History's most celebrated military commanders

[Hypocrite-The]

Adolf Josef Ferdinand Galland (19 March 1912 – 9 February 1996)[2] was a German Luftwaffe general and flying ace who served throughout the Second World War in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western Front and in the Defence of the Reich. On four occasions, he survived being shot down, and he was credited with 104 aerial victories, all of them against the Western Allies.

 

[JohnTan]

The reason why the Ming Dynasty collapse is due to all the loyal military officers being executed..like Hitler executing Rommel

Yuan Chonghuan himself was fond of executing military officers. He executed Mao Wenlong, another Ming general who was quite effective in beating the Jurchens.

 

[eatshitndie]

general nyc. never lost a battle. never fought a battle.

 

[steffychun]

general nyc. never lost a battle. never fought a battle.

He fought an umbrage style battle against a reporter.

 

[eatshitndie]

He fought an umbrage style battle against a reporter.

and won?

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Yuan Chonghuan himself was fond of executing military officers. He executed Mao Wenlong, another Ming general who was quite effective in beating the Jurchens.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Wenlong

Mao was executed for corruption

 

[steffychun]

and won?

By voice

 

[Sideswipe]

General Albert Coady Wedemeyer (July 9, 1896 – December 17, 1989)[1] was a United States Army commander who served in Asia during World War II from October 1943 to the end of the war. Previously, he was an important member of the War Planning Board which formulated plans for the invasion of Normandy. He was General George C. Marshall's chief consultant when in the Spring of 1942 he traveled to London with General Marshall and a small group of American military men to consult with the British in an effort to convince the British to support the cross channel invasion. Wedemeyer was a staunch anti-communist. While in China during the years 1944 to 1945 he was Chiang Kai-shek's Chief of Staff and commanded all American forces in China. Wedemeyer supported Chiang's struggle against Mao Zedong and in 1947 President Truman sent him back to China to render a report on what actions the United States should take. During the Cold War, Wedemeyer was a chief supporter of the Berlin Airlift.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Coady_Wedemeyer


Wedmeyer arrived in China at a crucial time which he replaced the ineffectual Stilwell. he helped the KMT govt army to hold out against the largest Japanese campaign ( Operation Ichigo 1944 ) on land during the war comprising 500K troops.

 

[steffychun]

James M. Gavin​

Gavin was the youngest major general to command an American division in World War II, being only 37[2] upon promotion,[3] and the youngest lieutenant general after the war, in March 1955. He was awarded two Distinguished Service Crosses and several other decorations for his service in the war. During combat, he was known for his habit of carrying an M1 rifle, typically carried by enlisted U.S. infantry soldiers, instead of the M1 carbine, which officers customarily carried.[4]

 

[JohnTan]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Wenlong

Mao was executed for corruption

Your own source made it clear that Mao was responsible for the economic boom in Ming China during the early 1600s. With his death, Ming China went into economic decline, which usually precedes the downfall of the dynasty.

Mao engaged in widespread smuggling using the Ming marine corps, contributing heavily to the booming economy of northern China. He was eventually caught for smuggling and executed by Yuan Chonghuan, a fellow military commander who had been conferred the imperial sword of absolute authority by the last Ming emperor.[1] It is believed that Mao's death led in part to an economic downturn in the Ming dynasty.

 

[JohnTan]

Wanyan Heda and Wanyan Chen, towards the end of Jin Dynasty

What was significant about Wanyan Heda and Wanyan Chen were that they fought and defeated the bulk of the Mongol army in around 1220 - 1230, which was in China. These victories were about 40 years before mamluke Baibars victory over a small Mongol army at Ain Jalut in 1260. The Mongol armies that were in Baghad, Syria, Punjab only constituted a minority of their main troops, and almost none of the famous Mongol generals, like Muqali, Subotai, Jebe, were involved in those battles.

That would be Wanyan Heda and his subordinate Wanyan Chen the Monk. The Jin Loyal and Filial army under their leadership inflicted three significant defeats (and a draw) on between 1228–1232 and caused a crisis within the Mongolian leadership. This was the first and only time during the entire 13th century where an opponent of the Mongols managed to win multiple successive battles and reconquer territory from the Mongols. These reverses were so shocking that they actually led to a Mongol cover-up where one of the senior Mongol generals, Doqolqu, was secretly poisoned for failure by Ogedei Khan (in all probability at least - the sources are not exactly clear).

