Alexander was the first great military commander.
Caesar changed a republic with his successes....
Gengis Khan brought the Far East to the Western World....
Charlemagne is a notable military success story.....
He wasn't really a military guy, but Bismarck had a 30 year run of success in foreign dealings....
Pershing should get a mention....
Chesty Puller was good for nearly 40 years (I might have the years wrong but he was still great)...
George Washington strapped a nation together....
Robert E. Lee, although he lost, probably was the best general of the Civil War. He took an inferior (at least in numbers and supply) force and continually whipped a numerically superior and better supplied force consistently into 1864 minus one or two big battles, which told on that same force to the point that he couldn't overcome it.
I think we have most choices in common :) You have included Caesar (whom I forgot) and Charlemagne (I haven't read much about his campaigns). I see you have included Pershing....what do you think about Patton and McArthur among modern American generals?
IMHO, Zhukov has not received his due credit due to the cold war. The Russo-Japanese battles at Nomohan (pre-WW2 in late 1930s) are almost unknown and his success in the Eastern Front in WW2 (Kursk) finally destroyed Hitler's Barbossa and Citadel operations.
Chesty Puller....
Gotta agree with ya there.