Great generals in world history. The greatest warlord of all time

Since the history of mankind is in some way a history of wars, some of its most significant figures are commanders. The names of the great generals, as well as the exploits of bloody battles and difficult victories occupy a special niche in world history. The tactics and strategy of waging wars by these talented people in their work are still considered to be a significant theoretical material for future officers. Below in the article we will bring to your attention the names of the people who entered our list of "Great generals of the world".

Cyrus the Great

Starting an article on the theme "Great generals of the world", we want to tell you about this man. An ingenious commander - the king of Persia, Cyrus II - was considered a wise and valiant ruler. Before Cyrus was born, his mother was predicted by a fortune teller that her son would become the ruler of the whole world. Hearing about this, his grandfather - the Median king Astyages, got scared 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 capture of Babylon. This great commander was killed by soldiers from nomadic Central Asian tribes.

Guy Julius Caesar

Outstanding public figure, brilliant military leader Gaius Julius Caesar was able to achieve that even after his death, the Roman Empire for five centuries was considered the world's greatest and most naive in the world. By the way, the words "Kaiser" and "Tsar", which are translated from German and Russian as "emperor", occurred precisely on his behalf. Caesar, of course, is the greatest commander of his time. The years of his reign have become a golden period for the Roman Empire: the Latin language has spread throughout the world, while in other countries, Roman laws have been adopted as the basis for governing the states, many people have followed the traditions and customs of the subjects of the emperor. Caesar was a great commander, but his life was cut short by the blow of the betrayer Brutus, who betrayed him.

Hannibal

This great Carthaginian commander is called the "father of strategy." His main enemies were the Romans. He hated everything that was connected with their state. On his account - hundreds of battles that coincided with the period of the Punic Wars. The name of Hannibal is associated with a grandiose transition through the Pyrenees and snow-capped Alps with an army that included not only warriors on horses, but also riders on elephants. He also owns the later phrase: "Rubicon is passed."

Alexander the Great

Speaking of the great generals, we can not fail to mention the name of the ruler of Macedonia - Alexander, who came with his army almost to India. On his account - eleven years of uninterrupted battles, thousands of victories and no defeat. He did not like to be at loggerheads with a weak opponent, so there were always great military leaders among his main enemies. His army consisted of different divisions, and each of them perfectly wielded his military craft. Alexander's reasonable strategy was that he was able to distribute forces among all his soldiers. Alexander wanted to unite the West with the East and extend Hellenistic culture in all his new domains.

Tigran II the Great

The greatest military commander who lived before the birth of Christ was Tsar of Armenia Tigran the Second Great (140 BC - 55 BC). He made the most significant achievements in the history of the state. Tigran from the Arshakids clan fought with Parthia, Cappadocia, the Seleucid Empire. They were captured by Antioch and even the Nabataean kingdom on the shores of the Red Sea. Thanks to Tigran, Armenia at the turn of the two millennia became the most powerful power in the Middle East. It included Antropatena, Media, Sofena, Syria, Cilicia, Phenicia, etc. In those years the Silk Road from China passed through Great Armenia, heading for Europe. Tigran was conquered only by the Roman commander Lucullus.

Charlemagne

The French came from the Franks. Their King Charles for his courage, as well as for the grandiose battles received the title of "Great." During his reign, the Franks held more than fifty military campaigns. He is the greatest warlord of Europe of his time. All the main battles were led by the king himself. It was during the reign of Charles that his state doubled and absorbed the territories that now belong to the French Republic, Germany, parts of modern Spain and Italy, Belgium, etc. He freed the Lombards of the Pope from the hands of the Lombards, and the latter, in gratitude for this, elevated him to the rank of Emperor .

Genghis Khan

This truly great military leader, thanks to his fighting skills, was able to conquer almost all of Eurasia. His troops were called the horde, and the warriors were called barbarians. Nevertheless, they were not wild, disorganized tribes. They were quite disciplined military units, which went to victory under the leadership of their wise boss. It was not the brute strength that won, but the calculated moves, not only our own army, but also the enemy. In a word, Genghis Khan is the greatest commander-tactician.

Tamerlane

Many know this commander under the name of Timur the Lame. This nickname was given to him for the injury he received during clashes with the khans. His name alone terrified the peoples of Asia, the Caucasus, the Volga region and Russia. He founded the dynasty of the Timurids, and his state stretched from Samarkand to the Volga. However, his greatness consisted exclusively in the power of authority, so immediately after the death of Tamerlane, his state disintegrated.

Attila

The name of this leader of the barbarians, from whose light hand the Roman Empire fell, is probably known to everyone. Attila is the great Hagan of the Huns. His numerous army consisted of Turkic, Germanic and other tribes. His power stretched from the Rhine to the Volga. The oral Germanic epic tells stories of the exploits of the great Attila. And they are certainly worthy of admiration.

Salah ad-Din

The Syrian Sultan, who was called "the defender of the faith" because of his irreconcilable struggle with the Crusaders, is also an outstanding commander of his time. The Saladin army captured cities such as Beirut, Aqrah, Caesarea, Ashkalon and Jerusalem.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Many Russian generals of the Great War (the Patriotic War of 1812) fought against Napoleon's army - the Emperor of France. For 20 years Napoleon was engaged in the implementation of the most daring and audacious plans aimed at expanding the borders of his state. The whole of Europe was under his subordination. But he did not stop there and tried to conquer some of the countries of Asia and Africa. Napoleon's Russian campaign, nevertheless, was the beginning of the end.

