Which country has the produced the best military leaders?

Question

Which country has the produced the best military leaders?

Answer 1

The Confederate States of America.

Jackson, Lee, Stuart, and others were studied by Rommel and all current military leaders. They beat a far superior force over and over for years.

Answer 2

Germany, in ww2 especially the Germans had numerous top Generals and you can argue if Hitler had of listened to them Germany would not have lost the war. Rommel was probably the best general the Germans had, his exploits in North Africa were amazing considering the number of men and equipment he had compared to the Allies, Gerd Von Runstedt was another top general, him and Rommel where in charge of the German forces in Normandy and their defense in the hedgerows of Normandy very nearly seen the allies advance halted, only the Allies superiority in the air saw the prevail, Von Runstedt also commanded the German forces in Holland against the Allied disaster in operation market garden. Friedrich Von Paulas was another top General, he commanded the impressive German 6th Army through Russia and into Stalingrad, and surely would have had a different outcome only for persistent meddling of Hitler in 6th Army operations.

Other top Generals in Germany have been Guderian, Kesselring, Doenitz who commanded the U-Boats who caused havoc in the Atlantic convoys.

Other top commanders in Germany where the likes of Michael Wittman, Kurt Mayer but because they where SS commanders they would not be seen as ordinary soldiers, Mayer in particular has been accused of murdering Allied soldiers in cold blood.

Answer 3

1.  I'd side with the idea that it's Germany.  For instance, you'd also want to add Guderian and Manstein.  And if we include Prussia as part of Germany than you add Frederick the Great.  It was the Germans who really showed the capability of paratroopers and most of their falschirmjaeger brigades were superbly led by audacious senior officers such as Ramcke (Crete and then with the Afrikakorps) and Heidrich (it took an average of 3 tons of bombs at Monte Cassino for each of his paratroopers).

2.  I would NOT say the CSA.  First of all, it arguably wasn't a country.  Second, there is a school of thought that the Confederacy's tactics (lots of frontal assaults, aggressive warfare) were unsuited to the evolution of weapons and cost the CSA the war.  Third as good as the ANV looked in the East, the Union leaders in the West (Thomas, Grant, Sheridan, Sherman) were even more dominant.  In 3 years of war, the Union forces in the West can say they lost one major engagement (Chickamauga) while you'd honestly have to say that despite their track record, Jackson and Lee lost a number of battles in the East:  Gettysburg, Malvern Hill, Antietam.

3.  Yamashita with Japan deserves some recognition.  With approximately 30,000 troops he defeated and then captured approximately 130,000 British, Australian and Indian troops in Malaysia and Singapore.  It was a campaign of tactical genius.  He then expertly defended the Philippines (to the extent that many blame MacArthur's push to have him executed for war crimes was out of embarassment for how he was out-generaled by Yamashita).

4.  The problem with naming France is that while they've had some great leaders who've been inspirational and bound people together (such as Joan D'Arc), it's hard to point to battlefield tactics for more than one fight where any of them were outstanding.  For instance, while there were instances of French soldiers fighting bravely, it's hard to find a single example from WW-1, WW-2, Korea, Algeria or Indochina where you'd consider any French senior officer to have displayed tactical brilliance.

Answer 4

Greece

Research the majority of the people mentioned in other answers and the most common link between them will be that most of them studied Greek military strategy.

Answer 5

In the last 150 years, on land, I would have to say Germany.  Moltke, Bismark, Schlieffen, and Rommel.  Moltke crushed the French in 1870, Bismark created a united Germany with an army second to none, Schlieffen created the plan that would have easily won World War I if it was followed to the T (but Moltke's nephew who ran things was too cautious and did not allow enough troops to complete the wagon wheel that would have engulfed Paris and most of northern France to the channel).  And finally, Rommel did the most with the least of any General in World War II.  He nearly defeated Montgomery and Patton in North Africa with much fewer men and equipment (he barely had any tanks).  Then he made D-Day h**l for the allies with his preparations.  

As for the Sea, it would have to be hands down Great Britain.  From Nelson (that predates my 150 years I know) to Jack Fisher to Jellicoe and Beaty, great Britain ruled the world's oceans for centuries.

Answer 6

I would say United States of America (George Washington) and Greece

Answer 7

Italy!!

scipio

caesar

augustus

traiano

costantino

ezio

giulio 2°

andrea doria

colonna

garibaldi (1000 volonteers against the borbonic state)

Answer 8

Probably the old South of the US.  And the US in general. As the German high command said in WWI, "The Americans understand war."

Answer 9

Rex T makes a pretty good point.

But you should say what time period. In recent history I'd say US, Russia, and Germany.

Before that, Prussia and France.

Before that, Britain.

Before that, Rome.

Before that, Greece.

Before that, etc...

Answer 10

Since the beginning of recorded history, i'd still have to say Germany, even tho the guy above me makes some good points.  It was probably due to their Prussian background and German General Staff during both world wars and before that put them ahead of most countries.

The Romans would have to be second, from their Republic to their empire-building days.

I like the CSA generals, but when you say which country, that was a short-lived country with only a few Eastern theatre generals that outshone the Union.

Answer 11

Honestly I would say France. Joan of Arc, Charlemagne and William the Conqueror. Most people overlook these powerful people in history but all three of these military leaders accomplished unmatched feats. Joan removed the English foothold in France with a ragtag army of troops. Charlemagne repelled an invasion of arabs on France's western border from Spain. And William basically conquered England.

All three of these great generals are barely remembered and yet are never forgotton.