Surevy

I'd be very interested to have users opinions on:
1) The Greatest General
2) The Greatest Army
3) The Greatest Campaign
4) The Greatest Battle (tactics-wise)
5) The Greatest Battle (purely for heroics)
6) Greatest Rivalry
7) Biggest Upset
8) Most glorious victory
9) The Worst Error
10) Your favorite area of military history

Here's my ideas

1) Hannibal: Napoleon is a sentimental favorite of mine. I had difficulty choosing between the two, but my final choice was be Hannibal. Traversing his army across the Alps, and invading Italy. His campaign there lasted 17 years, nearly half a generation, operating hundreds of miles from his base of supply, in the heartland of hostile enemy territory, leading a force of various races, ethnicities, religions and languages, backed with the greatest tactics to world has seen, he nearly beat the greatest military power of the Ancient World. AMAZING!!! This truly proves his leadership as a magnificent general. How did he do this!

2) The Roman Legions: The Roman Legion, the ultimate military machine of the ancient world, was the catalyst that spread Roman conquest and civilization throughout the known world.

3) Sherman's March to the Sea: war was essentially over by Gettysburg, put exclamation point on victory by cutting a swath of destruction through the heartland of the South.

4)Cannae – Though Austerlitz is a close second, I’m sure many would consider this the greatest single tactical masterstroke in the history. Everyone has dreamed of since. It is consider the “Holy Grail” by military commanders. Many have tried it, while only a few have succeeded. It is still studied in institutions today. The battle is a cliché, and for a good reason.

5) The Alamo: 300 Texans withheld a entire Mexican force for 13 days. Their Heroic defense served as a beacon for Texas Independence, thus Remember the Alamo became a famous war-cry for many Texan leaders. Thermolpoley comes a close second. Both are characterized by incredible valor in almost certain death

6) China vs. Japan: 1,220 years. Not even Greece and Persia can match that. Britain and Frnace has gone down, and risen up a lot, but China and Japan has stayed consistent since 780 B.C., and there’s still some opposition till this day!

7) The battle of Bull Run: The first time that the Union and Confederate infantry clashed. The D.C. politicians and spectators rode out thirty miles to see the splendid victory of the Union against the rabble of the South, expecting them to scatter and flee. To their surprise, they fled. There was a trail of lunch baskets and bonnets all the way to Washington. At least one Congressman was captured hiding behind a tree. LOL

8) Yorktown: LOL, what can I see, I’m patriotic. 8 years of hard-fought freedom, and what do you have? REJOICE!!!

9)Hitler's Invasion of Russia: This proved to be Hitler’s greatest error. Engaging in a unsuccessful second front an undefeated Britain and a mobilized America at his rear.

10) Everything: Call me a 'Generalist' (Means I know a lot of nothings. IMHO). I enjoy the Hannibalic War very much though, it was the closest that the Ancient War ever came to a World War, nearly encompassing the entire of Europe and North Africa

Im not sure I have something for every points, but I'll probably add more later

1)
Gaius Marius, I admire him because he was capable of identifying the needs of the legions and revamp them. I view him as a great general, on more logistical angle, not tactics wise.

3)
Operation Overlord, aka. D-day. It is amazing all the stuff, planes, boats, armour infantry, paratroopers, battle ships. Anything was amassed that day, and a success (military wise).

4) The 4th battle of kawanakajima. I really admire the woodpecker maneuver. Although it failed to some extend, it ensued a victory in the end.

6)
Personal: The rivalry between Uesugi and Takeda clans.
National: France vs Britain.

10) Sengoku Jidai and ancient

As much as I'm intrigued with Sherman's March to the Sea, I have to change #3 into the eastern campaign of General Subedei. No general has ever been able to match his campaign... (conquered the last of the, then marched north across the Caucasus (something IIRC only 2 other armies in the history of the world have done successfully) subduing all states in his wake, dispersed the steppe empires to the north of that, then he crossed the frozen Russian rivers and defeated a Russian army 13 times large with very few casualties before heading east again.

You could easily start a thread on each of these ten points. Anyway:

1) The Greatest General
Hannibal. Unoriginal, I know. But he's just so extrodinary.

2) The Greatest Army
The Mongols. They didn't have an army, they were an army.

3) The Greatest Campaign
Alexander.

4) The Greatest Battle (tactics-wise)
Cannae.

5) The Greatest Battle (purely for heroics)
Battle of Britain.

6) Greatest Rivalry
Rome vs. Carthage. Because it was a rivalry that was fought for the very existence of either.

7) Biggest Upset
Japan beating Russia in 1905.

8) Most glorious victory
Joan of Arc kicking English but.

9) The Worst Error
Napoleon and Hitler invading Russia.

10) Your favorite area of military history
None in particular.

1) The Greatest General - Scipio
2) The Greatest Army - The Golden Horde
3) The Greatest Campaign - The Golden Horde moving west
4) The Greatest Battle (tactics-wise) Getting my sweetie to go out with me
5) The Greatest Battle (purely for heroics) BoB
6) Greatest Rivalry - German/Russian
7) Biggest Upset - Agincourt or Zama
8) Most glorious victory - Agincourt
9) The Worst Error - Stalingrad
10) Your favorite area of military history - All of it

1) The Greatest General-Rommel

2) The Greatest Army-German WW1

3) The Greatest Campaign-The US pacific campaign... although it may be broken up into several campaigns

4) The Greatest Battle (tactics-wise)-Kiev 1941

5) The Greatest Battle (purely for heroics)-Gettysberg

6) Greatest Rivalry-Monty/Rommel

7) Biggest Upset-Japan losing to America... they had such high hopes.. ~;)

8) Most glorious victory-Waterloo

9) The Worst Error-Kiev 1941- Huge tactical victory, but diverted troops from the drive toward moscow and extended the war.. costing Germany victory in ww2.

