Interesting topic.

Robert E. Lee is widely regarding as one of the most sound military tacticians of all time. Alexander the Great as well as Napoleon also come to mind. Hannibal has also been mentioned who made many Roman armies look totally incompetent.

But, I would have to say that Nebuchadnezzar takes the cake. He managed to consolidate many disparate regions into the very coherent and powerful Babylonian empire which effectively was the whole world (at the time). Never since has one empire dominated the known world. Not only was he a brilliant tactician, but a very longterm oriented ruler.

Llywelyn