a commander in the 1600s.

  • @jtpalooki7757

    @jtpalooki7757

    2 ай бұрын

    @@jonmce1 you got me parter!🤠.. however El Cid, who liberated the Iberian peninsula from seven hundred years of Muslim control also deserves mention!

  • @ElenaGeorge1

    @ElenaGeorge1

    Ай бұрын

    @@jtpalooki7757 Wrong Churchill...

  • @loboloco866
    @loboloco8662 ай бұрын

    EXCELLENT, outstanding, brilliant description of true history of military strategists. Unbiased choice and great content.

  • @olivierpuyou3621
    @olivierpuyou36212 ай бұрын

    Rather strange ranking... Napoleon won more battles than Caesar, Hannibal and Alexander the Great combined and most often outnumbered.

  • @SardonianSmile

    @SardonianSmile

    2 ай бұрын

    drink a beer ...

  • @frankgesuele6298

    @frankgesuele6298

    2 ай бұрын

    Alexander died as the master of the known world. Caesar was assassinated as the master of the Roman Empire. Napoleon as the master of a small island.

  • @SardonianSmile

    @SardonianSmile

    2 ай бұрын

    @@frankgesuele6298 hahaha bad but funny as well

  • @danilo4631

    @danilo4631

    2 ай бұрын

    che dici. cesare ha fatto innumerabili battaglie in decenni di servizio militare e poi da generale, e in campo, in prima linea a volte.

  • @Freedom2111

    @Freedom2111

    Ай бұрын

    Not more than Julius Caesar and Alexander. Probably more than the overrated Hannibal. Napoleon lost many battles too - Waterloo, Leipzig, and caused huge French army to be destroyed in Russia.

  • @dwightdjackson
    @dwightdjackson2 ай бұрын

    Zhukov was the greatest general of WW2. He should be on this list before Eisenhower

  • @kevinsullivan7831

    @kevinsullivan7831

    17 күн бұрын

    Not really, all he did was throw bodies at the enemy

  • @johnsimca7093
    @johnsimca70932 ай бұрын

    Giap lost at Tet and the Easter Offensive. He was right, “you will tire of the fight”

  • @WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle

    @WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle

    2 ай бұрын

    Yeah, the US won nearly every battle in Vietnam. People get this wrong all the time. The military was not defeated despite the absurd handcuffs put on them. The Vietnamese agreed to the demands of the US. Only after the bulk of the US military left and was no longer fighting did the South fall. Still a strategic loss for the nation, but not a military defeat.

  • @mikeflynn2926

    @mikeflynn2926

    2 ай бұрын

    No, Giap won with the Tet offensive. It utterly changed American popular view of the war from "winnable" to "let's get out of here"

  • @kornofulgur

    @kornofulgur

    Ай бұрын

    David vs Goliath 3 times in a row, won the 3 times. Yup, definatly one of the greats.

  • @Tboy439

    @Tboy439

    Ай бұрын

    @@WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle ....The primary reason for the Vietnam war was to create a social uprising in America, and it worked just the way they planned it. America had no intentions of winning the war

  • @CAROLUSPRIMA
    @CAROLUSPRIMA2 ай бұрын

    John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough and Scipio Africanus should be considered.

  • @psier11

    @psier11

    2 ай бұрын

    Scipio 4th place as he defeated Hannibal. Malborough incredible achievements are less lasting than most strategists in the list. Even mostly not his fault, Malplaquet transformed a complete victory in the near parity at Utrecht. If Malborough had had gnostic bosses instead of real illuminists, like the owners of Transukraina for example, he could have accepted every loss and won entirely.

  • @CAROLUSPRIMA

    @CAROLUSPRIMA

    2 ай бұрын

    @@psier11 You’ll get no argument from me. I can tell that you know more about this than I do.

  • @markwarnberg9504
    @markwarnberg95042 ай бұрын

    Strainge how Western Historiens never mention Karl XII of Sweden 1682 - 1718.

  • @p40148

    @p40148

    2 ай бұрын

    Maybe in top 50.

  • @marcsongini091165
    @marcsongini0911652 ай бұрын

    Generalship excellence is more than battlefield tactics. There’s intelligence, supply chain management, long term strategic planning, diplomacy, the ability to lead and inspire men. And luck. This mixes things up and doesn’t do precise comparisons.

  • @ulyrhee8123
    @ulyrhee81232 ай бұрын

    Where's Attila? Where's naval commander Yi sunshin ?,who never lost a battle against japanese armada while greatly out numbered. English Naval commander Nelson against Spanish armada? Wheres the desert fox Rommel? Where's the israelite commander Joshua who went on conquering and conquering while wandering? Also should Eisenhower be on this list? He had alot of help , no?

  • @lonelywolf1480

    @lonelywolf1480

    Ай бұрын

    Yes. And also Yavuz Sultan Selim and Fatih Sultan Mehmet are missing in the list. - Yavuz Sultan Selim (Selim the Grim): He increased the size of Ottoman Empire three fold within an incredibly short period of 8 years during the time he was on the throne. He defeated major powers of the day such as Safavid and Mamluks and transferred the Caliphates from Egypt to Istanbul); - Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Mehmet the Conqueror): He managed lot of victories, among them was the capture of Constantinople. This conquest is considered by some historians to be the event that ended the Middle Ages and started the New Age.

  • @chensun6156

    @chensun6156

    29 күн бұрын

    Atilla did lose though.

  • @bonganindlovu7925
    @bonganindlovu79252 ай бұрын

    Shaka Zulu and Marshall Zhukov are missing

  • @davidk6269
    @davidk62692 ай бұрын

    With all due respect, Mongol generals Subutai Baghatur and Jebe should be included on this list.

  • @sercanyilmaz4816

    @sercanyilmaz4816

    29 күн бұрын

    Subutai is Turk. He were commander of Mongols but he weren’t Mongol

  • @davidk6269

    @davidk6269

    29 күн бұрын

    @@sercanyilmaz4816 I am not sure if that is correct. Everything I have read about him claims that he is Mongol, without any mention of being of Turkish descent.

  • @somaliano99kingkonghimself75
    @somaliano99kingkonghimself752 ай бұрын

    The real comander is and will always be hanibal barca to me as professional war tactician

  • @joegatt2306

    @joegatt2306

    Ай бұрын

    I agree totally. Hannibal, with a rag-tag mercenary army, achieved his victories against the foremost army of the era. And not just the well known battles of Trebia and Trasimene and the total annihilation of four consular armies at Cannae, but also Ticinius in 218, Cales, Arminium and Geronium in 217 (before Canae), 1st Tarentum, Silarus and 1st Herdonea in 212, 2nd Herdonea and Numistro in 210, Canusium (Asculum) and Caulonia in 209 and Venusium in 208, and these exclude minor victories and ambushes. Without any help or reinforcements from Carthage, he marched up and down southern Italy, unmolested by Roman armies, (who gave him a wide berth when he approached!) for a total of fifteen years, undefeated, except for a couple of minor setbacks, (his failed relief of Capua against the second Roman siege of 211, springs to mind). Any thing more serious was Livy's biased imagination.

  • @derekblythe6143

    @derekblythe6143

    7 күн бұрын

    Best general ever,said that for years

  • @far444444
    @far4444442 ай бұрын

    Naader Shah of Persia (Iran) in 18th Century.

  • @jamesburgin8168
    @jamesburgin81682 ай бұрын

    Eisenhower and Giap don't belong on this list. Tamerlane should be several spots higher and Genghis Khan should be #1. Also, as anyone who has studied history knows, the correct pronunciation is Chinghis Khan with a ch or even a j sound. Even then, as someone has already pointed out, his actual name was Temujin--but these days everyone simply refers to him by his title.

  • @jpx1508

    @jpx1508

    2 ай бұрын

    Good comments. Include the "modern big-army" generals US Grant and Patton. At the top, Alexander. Then Caesar and Napoleon both at 2.

  • @markrahman5745
    @markrahman57452 ай бұрын

    The Islamic commander Khalid bin Al walled was should be in the top 5 sir he never defeated in any battle

  • @asmundukkelberg8741
    @asmundukkelberg87412 ай бұрын

    I think Gaius Marius should be on this list. His reforms turned the roman military into a force that lastet for 500 more years.

  • @mikeflynn2926
    @mikeflynn29262 ай бұрын

    Describes Eisenhower as a "military genius" and makes no mention of Patton. Need I say more?

  • @surters
    @surters2 ай бұрын

    When seeing that Leonides is on the list I wonder why Miltiades isn't, commanding the battle of Marathon, the first Cannae-like battle (yeah Hannibal did many more tricks so deserves a good position).

  • @jrsands
    @jrsands2 ай бұрын

    Dude, Eisenhower over Marshal Georgy Zhukov? Give me a break!

  • @user-kj8lq7mo2s

    @user-kj8lq7mo2s

    2 ай бұрын

    Even against von manstein.

  • @bobmcrae5751
    @bobmcrae57512 ай бұрын

    Hannibal should be at number one. He was such a superb tactician that his battles were won before the first blow was even struck.

  • @psier11

    @psier11

    2 ай бұрын

    But the author, and ,ignoring Dikesenhower, he is right, chooses strategy over tactics. Patton was a master tactician not probably in the first 15 strategists. Hannibal 6th is correct due to his limits in grand strategy (attacking a superior foe on external lines!).

  • @Freedom2111

    @Freedom2111

    Ай бұрын

    Hannibal lost too many times - he was stopped Marcellus at Nola three times, pushed back by Claudius Nero, and decisively defeated by Scipio at Zama. And as a naval commander working for the Seleucids, he lost again.

  • @joegatt2306

    @joegatt2306

    3 күн бұрын

    @@Freedom2111 'Hannibal lost too many times' - only if you believe Livy. 'he was stopped Marcellus at Nola three times' - the first battle was a minor victory for the Romans, the other two were stalemates. 'pushed back by Claudius Nero' - again only if you believe Livy, (totally debunked by J.F. Lazenby). 'Zama?' - Where was the battle fought, if it ever took place? Google: The Trouble With Zama: Paradox, Smoke and Mirrors in an Ancient Battlefield.

  • @adamstrange7884
    @adamstrange78842 ай бұрын

    Subatai should be in the top 5!

  • @puzzled012
    @puzzled0122 ай бұрын

    heard of Suvorov? Zhukov?

  • @raf4532
    @raf45322 ай бұрын

    Khalid ibn al waleed the man who never been defeated destroyed the Roman and Byzantine empire, who outnumbered him by 10x, and was one of the sole reason why Islam’s golden age began? You’re telling me he doesn’t deserve to be on the list? He should be atleast top 5

  • @khaledalshaalan763
    @khaledalshaalan7632 ай бұрын

    No Khalid Ibn Alwaleed ? Al Yarmouk Battle was a masterpiece against Byzantine Empire

  • @psier11

    @psier11

    2 ай бұрын

    or the armenian general very poor at strategic level?

  • @benjaminwoody2570
    @benjaminwoody25702 ай бұрын

    Dwight Eisenhower should not be in this list. He led by committee and was considered subpar by ally and enemy generals. His one strength was he had fortitude to order Normandy invasion when he did. Grant Sherman Sheridan or Thomas would have been better choice. How did Richard the second. The black prince Baldwin or Sobieski not make this list

  • @psier11
    @psier112 ай бұрын

    Thanks for pics of Dikesenhower. Female gait and long index confirms she was an ftm

  • @luigipavanello9248
    @luigipavanello92482 ай бұрын

    Scipio Africanus

  • @marcobiagioli3905

    @marcobiagioli3905

    2 ай бұрын

    Per quasi 1500 anni sicuramente lo è stato,poi Marte si é reincarnato in Subedei.

  • @luigipavanello9248

    @luigipavanello9248

    2 ай бұрын

    @@marcobiagioli3905 Grandissimo ma casa ha lascaito dopo? L?impero mongolo è crollato mentre Scipione ha creato, posto le basi per la Roma imperiale. Sapeva far ela guerra ma anche la pace questa è la differenza!

  • @gabrielmeyer4136

    @gabrielmeyer4136

    2 ай бұрын

    He even defeated Hannibal

  • @luigipavanello9248

    @luigipavanello9248

    2 ай бұрын

    @@gabrielmeyer4136He was undefeated in his career

  • @luigipavanello9248

    @luigipavanello9248

    2 ай бұрын

    @@marcobiagioli3905Subutai grandissimo ma non ha creato nulla, Scipione ha posto le basi e di fatto creato l'impero romano

  • @Skipper.17
    @Skipper.172 ай бұрын

    Esinhower.really.

  • @swhip897

    @swhip897

    2 ай бұрын

    He was the best political general.

  • @psier11

    @psier11

    2 ай бұрын

    @@swhip897 Very good mason golfer with an eye for (tranny) WAACs

  • @tucopacifico
    @tucopacifico2 ай бұрын

    Take a shot every time he says “calvary” instead of cavalry.

  • @Thusssle

    @Thusssle

    2 ай бұрын

    I’m having an existential crisis now since you made me realize I have been saying it Calvary for my entire life, knowing full well how to spell it.

  • @williamvissers9906

    @williamvissers9906

    2 ай бұрын

    He is not the only one seems knowing a lot about war weakens other skills

  • @wingman4356
    @wingman43562 ай бұрын

    Toussaint Louverture not top 15 battlefield commander but defeated the 3 most powerful European empires driven to conquer + re-enslave them (roughly 50,000 French (32,000 on Napoleon’s Expedition), 50,000 British and 20,000 Spanish troops over 13 years with # varying depending on who’s counted as troops, when + where in Haitian Revolution (1791-1804): as strategist masterfully combined military, economic, diplomatic, PR, logistics, training, inspiration, government administration, fusion of guerilla tactics and traditional, Machiavellianism and intuition to see how'd they come together while always multiple steps ahead, understanding how dominos would fall while in a Hunger Game scenario on an island with about 20 overlapping factions of empires, regions, classes, ideologues, races, free, slave, maroons, rich whites, poor whites, rich blacks, poor blacks, subjects from different African states all constantly switching sides, aligning, fighting and nobody knew who would come out on top. Yellow fever's impact vastly overstated with battlefield casualties not out of line with other wars at time, especially in climate, which a study of medical records after battles showed, and Toussaint used disease to trick and corral Europeans into areas where he could take action to cause biggest impact (why didn't enemies see it coming?), which Napoleon actually did see the rope a dope at play in reports right before his army did, which his brother-in-law confirmed with a panicked 180 in month 3 saying if massive reinforcements weren't sent they had no hope, but then key Hattian generals switched sides and extended war. I mostly credit TL with defeat of French expedition even though he didn't make it to the end since it was his strategy and preparation that was followed to the end, although it wasn't among his top few contingency plans, but it worked. Disease comparison: US Civil War two-thirds of the approximately 660,000 deaths of soldiers were caused by uncontrolled infectious diseases, and epidemics played a major role in halting several major campaigns. Cuban War of Independence: Spain 9,413 killed in battle 53,313 dead from disease. US Rev Germans mercs 7,774 total dead, 1,800 dead in battle; Loyalists: 7,000 total dead, 1,700 dead in battle. US Rev 6,800 US Battle Deaths (41,000 troops), GB 8,500 Battle Deaths (48,000 troops) French Deaths in Battles in just 3 Battles: 1. Most Dead: Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot 2000 (Leclerc tried to hide numbers) 2. First Major Battle: Battle of Ravine 200. 3. Last Major Battle: Battle of Vertières 1200. That's 3,400 in just 3 engagements. (32,000 troops sent). GB Treasurer estimated empire could take no major military action for 6 years because of how much they invested, so it wasn't like they weren't trying. Also, Shaka often gets token African mention when it should be Sonni Ali of Songhay whose innovations with river navy + cavalry (armor and horse breeding) revolutionized African warfare while conquering and consolidating more territory than any African before. West African historian Mahmoud al-Kati (1468 - circa 1593) who hated Ali wrote "He was always victorious. No army led by him in person was put to rout. Always conqueror, never conquered, he left no region, town or village … without throwing his cavalry against it, warring against its inhabitants and ravaging them.

  • @markjudsoncpa8226
    @markjudsoncpa82262 ай бұрын

    Outstanding list!! Thank you!

  • @bdleo300

    @bdleo300

    2 ай бұрын

    Utterly ridiculous s--it list.

  • @DrFroyd123
    @DrFroyd1232 ай бұрын

    I stopped at Leonidas. Leonidas was sixty, had one usable eye and Thermopylae was the only passage to southern Greece at ancient times

  • @batticusmanacleas510
    @batticusmanacleas5102 ай бұрын

    Well, this is A list. But not A-list.

  • @jrb2333
    @jrb23333 күн бұрын

    He's been vilified by revisionist history but U.S. Grant was considered one the greatest battlefield commander alive during his lifetime and immediately after his death. He lectured some of the great military minds and his tactics are still studied.

  • @alexshadow2778
    @alexshadow27782 ай бұрын

    Janos Hunyadi protected Europe from Ottaman Empire for decades. He defetead an 80.000 strong turkish army at Siege of Belgrade. (1456) Europe would be muslim without Him.

  • @ermalmaloku7960

    @ermalmaloku7960

    2 ай бұрын

    You forgot Skenderbej

  • @pavelivanov2999
    @pavelivanov29992 ай бұрын

    15. Bolivar - from what you mention he does seem to be a great commander, who achived so much, but it is not clear how exactly he did this. What really makes him that good. He may fit in the top 15, but i am just left to doubt that. 14. Leonidas - this guy has no place in this list. Sure he was brave, but bravery does not make you a great commander. Only a dumb person would fight the persians in an open field. This is strategy for beginners. Also which scolars say that the persians fielded 300 000 men? That is just not feasible. 13. Timur - turkish-mongol tribe? The modern nation of Turkey was founded after World War I. Turco-Mongol tribe! Timur should be higher on the list considering he did not lose any battles and he fought a lot of them and he also started as a small tribal leader to the master of Asia. 10. Fredeick the Great - "He was willing to fight, when other would have fled", this is not entirelly true as there were many times, when he had no other option, but to fight, even though the odds were stacked against him. It was either vitory or the end of his reign and empire. Still he was brave and fought battles, which other would not have even considered winnable. 6. Hannibal - he invented double envolopment? I seriously doubt this is true. With so many errors i am not even going to look it up, it is likely not true. 3. Genghis Khan - "Khan started to build his reputation", WTF. Khan is not a name! Jesus, simply Jesus. Are you guys so incompetent? The British Empire was the largest in human history, not the Mongol Empire. 2. Julius Caesar - "his empire"? Its not like he conquered all these lands for the romans. Yes, the empire was his, but the way you say it sounds like he conquered all that land. "He held territories stretching from the Caspian Sea"? When did Rome hold any Territories bordering the Caspian Sea exactly? 1. Alaexander the Great - conquering Egypt and Persia and uniting them? How is Egypt a separate entity? It was part of Persia, dahhh. This video is just bad. You guys dont know anything about history. Please dont release videos about things you know nothing about.

  • @doylekitchen9795
    @doylekitchen97952 ай бұрын

    Richard I of England (The Lionheart) defeated Saladin! Had him leave the battlefield, destroy Ascalon, and then held up in fear in Jerusalem.

  • @Bullet-Tooth-Tony-
    @Bullet-Tooth-Tony-2 ай бұрын

    Eisenhower was a politican not a general, ridiculous to put him on this list. Replace him with the Duke of Marlborough.

  • @ciceroromavisa3399

    @ciceroromavisa3399

    2 ай бұрын

    Eisenhower was a war criminal.

  • @jeffreymathis3379
    @jeffreymathis33792 ай бұрын

    Giap's STRATEGY was to spend as many lives as he had to. He didn't care that he would lose 100,000 dead if it would make the US stop helping the South Vietnamese to defend against his invasion. He won one battle against a totally outnumbered and unsupplied French force and lost every engagement against the US and half of the battles against the ARVNs.

  • @brentoconner2537
    @brentoconner25372 ай бұрын

    Giáp DID NOT defeat the US Army. Walter Cronkite did. The Tet Offensive was the death knell for the NVA until, as if divinely resurrected Walter Cronkite snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

  • @tobyhorn9641
    @tobyhorn96412 ай бұрын

    What about Patton and MacArthur

  • @sonicboom3097
    @sonicboom30972 ай бұрын

    Man, ghengis khan was the king of kings. And this list is incomplete without waleed.

  • @sankarkrishnan407
    @sankarkrishnan4072 ай бұрын

    Mehmed the conqoeror, Khalid Ibn Valid, Irwin Rommell, Alaudin Khilji are also included in this list. Some Commanders whom are very inferior also in the list.

  • @stephenhofmann5763
    @stephenhofmann576322 күн бұрын

    I appreciate seeing Nguyen Giap of Vietnam. You failed to mention his victory over the Japanese in 1945, the Cambodians in 1979 and held back the Chinese invasion also in 1979.

  • @psier11
    @psier112 ай бұрын

    Scipio Africanus at 4th place before Hannibal.

  • @Lavery760
    @Lavery7602 ай бұрын

    Napoleon at 4 is a crime he's easily the best general ever, I also think a couple could be removed like Leonidas and Cortes to make room for better commanders like Admiral Yi of Korea and Nobunaga Oda or Toyotomi Hideyoshi from fuedal Japan. Probably remove Eisenhower too, no disrespect, but he doesn't strike me as one of the best ever since I think Grant is probably the best American general ever.

  • @WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle

    @WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle

    2 ай бұрын

    I agree! Napoleon should be #1. There was a list of the most influential people period, and he was second, behind only Jesus.

