Other than his skirmishes with Kenshin, the Hojo, and the Imagawa, and perhaps his implementation of the Fuji River Project, what would qualify Shingen for this list? He was a competent field commander who expanded Takeda lands into Shinano, Totomi, and Kozuke, but did nothing that could be considered brilliant or innovative. His domestic policies were somewhat conflicting; on the one hand he did away with corporal punishment for minor offenses, and instead adopted a system of fines; yet he kept a pair of iron cauldrons (if the accounts are accurate) on hand to boil alive any criminal who had the unfortunate luck of displeasing him.
More legend than substance, IMHO
I would offer two generals, one rather well known, the other relegated to obscurity by one man's hatred:
Carl von Clausewitz
His unfinished work
On War would influence European military thought for decades especially the Prussian military establishment.
Mikhail Tukhachevshy
The father of the Soviet deep operational doctrine used by every competent Soviet general from Antonov to Zhukov. Also, as head of the Red Army's Technological and Armaments Department from 1931-36, the Soviets came to have one of the most highly advanced mechanized forces both in terms of quality and quantity. He was also responsible for innovative changes to airborne tactics and equipment by adding light tanks, recoilless rifles, and light artillery to the TO&E of Soviet formations. Shot by Stalin in May 1937..........
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