Since the history of mankind is in some way the history of wars, one of its most significant figures are warlords. The names of great commanders, as well as the feats of bloody battles and difficult victories occupy a special niche in world history. The tactics and strategy of warfare by these talented people are still considered significant theoretical material for future officers. Below in the article we will present to your attention the names of the people who are included in our list of "Great Generals of the World".
Cyrus II the Great
Starting an article on the topic "The Great Generals of the World", we want to tell you about this person. The brilliant commander - the king of Persia Cyrus II - was considered a wise and valiant ruler. Before Cyrus was born, a fortune-teller predicted to his mother that her son would become the ruler of the whole world. Hearing about this, his grandfather, the Median king Astyages, was frightened in earnest and decided to kill the baby. However, the boy was hidden among the slaves and survived, and after taking the throne, he fought with his crowned grandfather and was able to defeat him. One of the most significant conquests of Cyrus II was the captureBabylon. This great commander was killed by warriors from nomadic Central Asian tribes.
Gaius Julius Caesar
Outstanding public figure, brilliant commander Gaius Julius Caesar was able to ensure that even after his death, the Roman Empire was considered the greatest and most influential country in the world for another five centuries. By the way, the words "Kaiser" and "Tsar", which are translated from German and Russian as "emperor", originated precisely from his name. Caesar is undoubtedly the greatest general of his time. The years of his reign became a golden period for the Roman Empire: the Latin language spread throughout the world, in other countries, when governing states, Roman laws were taken as the basis, many peoples began to follow the traditions and customs of the emperor's subjects. Caesar was a great commander, but his life was cut short by a dagger from his friend Brutus, who betrayed him.
Hannibal
This great Carthaginian commander is called the "father of strategy". The Romans were his main enemies. He hated everything that was connected with their state. On his account - hundreds of battles that coincided in time with the period of the Punic Wars. The name of Hannibal is associated with a grand transition through the Pyrenees and the snowy Alps with an army that included not only warriors on horseback, but also riders on elephants. He also owns the catchphrase that later became: “The Rubicon has been passed.”
Alexander the Great
Speaking of the great commanders, one cannot fail to mention the name of the ruler of Macedonia - Alexander, who reachedwith his army almost to India. On his account - eleven years of continuous battles, thousands of victories and not a single defeat. He did not like to be at enmity with a weak opponent, therefore, among his main enemies there were always great military leaders. His army consisted of different divisions, and each of them perfectly mastered their combat craft. Alexander's sensible strategy was that he knew how to distribute forces among all his warriors. Alexander wanted to unite the West with the East and spread the Hellenistic culture in all his new possessions.
Tigran II the Great
The greatest commander who lived before the birth of Christ is the king of Armenia Tigran II the Great (140 BC - 55 BC). He made the most significant conquests in the history of the state. Tigran from the Arshakid clan fought with Parthia, Cappadocia, the Seleucid Empire. He captured Antioch and even the Nabataean kingdom on the shores of the Red Sea. Thanks to Tigran, Armenia at the turn of two millennia became the most powerful power in the Middle East. It included Antropatena, Media, Sophene, Syria, Cilicia, Phenicia, etc. In those years, the Silk Road from China passed through Great Armenia, heading to Europe. Tigranes was able to conquer only the Roman commander Lucullus.
Charlemagne
The French are descended from the Franks. Their king Karl for his courage, as well as for the grandiose battles, received the title "Great". During his reign, the Franks conducted more than fifty military campaigns. He is the greatest general in Europeof his time. All major battles were led by the king himself. It was during the reign of Charles that his state doubled and absorbed the territories that today belong to the French Republic, Germany, some parts of modern Spain and Italy, Belgium, etc. He freed the Pope from the hands of the Lombards, and he, in gratitude for this, elevated him to the rank of Emperor.