In 1230, right after Ogedei Khan’s ascension to the throne, Heda and Chen attacked the Mongol frontier army assumed to have been led by Doqolqu and inflicted a humiliating defeat at Dachangyuan and sent a humiliating message that was read out loud to Ogedei’s face. This precipitated a crisis in the Mongol court, a clear challenge to the young Emperor’s leadership. Ogedei personally led a large force into China. Furthermore, he summoned the best Mongol general, Subutai, from the Russian front to take command. But before Subutai could arrive, Wanyan Heda inflicted another defeat on the Mongols at Weizhou. More proof that Ogedei couldn’t succeed his legendary father.

During the past decade of fighting the Mongols, Heda had created a defensive system that combined a scorched earth policy while running a cordon based on the formidable Yellow River to the north and Qinling mountains to the west. Subutai attempted to divert the Jin forces to the defense of a fortress along the Yellow River, while invading the core Jin territory from the Qinling mountains. However, Heda’s forces detected his advance and the Monk General Chen’s highly effective cavalry caught Subutai’s army and threatened to cut off his line of retreat in the mountains. This maneuver led to a third victory at Daohui Valley.

Now the best Mongol general had been thwarted, and Ogedei was livid. Up until now, no Mongol foe had been able to do much other than stall or win a single minor victory. It is recorded in Subutai’s biography that Ogedei furiously berated Subutai for failure, the only documented failure of his illustrious career, forcing Ogedei’s brother Tolui to step in to get Subutai another chance to redeem himself.

Unfortunately for the Jin leaders, this is where their run ended. Subutai created one of the most complex and riskiest campaigns of the pre-modern era. I’ve studied most of the great military campaigns in history, and this one actually stands out as the most impressive to me. To give a very simplified explanation, 4 separate Mongol armies attacked at various points of the Yellow River line. Meanwhile Subutai led another army to attack their way through fortified Song dynasty (a neutral, and very powerful party) positions in Hanzhong, across some of the toughest terrain there is for a cavalry army to campaign through.

After battling their way through Song territory in 1231, the Mongols entered the core Jin lands of Henan from the south and fought a battle against Heda’s army at Mount Yu. Once again, Subutai could not break the Jin army in battle, so he was forced to take far more devious measures. The Mongol army proceeded to disappear and live in the forests of Henan, always shadowing the Jin but never committing to another battle. Instead, deep in Jin territory, the Mongols harassed Jin foragers, stole their supplies, and even marched ahead of them and burned supply depots. The Jin army was kept awake by rotating Mongol shifts of noisemakers and percussion during the night, while preferred Jin routes back to their major cities were barred by chopped trees.

Eventually, this starving, exhausted, and freezing Jin army (this was in January and February after all) at last thought it could bring the Mongols to direct battle, their domain, at Sanfeng mountain. But while Subutai appeared to offer an even battle, he prepared a hidden force of men that had been sent by Ogedei’s army, which had finally pierced the Yellow River thanks to Subutai’s distractions. Unsurprisingly, the Jin army was massacred, and the valiant Heda and Chen were chased down and executed. It took this brilliant, highly creative and risky campaign to finally defeat this unique Jin army. Two years later the Jin dynasty was utterly extinguished, unyielding to the end.

To give some context, the Mongol wars in China are poorly understood, but they are necessary to consider, because the Jin and the Song were by far the strongest foes the Mongols faced. They had by far the largest armies, effective gunpowder weapons, the most effective centralized administrations, hundreds of the most heavily fortified cities in the world, and some very useful defensive terrain. Most importantly, they had by far the most advanced military tradition in the world at this point, because China had been able to sustain its tradition since the great innovations of the Warring States Period. Even later Mongol generals were able to quote Sun Tzu, for example.

On top of that, the Song/Khitan/Jurchen/Tangut wars from the 900’s to the 1200’s was one of the greatest periods of military innovation in history due to the continuous multi-state wars. To give a relative comparison of how advanced their logistics and operations were, Europe would not surpass or even reach the military capability demonstrated in the Jin/Song wars until probably the Napoleonic period or the wars of Louis XIV.

https://www.quora.com/Which-military-leader-gave-the-Mongols-the-most-trouble

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Your own source made it clear that Mao was responsible for the economic boom in Ming China during the early 1600s. With his death, Ming China went into economic decline, which usually precedes the downfall of the dynasty.

