Greatest military strategist of all time?

[Ashigaru]

Who do you consider the greatest?

I believe it would have to be either Sun Tzu, Zhuge Liang, or Sima YI.

[Emperor Pan I]

Originally Posted by Ashigaru

Who do you consider the greatest?

I believe it would have to be either Sun Tzu, Zhuge Liang, or Sima YI.

Who the hell...

It is hard to determine the greatest military stratagist. I mean they were all from different periods in differnet situations. And even if one lost doesn't mean they are less of a strategist.

In Europe, there have been several great generals (I don't know anyhting about the far east so I really can't say anyhting. I only took European stuff.)

I mean, alexander the great conquered the known world. Hannibla literaly never lost a battle in Rome but lost the war because of Politics. Julius Ceaser completely took rome, after victories in Gual and the middle east.

[Sly]

Sun Tzu invented the tactics and art of war if im correct, so he was more an inventer of war strategies.

I think alexander would be the greatest conquerer, but i dont know about strategist

[Snagg]

It is considered Sun Tzu has written the best literature on war. It is simple, yet deep meaning. Has a wide variety of strategies. While other literatures usually are repetitive and complex.

[thebastardsword]

even though he did lose the war in the desert(not entirely his fault, i mean, without supplies, any strategest becomes very screwed. Napoleon was cut off from his supply lines not too long after he entered russia), im going to choose Rommel.

[Ashigaru]

I actually got The Art Of War for christmas, along with Three Kingdoms. They're quite interesting.

[Magikarp]

It would probably be a European general, since Europe is easily the most battle worn area of the world (With the possible exception of China, Japan, and the general Orient).

Hannibal's strategies weren't horribly complex.. many of his victories came about buy his pure ambition and will to defeat rome (Instigated by his father). If you actually read about his battles, he mainly used tricks and utilized his advantages well, such as using the elephants to strike fear into Roman soldiers.

I would have to say good ol' Napoleon Bonaparte. Some of his battle plans were pure genius.. his layout of troops, utilization of territory, use of artillery.. there was nothing in war that he was bad at (Though his political skills are another discussion altogether).

[Nicholas The Slide]

hmm, im thinking that dude Sargon of Akkad or whatever was cool. he was in the time of mesopotamia

[B~E]

Originally Posted by Snagg

It is considered Sun Tzu has written the best literature on war. It is simple, yet deep meaning. Has a wide variety of strategies. While other literatures usually are repetitive and complex.

Yes, very deep meaning indeed : "retreat when outnumbered", "do not do what your ennemy expects you to do". Sun tzu didn't invented anything, at all. He just made a big compendium of already existing military doctrine, most of them very simple.

As for the best general, I'd go for Rommel. Even if his succes are more to due to an insane amount of luck and him being daring enough to actualy take adventage of said insane luck, he's still remains an awesom strategist. The most outstanding of the war itself, actualy.
He also respected and liked his ennemies, as opposd to any other generals you could name. Indeed, he gave some sort of chivalric flavor to a war tainted by the Nazi's extermination and the Allies' "strategic" bombings.

[Magikarp]

To add to your statements about Rommel, B~E, a lot of historians believe that D-Day would have been much different had Rommel been there to command the German forces at Normandy.

Still, I think Napoleon surpasses Rommel; although defining what luck is and what it isn't is important, Rommel didn't have to face the same kind of pressure that Napoleon did. Napoleon went up against five countries at a time, and had to constantly worry about the situation in his homeland (Adopted homeland, actually) and, on top of everything else, had to motivate the troops personally. Rommel, although a good strategist, had a lot of advantages that Napoleon didn't.

[B~E]

Of course, would Rommel not have been busy giving his wife's birtday present the day the attack hapened, things would have been different. For starter, somebody would have been actualy there to comand the panzer divisions, as opposed to the different generals fighting each other over who should do what.

And I do believe that Napoleo was a greater geenral than rommel. after all, he had greaters responsabilities, achived greater success, had greater ennemies, and much less means.

[MC90]

hecter of troy(jk).
i think its kim sung jin, a verten soilder during the korean war. He was thebest soldier of his squad, also he had thought of the counter attack on N Korea, by attacking right after ther position was bombed and had HUGE casualties, the N koreans never knew what hit them , since he told most the men to hide in the bushes for 1 days and slit the throats of the scouting group. then throw cocktails on fire, and destroy the bunkers, he is not a general, but he lead the his squad like one, although he died from the chinese counter attack in 1952, he is the best stragitist in the 18th-21 century

[Malcom Sex]

you cannot really put a name on the best military strategist as back in the old days, most battles were won by commanders on the field rather than an actual ruler. From what i have seen, i would choose alexander the great for best commander. for best society, sparta of the greeks

[B)ushid(o]

For modern strategist, I choose Heinz Guderian. He wrote Achtung-Panzer!, in which he wrote his beliefs on how tanks should be used, not as mere support, but as a main force. He showed the world the effectiveness of Blitzkreig. He managed to do some amazing things in Russia. If Hitler hadn't diverted forces from Guderian, Moscow would have been captured before the Winter severely handicapped his forces.

During the Post-Roman Era, I'd choose Charles Martel, he may not have been the greatest strategist of his time, but he did manage to halt the Arab invasion of Europe and oversaw the elimination of other threats to the Franks.

The greatest ancient strategist would be Alexander the Great. His armies fought amazingly against larger powers, like the Persians.

[Biske]

Back to Rommel though, had he been there, we wouldn't have left his troops inside the bunkers, he never liked that kind of battleing, he preffered mobility over defensive positioning, he considered the embattlements at Normandy to be tombs for his men.

[Emperor Pan I]

You shouyld also remember, commanders took strategies from other generals. The United states military still uses a tactic Hannibal used in Italy.

Everythign is built upon eachother.

[Snagg]

Originally Posted by Black~Enthusiasm

Yes, very deep meaning indeed : "retreat when outnumbered", "do not do what your ennemy expects you to do". Sun tzu didn't invented anything, at all. He just made a big compendium of already existing military doctrine, most of them very simple.

He made a big list on existing military doctrine? Don't try to backup your ignorance with big words. It's not retreat when outnumbered... infact he said the size of your army does not matter. The Art of War is the best work on war ever. You can't deny that.

[Pains Requiem]

yes, Alex the great was d mannnnnnnnn

[Sly]

"The Art Of War" is considered the most educational war literature by most people in the situation to call it that. If it was just the same thing that other people have invented, I dont think it would be so famous today.

[Bret]

Of those,

Sun Tzu was BY FAR the best!

He not only revamped the art of war,,lol pun there, he totally changed how war was fought.