Who Was The Best ?

[Bazile]

Who is considered to be the best Commander / General -

1. During the Second World War - and reasons ?

2. Ever - and reasons ?

[maggiebee]

History seems to agree that Rommel was brilliant - as was Monty. Difficult to decide without taking sides.

[wolf63]

Jean-Luc Picard?

[Bazile]

Naaa - he is overated :-)

[ichkeria]

2. David IV of Georgia, and Salahuddin are two ancient names to conjure with.
From opposite sides of the track, so to speak

[ToraToraTora]

Ike, Ike, all day long, a magnificent tour de force in commanding the forces of the allies. I read his book "Crusade in Europe" - his insights, his reasoning, his unswerving dedication, his brilliance at getting the best out of his generals. Standing up to the politicians, sheer pragmatic tenacity, wielding the most power ever wielded without the tiniest corruption. We all literally have this man to thank for our freedom. WWII is full of heroes but Eisenhower gave them their stage.

[Togo]

2 Alexander the Great. Conquered the known world before he was 30.

[Togo]

After considering Q1 I must conclude Winston. Stood alone, inspired then drove on a nation, then world, to defeat evil.

[jno]

I'd go for Alexander too, for the reasons already stated. Ike did well (last US president without political experience, so a model for Trump) but he learnt to distrust the British during the war and - wisely - hung them out to dry over Suez.

[Zacs-Master]

1. Chester W Nimitz for defeating the Japanese navy. Brilliant tactician.
2. Sir W Raleigh. Cool under pressure and his bikes were good too.

[jomifl]

Wellington, the 'conquerer of the world's conquerer'

[sandyRoe]

Would general Giap be a contender? Defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu and later got the Americans out of his country.

[moinonplus]

1. Heinz Guderian
From the 1920s he advocated the creation of tank divisions and later became one of the leading generals in the German campaigns in Poland, France and the USSR. Had Hitler taken his advice in 1941, Moscow would probably have fallen.

2. Frederick the Great
In addition to being an able military commander, he was a wise political leader who enlarged Prussia and helped pave the way for German unification a century later.

[Khandro]

2. The Prussian, Field Marshal Helmuth Graf von Moltke. (1800-1891)
I just happen to be reading a book of his selected writings, 'On the Art of War'.

[Prudie]

2, Maximus Decimus Meridius

[Khandro]

Thinking again, von Moltke would agree with moinonplus ^ that Frederick the Great was supreme, even when Napoleon visited Frederick's grave he ordered his officers to remove their hats.

However, some of the strategies defined by von Moltke were still used by Rommel in WW2.