Genghis Khan
This truly great commander, thanks to his combat skills, was able to conquer almost all of Eurasia. His troops were called the horde, and the warriors were called barbarians. However, these were not wild unorganized tribes. These were quite disciplined military units, which went to victory under the leadership of their wise chief. It was not brute force that won, but moves calculated to the smallest detail, not only of their own army, but also of the enemy. In a word, Genghis Khan is the greatest tactical commander.
Tamerlane
Many people know this commander under the name of Timur the Lame. This nickname was given to him for the injury received during skirmishes with the khans. His name alone terrified the peoples of Asia, the Caucasus, the Volga region and Russia. He founded the Timurid dynasty, and his state stretched from Samarkand to the Volga itself. However, his greatness lay solely in the power of authority, therefore, immediately after the death of Tamerlane, his state collapsed.
Attila
The name of this leader of the barbarians, with whose light hand the Roman Empire fell, is probably known to everyone. Attila is the great Khagan of the Huns. His large armyconsisted of Turkic, Germanic and other tribes. His power stretched from the Rhine to the Volga. The oral German epic tells the stories of the exploits of the great Attila. And they are certainly admirable.
Salah ad-Din
The Sultan of Syria, who was nicknamed the “defender of the faith” because of the uncompromising struggle against the crusaders, is also an outstanding commander of his time. Saladin's army captured such cities as Beirut, Acre, Caesarea, Ashkalon and Jerusalem.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Many Russian commanders of the Great War (Patriotic War of 1812) fought against the army of Napoleon, Emperor of France. For 20 years, Napoleon was engaged in the implementation of the most daring and daring plans aimed at expanding the borders of his state. All of Europe was under his control. But he did not limit himself to this and tried to conquer some of the countries of Asia and Africa. Napoleon's Russian campaign, however, was the beginning of the end.
Russia and its great commanders: photos and biographies
Let's start talking about the exploits of Russian commanders with a description of the military achievements of this ruler. Prince Oleg of Novgorod and Kyiv is considered the unifier of Ancient Russia. He expanded the borders of his country, being the first Russian ruler who dared to strike at the Khazar Khaganate. In addition, he managed to conclude agreements with the Byzantines that were beneficial for his country. It was about him that Pushkin wrote: “Your shield is on the gates of Constantinople.”
Dobrynya Nikitich
About the valor of this voivode (as the great commanders of Russia were called in ancient times) we learn from epics. He was one of the most important figures on the territory of all Russia, and sometimes his fame surpassed that of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich.
Vladimir Monomakh
Everyone must have heard about Monomakh's hat. So, she is a relic, a symbol of power that belonged to Prince Vladimir. His nickname is of Byzantine origin and translates as "combatant". He was considered the best commander of his era. For the first time, Vladimir stood at the head of his army at the age of 13, since then he has won one victory after another. He has 83 battles to his credit.
Alexander Nevsky
The great Russian commander of the Middle Ages, Prince Alexander of Novgorod, got his nickname as a result of the victory over the Swedes on the Neva River. Then he was only 20 years old. After 2 years on Lake Peipus, he defeated the order of German knights. The Russian Orthodox Church canonized him as a saint.
Dmitry Donskoy
On another Russian river - the Don River, Prince Dmitry defeated the Tatar army led by Khan Mamai. He is also considered one of the greatest Russian generals of the 14th century. Known by the nickname Donskoy.
Ermak
Not only princes and tsars are considered the greatest Russian commanders, but also Cossack chieftains, such as Yermak. He is a hero, a strong man, an invincible warrior, a conqueror of Siberia. He led troops to Khan Kuchum, defeated him and annexed the Siberian lands to Russia. There are severalversions of his name - Ermolai, Ermilk, Herman, etc. However, he went down in history as the legendary and great Russian commander, ataman Yermak.
