Who Were the Greatest Military Commanders (Of All Time) ?

[Cyropaedia]

In light of the upcoming film Alexander (the Great), who in your opinion were actually the greatest military commanders our world has known...?

Mine are Genghis Khan, Alexander, and U.S. Grant.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Grant? Are you nuts? The only reason he beat Lee was that he had far more men who were much better equipped. If Lee and Grant had swapped sides, the South would not have lasted two years.

[Noachian]

I would have to say Patton, and MacArthur.

Both were outstanding generals with an insight for their "craft" that made them stand out from others.

[atomicpossum]

You forgot Krotus.

[Unam Sanctam]

The unifier of China:

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Qin-Shi-Huang-Di

[laconic]

Alexander in a class by himself. George Washington, Stonewall Jackson, Marshal Zhukov, Suvorov, Sherman, TE Lawrence, Belisarius, Charles "The Hammer" Martel, NB Forrest, Cortez, Pizarro, Tokugawa, Genghis Khan, Nathaniel Greene, Clive of India, Patton, Rommel.

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

Lee-Quan?

One of the most ruthless leader's in your Earth's history, Captain.

[Gumption]

Chester Nimitz is the most underrated

Rommel was the most overrated.

[SiVisPacemParaBellum]

Here's quite a list:
http://www.pattonhq.com/militaryworks/leaderslist.html

[Renatus]

I'm a Union man. But I believe Stonewall Jackson was one
of the greatest generals that ever lived.

[Sen Jack S. Fogbound]

Good questions! There were many fine commanders in the history!

Julius Caesar
Ghengis Khan
Atilla the Hun
Dwight D. Eisenhower (Normandy Invasion)
George Washington (Valley Forge, etc.)
Rommel (Brilliant Tactician)
Zhukov (Brute Force in relatively undisciplined army)
"Bull" Halsey (Brillian Tactician)

Notice I did not question their idealogy but their skills in commanding a large army and the example of leadership.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Add to the list General Nathan Bedford Forrest. He was undoubtely one of the finest generals in the civil war. It was he who came up with the saying, "Get there firstest, with the mostest."

[John Felix]

I agree with Hannibal, and add Horatio Hornblower, Lee,
Alexander the Great and the very popular to pronounce Genghis
Khan.
Hannibal is my favorite for many reasons - Elephants being just one.

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

As a Southerner, you might have added Nathan Bedford Forrest.

[PhotoFixer3]

Muhammad didn't do to bad..

[Williams]

Grant was not in charge of the Union armies for two years. When he was placed in charge, he defeated Lee rather rapidly.

[wagglebee]

Robert E. Lee was a far better commander than Grant, he simply lacked the resources to defeat Grant. However, Lee made one serious blunder, and that was trying to invade the North and then trying it again a year later. Losing at Antietam was a huge blow to the South's morale and then it was followed by the defeat at Gettysburg. Had Lee simply let the North come to him, public opinion would have eventually won the war for the South. This would have basically been the same tactic that Washington had used in the Revolution.

Other commanders on your list should be: Julius Caeser, William the Conquerer, Wellington, John Paul Jones, Patton, Eisenhower (though he was a lousy president), MacArthur and Schwarzkopf.

[Cyropaedia]

My understanding is that Lee was not as good as Grant from a tactical standpoint. Grant simply understood the "mechanics" of modern warfare better.

I also understand that Patton was heavily influenced by the strategy used by Sherman in has campaign through Atlanta.

[Alouette]

Patton. Eisenhower. Sherman.

[TexConfederate1861]

The Greatest American General was Robert E. Lee.

Even West Point teaches that!

US Grant was not that great of a General. He threw thousands of men into positions to win by sheer numbers. Not the making of a tactician.

[Uncle Vlad]

Different character. It was always this stock speech that Captain Kirk would give when some alien was promising immortality in exchange for total loyalty.

"The same promises made by Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler, Lee-Quan. Alright, Mister, get off my ship!"

Classic "Trek."