George Washington...he led a army of basically farmers and local militia and beat the British Army.
ActuaryTm
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- Mar 30, 2003
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Technically true. He was a general of the CSA after being offered and declining a command in the USA army (where the highest rank he had achieved was colonel). However, given as the secession was unsuccessful, and the CSA never officially was recognized as seperate from the USA, it seems to me he was thus a general of the USA, but not its army.
I think ZeroEffect is right, I believe Lee resigned his commission in the US army before joining the Virginia militia. Let's just say 'who was the greatest American general' and leave it at that
Oddly enough, I disagree with you on both points.
Lee was a failure, his victories were against even bigger failures, that's all. Most of his reputation is part of the mythic recreation of the South that took place from 1870-present.
But he was a US General, every bit of training and experience that made him what he was, occurred when he was in the Federal Army.
additionally, as a Yankee, I do not accept that the Confederacy ever existed as a seperate nation, participants on both sides of the Civil War were citizens of the US, before, during, and after the War.
I vote washington due to the fact that he almost single-handedly kept his army together, although he admittedly did not achieve numerous and decisive victories over the British without French aid. He was also thinking of the long-term, where his army had to survive and wear down the British in order to triumph.
I think probably George S. Patton was greatest. Text
I read the multivolume The Patton Papers and another book, Patton, A Study In Command.
In those books it's said Patton was the ONLY Allied warrior that the Germans truly feared.
Patton seems to have been mostly forgotten by history, or maybe buried by revisionists of history.
One of the absolute worst military strategists in US history was Dwight Eisenhauer, as proved by Battle of the Bulge where Patton had thousands of German soldiers trapped in an indefensable position during the heat of battle, and he ordered Patton to stand down and let the German enemy go free. WWII would've ended lots sooner except for that stupendous bungle by the imncompetent Eisenhauer.
But with Eisenhauer's subsequent elevation in politics he gets the accolades, Patton on the front lines is forgotten. Those two didn't get along AT ALL, and some conspiracy people suggest Eisenhauer's people had Patton murdered by intentional car wreck. I don't know.
I read the multivolume The Patton Papers and another book, Patton, A Study In Command.
In those books it's said Patton was the ONLY Allied warrior that the Germans truly feared.
Patton seems to have been mostly forgotten by history, or maybe buried by revisionists of history.
One of the absolute worst military strategists in US history was Dwight Eisenhauer, as proved by Battle of the Bulge where Patton had thousands of German soldiers trapped in an indefensable position during the heat of battle, and he ordered Patton to stand down and let the German enemy go free. WWII would've ended lots sooner except for that stupendous bungle by the imncompetent Eisenhauer.
But with Eisenhauer's subsequent elevation in politics he gets the accolades, Patton on the front lines is forgotten. Those two didn't get along AT ALL, and some conspiracy people suggest Eisenhauer's people had Patton murdered by intentional car wreck. I don't know.
What about The General Lee? It's not on the poll.
Yes, I know it was named after Robert E. Lee, but it was still just General Lee.
Yes, I know it was named after Robert E. Lee, but it was still just General Lee.
Schadenfroh
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Where are the Admirals as a choice.
Dewey/Nimitz/Jones
They may not be Generals, but they are great leaders and tacticians.
Dewey/Nimitz/Jones
They may not be Generals, but they are great leaders and tacticians.
Schadenfroh
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We named a tank after him in World War 2. The great Sherman Tank, feared by all the Panzer Divisions!
Lee was probably the best. Patton was ok ... but he was often too ready to charge into a battle without planning a bit and winning it with less losses. Washington wasn't really a good general. Besides the episode at fort necessity, all any general needed to do during the revolutionary was run away as much as possible (making the war drag on), and too often washington didn't do this.
Washington was indeed a terrible tactician, but as a leader of men, he was great. And actually, my understanding is that he gave the British fits trying to catch him.
- Mar 20, 2000
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Grant was a butcher. check out the union losses on pretty much every battle he had. he had not a single problem with throwing men at the army of nothern virginia. grant's real genius, though, was continuing to harry the army of northern virginia at every turn.
near the end the civil war started to preface WWI, with trenches being employed by both sides. of course, without the machine gun the fight wasn't tilted quite so much in favor of the defense at that point.
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