Peter the Great
Surely everyone will agree that Peter the Great - the greatest of the kings, who incredibly changed the fate of our state - is also a skilled military leader. The great Russian commander Pyotr Romanov won dozens of victories both on the battlefield and on the seas. Among his most significant campaigns are the Azov, Persian, and it is also worth mentioning the Northern War and the famous Battle of Poltava, during which the Russian army defeated the King of Sweden, Charles the Twelfth.
Alexander Suvorov
In the list of "Great commanders of Russia" this commander occupies a leading position. He is a real hero of Russia. This commander managed to take part in a huge number of wars and battles, but he never suffered defeat. Significant in the military career of Suvorov are the campaigns of the Russian-Turkish war, as well as the Swiss and Italian. The great commander Suvorov and today is a role model for young guys - pupils of the main military school of the Russian Federation.
Grigory Potemkin
Of course, when we mention the name of this Serene Prince, we immediately associate with the word "favorite". Yes, indeed, he was a favorite of Empress Catherine the Great (Second), however, he was also one of the best commanders of the Russian Empire. Even Suvorov himself wrote about him: “I will be happy to die for him!”
Mikhail Kutuzov
Bestthe Russian commander of the late XVIII - early XIX centuries - Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, went down in history as the first Russian generalissimo, since military units of different nations served in his army. He is a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. It was he who came up with the idea of creating light cavalry and infantry.
Bagration
Another of the heroes of the war against Napoleon - the Georgian prince Bagration - was a descendant of the throne of his country. However, at the beginning of the 19th century, Alexander the Third added the surname Bagrationov to the number of Russian princely families. This warrior was called the “lion of the Russian army.”
Warlords of the 20th century
As is known from history, since the beginning of the 20th century, the political situation in Russia has changed dramatically: there have been several revolutions, the First World War began, then a civil war, etc. The Russian army was divided into two parts: “White Guards” and “red." Each of these divisions had their own commanders. The "White Guards" - Kolchak, Vrungel, the "Reds" - Budyonny, Chapaev, Frunze. Trotsky is considered to be a politician, but not a military man, but in fact he is also a very wise military leader, because it is he who is credited with creating the Red Army. He was called the Red Bonaparte, and the victory in the Civil War belongs to him.
Generals of the Great Patriotic War
The leader of the Soviet people, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, is known throughout the world as a wise and very powerful ruler. He is considered the winner of the Patriotic War in 1945. He drove all his subordinates into fear. He was very shy and suspicious.man. And the result of this was that at the beginning of the Patriotic War, many experienced commanders were not alive. Perhaps it was because of this that the war lasted as long as 4 years. Among the legendary military leaders of that time were Ivan Konev, Leonid Govorov, Semyon Timoshenko, Ivan Bagramyan, Ivan Khudyakov, Fedor Tolbukhin, and, of course, the most prominent of them - Georgy Zhukov, a great commander of world significance.
Konstantin Rokossovsky
I would like to talk about this commander separately. He is rightfully on the list of the most outstanding commanders of the Second World War. His strength lay in the fact that his strategy was good both defensively and offensively. In this he has no equal. Konstantin Rokosovsky commanded the legendary Victory Parade on Red Square in 1945.
Georgy Zhukov
On who should be called the winner of the Great Patriotic War, opinions differ. Some believe that it is, of course, Stalin, because he was the supreme commander. However, there are politicians (not only in Russia, but also in the world as a whole) who believe that it was not Joseph Dzhugashvili who deserved the honorary title, but the great commander Georgy Zhukov. He is still the most famous of the Soviet marshals. It was only thanks to his broad outlook that the idea of uniting several fronts in the course of the war became possible. This led to the victory of the Soviet Union over the fascist invaders. After all this, how can one not admit that the great commander Georgy Zhukov is the mainThe "culprit" of the Victory?
As a conclusion
About all the outstanding generals in the history of mankind, of course, it is impossible to tell in one short article. Every country, every nation has its heroes. In this article, we mentioned the great commanders - historical figures who were able to change the course of events on a global scale, and also talked about some of the most prominent Russian commanders.