Russia and its great generals: photos and biographies

Let's start talking about the exploits of Russian commanders with a description of the military achievements of this ruler. Prince Novgorod and Kiev Oleg is considered the unifier of Ancient Rus. He expanded the borders of his country, being the first Russian ruler who decided to strike at the Khazar Khaganate. In addition, he managed to conclude treaties beneficial to his country with the Byzantines. It was about him that Pushkin wrote: "Your shield is on the gates of Constantinople."

Nikitich

About the valor of this governor (the so-called great commanders of Russia in antiquity), we learn from the epic. He was one of the most important figures in the whole of Russia, and at times his fame surpassed the glory of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich.

Vladimir Monomakh

On the cap of Monomakh probably everyone heard. So, it is a relic, a symbol of power, which belonged to Prince Vladimir. His nickname is of Byzantine origin and is translated as a "monotheist". 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 on his account.

Alexander Nevskiy

The great Russian military leader of the Middle Ages, Prince Alexander of Novgorod, received his nickname after defeating the Swedes on the Neva River. Then he was only 20 years old. After 2 years on Lake Peipsi he defeated the Order of German Knights. The Russian Orthodox Church ranked him as a saint.

Dmitry Donskoy

On another Russian river - the river Don, Prince Dmitry defeated the Tatar army under the leadership of Khan Mamai. He is also considered one of the greatest Russian commanders of the fourteenth century. Known as Donskoy.

Ermak

Not only princes and kings are considered the greatest Russian generals, but also Cossack atamans, for example Ermak. He is a hero, a strong man, an invincible warrior, conqueror of Siberia. He led the troops to Khan Kuchum, defeated him and annexed the Siberian lands to Russia. There are several versions of his name - Ermolai, Ermilk, Herman, etc. However, in history he entered as the legendary and great Russian commander, ataman Ermak.

Peter the Great

For sure, everyone will agree that Peter the Great - the greatest of the kings, who improbably changed the fate of our state - is also a skilful commander. The great Russian commander Pyotr Romanov scored dozens of victories both on the battlefield and on the seas. His most significant campaigns include the Azov, Persian, and also worth mentioning the Northern War and the famous Poltava battle, during which the Russian army defeated King of Sweden Carl the Twelfth.

Alexander Suvorov

In the list of "Great generals of Russia" this commander occupies the leading positions. He is a real hero of Russia. This commander was able to participate in a huge number of wars and battles, but he never failed. Significant in the military career of Suvorov are the campaigns of the Russo-Turkish War, as well as Swiss and Italian. The great commander Suvorov and today is an example for imitation for young children - pupils of the main military school of the Russian Federation.

Grigory Potemkin

Of course, at the mention of the name of this luminous prince, we immediately have an association with the word "favorite". Yes, indeed, he was a favorite of the Empress Catherine the Great (Second), nevertheless he was also one of the best generals of the Russian Empire. Even Suvorov wrote about him: "I will be happy for him to die!"

Mikhail Kutuzov

The best 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 is he who owns 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 introduced the Bagration name into the Russian-princely family. This warrior was called "the lion of the Russian army."

Warlords of the XX century

As is known from history, since the beginning of the 20th century, the political situation in Russia has changed dramatically: several revolutions, the First World War, then a civil war, and so on. The Russian army was divided into two parts: the White Guards and the Reds. Each of these units had their own military commanders. The "White Guards" - Kolchak, Vrungel, the "red" - Budeny, Chapaev, Frunze. Trotsky is considered to be a politician, but not a military one, but in fact he is also a very wise military leader, because he deserves credit for the creation of the Red Army. He was called the Red Bonaparte, and the victory in the Civil War belongs to him.

The 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 a very suspicious and suspicious person. And the result of this was that at the beginning of the Patriotic War, many experienced generals were not alive. Perhaps, it is because of this that the war lasted for 4 years. Among the legendary commanders of the time - Ivan Konev, Leonid Govorov, Semyon Timoshenko, Ivan Bagramyan, Ivan Khudyakov, Phaedrus Tolbukhin, and, of course, the most outstanding of them - Georgy Zhukov, great commander of world importance.

Konstantin Rokossovsky

About this commander I want to talk separately. He rightfully is 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 in matters of defense, and in the offensive. In this he has no equal. Konstantin Rokosovsky commanded the legendary Victory Parade on Red Square in 1945.

Georgy Zhukov

In those who need to be called the winner of the Great Patriotic War, opinions differ. Some believe that this, of course, Stalin, because he was the supreme commander-in-chief. However, there are politicians (not only Russia, but the world as a whole) who believe that the honorary title was earned not by Joseph Dzhugashvili, but by 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 during the war became possible. This led to the victory of the Soviet Union over the fascist invaders. After all this, do not you admit that the great commander Georgy Zhukov is the main "culprit" of the Victory?

As a conclusion

Of course, it is impossible to tell about all outstanding commanders in the history of mankind within the framework of one short article. In every country, every nation has its own heroes. In this material, we mentioned the great generals - historical figures who were able to change the course of events on a world scale, and also told about some of the most outstanding Russian generals.