10) Your favorite area of military history-WW2

1) Gaius Julius Ceasar
2) The United States Army
3) Ceasar in Gaul
4) Trafalgar
5) Rorke's Drift
6) West vs CCCP
7) Adrianople
8) Midway
9) Letting America go
10) Medieval Period to Modern Day

1) The Greatest General - There is only one choice for me: Subedei Baghatur. The greatest general ever for me, this man pulled some of the most amazing stragetical, tactical and logistical moves with an army this world has ever seen.
From conquest of the steppes, the harassing of the massive Khwarezmian armies, the amazing expedition into Russia after the conquest of the Khwarezm-shah empire, the conquest of Russia in the deep of winter, the siege of Kiev, the outstanding stragetical move in the conquest of Hungary, and all the tactics he ever executed.
The closest runner-ups (still at a distance) are Jebe Noyon, Chingis Khan, Cyrus the Great, Lucius Lucinus Lucullus, Gaius Iulius Caesar, Belisarius, Heraclius, Rhadzadh... well, a lot. ^^;

2) The Greatest Army - The Mongol army under Chingis until Möngke. That is the purest form of this army and it conquered half the world.

3) The Greatest Campaign - A hard one. Either Subedei and Jebe's campaign into Russia chasing the Khwarezm-shah, his winter conquest of Russia (the only succesful winter campaign in Russia ever), Alexander the Great's journey through Asia, Heraclius' campaign against Sassanid Persia, or Khalid ibn Walid's campaigns of conquest for the first caliph.
But my favorite would probably be the Khalkha River campaign.

4) The Greatest Battle (tactics-wise) - Phew. Another hard choice! So many choices: Cannae, Carrhae, Gaugamela, Bibracte, Alesia, Tigranocerta, Yarmuk, Liegnitz, Khalkha River, and on and on. I think all I can do is to make a selection: Cannae, Gaugamela, and the Khalkha river.

5) The Greatest Battle (purely for heroics) - The battle of Toulouse, on June 9, AD 721. An Aquitanian/Gasconian (Basque) army of my ancestors under Duke Odo of Aquitaine (a.k.a. Eudes) crushes the only Arab army to come with intentions of conquest into western Europe ever. The Franks had refused help, and it was this battle, won by my ancestors, that saved Europe from being invaded by the muslims, not the battle of Poitiers.

6) Greatest Rivalry - The rivalry between Rome and Persia. This went on until Persia's unlucky demise at the hands of the great muslim general Khalid ibn Whalid, and a great amount of blood was spilt over it.

7) Biggest Upset - Why, Achaemenid Persia's two defeats at the hand of the backwater called Greece, of course!

8) Most glorious victory - The battle of Toulouse in 721 of course! ~D

9) The Worst Error - Napoleon/Hitler's invasions of Russia in winter, with the troops ill-equipped.

10) Your favorite area of military history - The classic age (approx. 500 BC - AD 450) and the Middle Ages (AD 450 - 1453).



~Wiz

1) The Greatest General

Napolean. I was stuck between him and Caesar, but I have to give it to Napolean. Both had absolutely brilliant tactics for their time. Consistantly defeating vastly larger opponents in tactical maneauverings that were near God-like. Caesar, however, led forces that were heavily superior to their foes in both technology and discipline. A great deal of his success came from the quality of the Roman Legions. For this reason, I must give Naploean the edge, though the Russian Campaign is blunder of such magnitude that it made me question my choice. However, I can't say no to a guy who gets defeat... and comes back for more!

2) The Greatest Army

The Soviet Army of 1944-45. Never in history has an entire nation been so mobilized for warfare. The sheer massive weight of Soviet arms, technology and willpower during this time dwarfs everything that came before it or since.

3) The Greatest Campaign

Grant's Overland Campaign in Virginia in 1864. There are many cases of great campaigns where one side performs outstandingly. There are few where both sides show brilliance beyond their years. The Grant/Lee contest in May-June 1864 is one of legend for a reason. The breathtaking audacity and courage displayed on both sides during the campaign demonstrated the true calibur of the men facing one another. This is my choice due to the incredible abilities on both sides, rather than just one.

4) The Greatest Battle (tactics-wise)

Chancellorsville - Splitting an inferior force to attack a larger defending force in the dark. Audacity and brilliance beyond belief. Alesia is a close second to this in my opinion

5) The Greatest Battle (purely for heroics)

Thermopylae followed closely by Rorke's Drift.

6) Greatest Rivalry

Grant/Lee. Men of skill, honor and courage. Men who respected each other to a level rarely seen of opponents in combat. The fact that they had previously served together on the same side in combat only makes their struggle more incredible.

7) Biggest Upset

The Spanish Armada. North America wouldn't be speaking English now and all of history would have been re-written.

8) Most glorious victory

Gaugamela - What is more glorious than becoming Emperor of the Known World?

9) The Worst Error

Napolean's invasion of Russia. Followed closely by Hitler's invasion of Russia. Never get involved in a land war in Asia... and all that.

10) Your favorite area of military history

World War 2

1) The Greatest General

Alexander, he was undefeated.

2) The Greatest Army

The Mongol Horde

3) The Greatest Campaign

Alexander taking Asia

4) The Greatest Battle (tactics-wise)

D-day, not for battle field tactics, but the amount of preparation that went in to this manoeuvre is so staggering it deserves the title.

5) The Greatest Battle (purely for heroics)

Thermopylae

6) Greatest Rivalry

US\USSR : the whole world feared destruction

7) Biggest Upset

Carthage not sending enough support for Hannibal

8) Most glorious victory

Alexander finally destroying the Persian empire.

9) The Worst Error

Invading Russia

10) Your favorite area of military history

Any and all