  • @Lavery760

    @Lavery760

    2 ай бұрын

    Right modern warfare is still very heavily influenced by innovations he first introduced. And he died what? 200 years ago, that's insane.@@WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle

  • @bdleo300

    @bdleo300

    2 ай бұрын

    This entire s---it list is a crime.... of all KZread ranking lists this one is the worst (and they all are bad).

  • @leotka
    @leotka2 ай бұрын

    What about Atilla the Hun?

  • @cesime
    @cesimeАй бұрын

    What's about the general that defeated the Ottoman empire in the battle of Diu?

  • @NodirbekOtamurodov
    @NodirbekOtamurodov2 ай бұрын

    I think this list wasn't made by historic. 1) Emir Temur 2) Great Alexander 3) Genghis Khan 4) Khalid ibn Valid 5) Napoleon Bonaparte.

  • @davidyazdanipanah6941
    @davidyazdanipanah69412 ай бұрын

    Nader Shah of Persia, Hannibal of Carthage, Attila the Hun

  • @jhutfre4855

    @jhutfre4855

    2 ай бұрын

    Atilla is missing sorely! To me probably first place. Tough battle with Alexander.

  • @chrismenary3340
    @chrismenary33402 ай бұрын

    what about Oda Nobunaga?

  • @wardberger3777
    @wardberger37772 ай бұрын

    Cortes is on this list? Really?

  • @sav7568
    @sav75682 ай бұрын

    The greatest leader was Hannibal. Take a look at what he achieved against the Romans with that paltry little army.

  • @Lp-ze1tg
    @Lp-ze1tg2 ай бұрын

    Should be 16. Missing Han Xin.

  • @user-fz3to8sf4l
    @user-fz3to8sf4l2 ай бұрын

    I vote for Chinese acient generals , Alexander the great did conquered the most land by himself ,but he is no match against Chinese army at the time

  • @davidcarter6314
    @davidcarter631415 күн бұрын

    Eisenhower at 4! Hahahahahahahaha. Good one

  • @ojammeh
    @ojammehАй бұрын

    You left Khalid Ibn Al-waleed out. He's the most successful general

  • @psier11
    @psier112 ай бұрын

    Downvote for DIkesenhower presence that ruins a good video

  • @ElenaGeorge1
    @ElenaGeorge1Ай бұрын

    Zhu Huang Di united all of the warring states of China into one empire. That was pretty impressive. Von Moltke the elder took France in six months in 1870-71.

  • @spartannole71
    @spartannole712 ай бұрын

    Themistocles was also the brain behind the battle of Thermoplaye. Leonides gets all the glory because of the land battle. The sea phase is often forgotten, atleast to the folks i chat with.

  • @solD2Er
    @solD2ErАй бұрын

    Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. Won every battle, mostly as attacker. Mostly had less forces. He and Ushakov were horror story in Ottoman Empire

  • @chandrasekhar-ll8lo
    @chandrasekhar-ll8lo2 ай бұрын

    Shivaji Maharaj. Prudhvirsj Chauhan. Maha Rana Pratap . And other great Indian warriors are missing

  • @jamesl9520
    @jamesl95202 ай бұрын

    Erwin Rommel

  • @badshahshah4611
    @badshahshah46112 ай бұрын

    This is a typical western stereotyped presentation which depicts generals who affected the course of European history in Europe. This is not an impartial Military assessment of general ship. This presentation is superfluous & ignorant & should be ignored.

  • @revolutionariesoffreedom2374
    @revolutionariesoffreedom2374Ай бұрын

    Bro put Alexander at first position but he only fought against mainly one empire Yet he put Napoleon fourth when he fought an internal war against counterrevolutionaries while at the same time fighting against whole Europe Bro put Ghenghis khan when he only attacked tribes Julius Caesar is justified Napoleon should be #1

  • @jabbaressakhel5197
    @jabbaressakhel51972 ай бұрын

    Khalid bin Walid is the father of all these generals

  • @alokgarg1245
    @alokgarg12452 ай бұрын

    Samudragupt was perhaps the best general of all time . He was a genius and a great strategist who never lost a war . He ruled for a very long time and was greatly loved by his people .

  • @dancidchen
    @dancidchen2 ай бұрын

    not sure Alexander fits to be on #1, his army were on the verge of mutiny toward the end. Top 5 for sure though.

  • @Yiannis2112

    @Yiannis2112

    2 ай бұрын

    From Greece to modern day Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, back to Mesopotamia-Iraq, down along the Persian gulf and the Zagros mountain range of south Iran, to Caspian seashores of north Iran, to Afghanistan, Tajikistan and all the way south, along the Pakistani-Indian border. Fighting, walking their arse off for 12 years and finally getting fed up. How dare they, right? Make that top 10, for good measure.

  • @Mottleydude1
    @Mottleydude12 ай бұрын

    If any U.S. General should be listed it should be Washington (for the same reasons as Giáp) or U.S. Grant for being the first modern General and the mammoth territory he conquered during the American Civil War.

  • @jpx1508

    @jpx1508

    2 ай бұрын

    US Grant and Patton

  • @WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle

    @WhydoIsuddenlyhaveahandle

    2 ай бұрын

    Agreed!

  • @jonmce1

    @jonmce1

    2 ай бұрын

    At best Washington was a mediocre general.

  • @jonmce1

    @jonmce1

    2 ай бұрын

    @@jpx1508 Paton did not compare with Guderian, Rommel, or evn Von Rundstedt and was no where near as good as Slim.

  • @noooooooo88

    @noooooooo88

    2 ай бұрын

    General Zachary Taylor and General Wilfred Scott conquered what is now Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and California.

  • @josephspencer6058
    @josephspencer60582 ай бұрын

    You need to look at one of the most unknown military leaders Admiral Yi Sun-shin

  • @Lavery760

    @Lavery760

    2 ай бұрын

    It's a travesty that I've never seen him on a list like this. He could be the most talented Admiral ever, right there with Horatio Nelson.

  • @menssanaincorporesano2633

    @menssanaincorporesano2633

    2 ай бұрын

    Comparison between Nelson and Yi need to be qualified: Nelson had a larger and fully equipped fleet with full support of the Crown, whereas Yi was practically abandoned and turned against him by the royal court, so he had to build his own ships. Nelson had some defeats, but Yi was undefeated in all of his 23 battles with a much smaller fleet of battleships than the Japanese. In one particular battle, Yi only had 13 dilapidated ships against more than 330 Japanese ships. Yi initially sank 30 Japanese ships, but as the battle progressed, he destroyed an additional 300 or so ships without incurring one single loss. Japan is an island country and thus a seafaring country. Their naval force was nothing to sneer at. Unless one was a brilliant commander and strategist, only a miracle would pull off a victory with 13 ships against a formidable force of 330 ships. Yi was such a great commander and a brilliant strategist who read the ever-changing sea current and utilized to his advantage while battling.

  • @user-rd8ft1gx8w
    @user-rd8ft1gx8w2 ай бұрын

    Cyrus needs to be on this list over Leonidas and Themistocles

  • @jbonilla315
    @jbonilla3152 ай бұрын

    No George Washington? One of the founders of this great country. There is only one flaw in our country. We produce democrats. We're deeply sorry for that.

  • @keysersoze5920
    @keysersoze59202 ай бұрын

    LOL! Joke of a list. Ike was an administrator. Where is Scipio Africanus? Hannibal and Caesar should rank higher. Subutai was the Mongol mastermind. Themistocles was the genius of the war against Persia. Napoleon should probably be first, but I agree with Alexander. I could go on, but I’ll just laugh, LOL!

  • @shawndaniels6922
    @shawndaniels69222 ай бұрын

    Robert E. Lee?

  • @mr.cookie7308
    @mr.cookie73082 ай бұрын

    Top 5 is Vo Nguyen Giap, defeated the pre-eminant superpower of the time, the US Military machine.

  • @khalidpeer6766
    @khalidpeer6766Ай бұрын

    no Khalid Bin Walid - or have you not heard of him

  • @BarryHatwell
    @BarryHatwell9 күн бұрын

    And where is Richard Coeur de Lion....the general who twice defeated Saladin during the third Crusade........?

  • @MarketTeaLeaves
    @MarketTeaLeaves2 ай бұрын

    Eisenhower never commanded a platoon so I fail to see how he was a great military leader. Yes he led an alliance but thats being a great diplomat not a commander of personnel in battle. You missed Patton

  • @tolik5929
    @tolik59292 ай бұрын

    proof is in the pudding , Genghis Kahn . Oh , by the way dude , his name wasnt Khan , Genghis Khan was a title , not a name . Meaning Universal rular in Mongol . His name was Timagin . Alexander the not so great , his territory was very small in comparison . Genghis Khans general Subitai was much more skilled than Alexander , as was Caesar . The Mongols were the only people to conquer Russia .....and the did it in winter .

  • @MalikYee51

    @MalikYee51

    2 ай бұрын

    I don’t think you know your history very well buddy. His name was Temuijn, Mongolian language changed it to Chinggis Khan, which means ruler, Khan isn’t a Mongolian word. Also you can compare two different times with Alexander and Temujin. That’s like comparing Lebron to Jordan. Both were great in perspective individuality.

  • @jamesberry3230

    @jamesberry3230

    2 ай бұрын

    most of the territory conquered by Mongols was by others after Genghis Khan''s death

  • @tolik5929

    @tolik5929

    2 ай бұрын

    @@jamesberry3230 very true , huge expansion during Ogadai .

  • @Tboy439

    @Tboy439

    Ай бұрын

    Kahn basically conquered a good part of what be latter called Russia before thy were well populated and organized, as was much of the territory the Kahn's conquered. It was mostly Ivan II, III and IV, the Terrible who eventually kicked them out of what became Russia. Genghis Kahn's marching orders actually came from the Vatican, along with support from Pope Innocent III. Just as Kahn was getting ready to launch, Pope Innocent III launched the 4th Crusade that instead of attacking Islam, attacked Christian Consantanople to weaken and clear the one obsticle that may have hindered Kahn. BTW... It was Popr Honorious I who sanctioned the creation of Islam in 634 AD and have controlled it ever since. As Albert Pike wrote and boasted...We control Islam, and we will use it to destroy the West. And that's now happening as we speak. Israel was deliberately created the mess we now see. The first attempt to create Israel was by the Jesuit Napoleon in June-July 1799, as it's been planned for centuries.

  • @ianbarkham5080
    @ianbarkham50802 ай бұрын

    Belisarius

  • @besarlimani7144
    @besarlimani7144Ай бұрын

    Where is Khalid ibn al Walid? He destroyed Persian empire and Byzantine empire, never lost a battle and died in his bed.

  • @grigoriskossyvakis2453
    @grigoriskossyvakis2453Ай бұрын

    Ο σπουδαίος Γάλλος συγγραφεύς Βίκτωρ Ουγκώ έγραψε, ότι οι σπουδαιότεροι στρατιωτικοί ηγέτες - ήρωες τού 19ου αιώνος υπήρξαν: 1. George Washington (USA), 2. Simon Bolivar (S.Amerika), 3. Marco Botsaris (Greece) and 4. Thaddeus Kosciuszko (Polska).

  • @TimSerras
    @TimSerras2 ай бұрын

    Afonso de Albuquerque, Portuguese viceroy of Portuguese India. Conquered Goa, Malacca, Ormuz, established Portuguese control of the Indian Ocean paving the way for a later European dominance of the East against Muslim powers. Perhaps the most influential man when it comes to the beginnngs of the world’s globalisation.

  • @emanuelt6333
    @emanuelt63332 ай бұрын

    Where's Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar?

  • @jtpalooki7757

    @jtpalooki7757

    2 ай бұрын

    El Cid! Should definitely be on this list!

  • @bobbymoore8
    @bobbymoore82 ай бұрын

    I knew Toussaint L'Ouverture nor Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the guys who led the slave revolt in Haiti weren’t going to be included for obvious reasons 😂😂

  • @charlespool7001
    @charlespool70012 ай бұрын

    General, Douglas, MacArthur, most highly decorated soldier in American history. Influenced three world conflict, nominated for the medal of honor in an action against Pancho Villa before World War I. Commander of the rainbow division, in World War I, the most effective division in America. 11 to one kill ratio in World War II. He completely changed the culture of Japan as its dictator for five years. He then saved the Korean Peninsula with the landing At Incheon. On his deathbed, he told Johnson to either win the war in Vietnam, or get his troops out, or American. Young men would be no longer willing to risk your life for the country. He was right again. 0:06 When World War II broke out, he was a four-star general,Ike Was 0:06 a major, serving as a file clerk under MacArthur

  • @mikeflynn2926

    @mikeflynn2926

    2 ай бұрын

    He also let the American AF get destroyed on the ground when Japan invaded Luzon, failed to withdraw supply caches to Bataan, was surprised by the Korean invasion that began that war, and he unnecessarily cost the lives of thousands of Americans through his hubristic drive to the Yalu river, the beginning of the largest, longest retreat in US history

  • Ай бұрын

    And he 60 !! what a boss

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