Mao engaged in widespread smuggling using the Ming marine corps, contributing heavily to the booming economy of northern China. He was eventually caught for smuggling and executed by Yuan Chonghuan, a fellow military commander who had been conferred the imperial sword of absolute authority by the last Ming emperor.[1] It is believed that Mao's death led in part to an economic downturn in the Ming dynasty.

So smuggling brings about economic growth? Than Singkieland no need customs dept

 

[JohnTan]

So smuggling brings about economic growth? Than Singkieland no need customs dept

Your own source said it does. You're now casting doubt on the source you cited?

The Ming Dynasty received a lot of silver from Spanish mines in Peru and Mexico during the 1500s. The Ming was very dependent on good white men silver to finance their wars against the jap whacko pirates and the pigtail manchus.

Profits drove merchants shipping silver to China, especially when Potosí, the largest silver mine in South America, was developed by the Spanish in 1546. For example, one ounce of gold could be used to buy eleven ounces of silver in Amsterdam and then one could exchange the same amount of silver in China for two ounces of gold (or equivalent commercial products).

After Spanish Vasco Núñez de Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean, a new trade route was established. The Manila Galleon, from 1565 to 1815, refers to the fleet sailing between Manila, in the Philippines, and Acapulco (now Acapulco, Mexico) all within the Governorate of New Spain. The fleet regularly sailed once or twice a year across the Pacific Ocean, transferring large quantities of Chinese goods through the Philippines and shipping them to the Americas and Western Europe.

Simultaneously, a large amount of American silver was transferred to China through the Philippines. Thus, profits encouraged European merchants across the Pacific, shipping silver from America, thereby becoming a major source of the silver influx into China.

https://www.asianstudies.org/public...mperial-china-silver-and-global-trade-routes/

 

[jw5]

William the Conqueror (c. 1028–1087)​

William, Duke of Normandy is forever remembered as the man who defeated King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, one of medieval Europe's most famous and decisive encounters, which led to the Norman conquest of England.

 

[jw5]

Genghis Khan (1162–1227)​

Mongol leader Genghis Khan established history's largest contiguous empire by uniting nomadic tribes and conquering huge swathes of central Asia and China.

 

[jw5]

Takeda Shingen (1521–1573)​

One of the most powerful figures in medieval feudal Japan, Takeda Shingen, known as the "Tiger of Kai" after his Kai province homeland, was distinguished by his aggressiveness in battle and his skill as a strategist and military leader. He is especially well known for his series of mid-16th-century clashes with the feared warrior Uesugi Kenshin, battles that have gone down in the annals of Japanese history and are much celebrated in the country's drama and folklore.

 

[jw5]

Francis Drake (c. 1540–1596)​

While he is celebrated for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580, Francis Drake was also a hugely influential English naval officer. He was second-in-command of the English fleet in the victorious battle against the Spanish Armada in 1588.

 

[jw5]

Gustavus Adolphus (1594–1632)​

Gustavus Adolphus was King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest military commanders in modern history for his development of a professional army based on a combination of arms—mobile artillery, and improved infantry and cavalry formations: the basis in the modern era of aircraft, infantry, and armor working together. Adolphus' tactical and strategic expertise is credited with the rise of Sweden as a great European power in the 17th century.

 

[jw5]

Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736)​

Prince Eugene of Savoy made a name for himself as a general and diplomat during the Habsburg dynasty and is regarded as one of the most important military commanders and statesmen in Austrian history. He served three emperors: Leopold I, Joseph I, and Charles VI. His fame was secured with his decisive victory against the Ottomans at the Battle of Zenta in 1697, earning him Europe-wide prominence.

 

[jw5]

Frederick the Great (1712–1786)​

King of Prussia from 1740 until 1772, Frederick the Great was an exceptional military campaigner and accomplished battlefield tactician— qualities that led him to defeat numerous coalition enemies, notably during the Silesian Wars against Hapsburg Austria for control of the Central European region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland).