
Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Just like in most other aspects of human civilization, leadership is imperative during times of war. You can’t expect to prevail against your enemies if you don’t have someone with the brains and the brawn to lead your armies into the heat of battle. Over the countless years that humans have warred with one another, there are certain military leaders who have immortalized their names through their military accomplishments. See if you can decipher who they are and learn why they are considered one of the greatest and most respected military leaders of all time.
The man depicted here was a famous Roman general:

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Born Gaius Julius Caesar, he was a famous Roman politician and military general. He is credited with playing a major role in the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The man depicted here was a famous Roman general:
- Mark Antony
- Marcus Agrippa
- Gaius Marius
- Julius Caesar
This French general crowned himself emperor

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Napoleon Bonaparte is widely considered to be one of the most skilled military strategists in history. He rose in the ranks during the French Revolution and eventually went on to establish the First French Empire, conquering much of Europe.
Imagno/Getty Images
Imagno/Getty Images
This French general crowned himself emperor
- Napoleon Bonaparte
- Joseph Joffre
- Charles de Gaulle
- Pierre Augereau
He commanded a gruesome campaign in South America against the Inca Empire

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Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador that defeated 30,000 Inca warriors between 1531 and 1533. He went on to conquer Peru and played a major role in helping Spain gain control of South America.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
He commanded a gruesome campaign in South America against the Inca Empire
- Hernando Cortés
- Francisco Pizarro
- Christopher Columbus
- Simon Bolivar
His nickname was “Old Blood and Guts”

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George Patton is considered the greatest American field commander of World War II. He led the 3rd Army in the “race across France” and is credited with playing a major role in overwhelming Germany to end the war.
Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images
Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images
His nickname was “Old Blood and Guts”
- George S. Patton Jr.
- henry H. Arnold
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Omar Bradley
He was known as the “Desert Fox”

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During World War II, Rommel was the German commander of the 7th Panzer Division, proving himself as one of the best tank commanders in the war. While fighting in North Africa he was commended by his adversaries for his reputation of chivalry. His enemies called fighting against him like fighting a “war without hate.”
CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
He was known as the “Desert Fox”
- Erwin Rommel
- Heinz Guderian
- Erich von Manstein
- Walter Model
He wrote the book On Guerilla Warfare

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Mao Zedong was a Chinese communist revolutionary who grew to become the founding father of the People’s Republic of China. From 1949 until his death in 1976, he ruled as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China.
Apic/Getty Images
Apic/Getty Images
He wrote the book On Guerilla Warfare
- Tomoyuki Yamashita
- Moshe Dayan
- Mao Zedong
- Zhang Zongxun
He was the king of Macedonia

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Alexander the Great spent the majority of his years as ruler of Macedonia, leading a military campaign through Asia and northeast Africa and establishing one of the largest empires of the ancient world. To this day, he is considered one of the greatest military commanders in all of history.
Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images
Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images
He was the king of Macedonia
- William the Conqueror
- Marcus Agrippa
- Alexander the Great
- Flavius Belisarius
He is credited with stopping the invasion of the Spanish Armada

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During the Elizabethan era, Sir Francis Drake was an explorer and experienced naval officer. He was the second person to circumnavigate the world in one expedition and the first to do so as captain. As second-in-command, he played a major role in defeating the Spanish Armada.
Stock Montage/Getty Images
Stock Montage/Getty Images
He is credited with stopping the invasion of the Spanish Armada
- Edward I
- Frederick the Great
- Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar
- Sir Francis Drake
He is considered to be the “father of the US Air Force”

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William “Billy” Mitchell served in France during World War I and commanded all the air combat units in the country. He believed that aircraft would be the future of warfare and commanded one of the first air-ground military offenses.
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CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
He is considered to be the “father of the US Air Force”
- William Mitchell
- William Robertson
- Erwin Rommel
- John J. Pershing
He was killed by friendly fire during the American Civil War

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Otherwise known as “Stonewall” Jackson, he was the second-in-command of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. His death is considered to be one of the Confederacy’s biggest losses during the war.
Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
He was killed by friendly fire during the American Civil War
- Robert E. Lee
- George Custer
- Winfield Scott
- Thomas J. Jackson
He is known as the “Father of Europe”

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Charlemagne or Charles the Great was the King of the Franks 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor from 800, until his death in 814. In his life, he united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Holy Roman Empire.
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Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images
He is known as the “Father of Europe”
- Frederick the Great
- William the Conqueror
- Philip II
- Charlemagne
He was the commander behind the Pearl Harbor attack

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Yamamoto was a Japanese Marshall Admiral of the Navy and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II. He was responsible for most of the major battles during the war, including the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
He was the commander behind the Pearl Harbor attack
- Fumimaro Konoe
- Kuniaki Koiso
- Hideki Tojo
- Isoroku Yamamoto
He was the founder and first leader of the Mongol Empire

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Genghis Khan came to power by uniting the nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia. He then led the Mongol invasions which helped him to conquer most of Eurasia. His military campaigns usually involved mass murders of civilian populations. He had the largest contiguous empire in history after his death.
Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images
He was the founder and first leader of the Mongol Empire
- Sartaq
- Shaka Zulu
- Atilla the Hun
- Genghis Khan
He was a Carthaginian general

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Hannibal Barca is best known for his leadership and gift for military tactics during the Second Punic War. At one point he marched an army, including war elephants, from Iberia over the Pyrenees and the Alps into Italy.
Photo12/UIG/Getty Images
Photo12/UIG/Getty Images
He was a Carthaginian general
- Miltiades
- Khalid ibn al-Walid
- Arminius
- Hannibal Barca
He was the first sultan of Egypt and Syria

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Saladin was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty and led the Muslim military campaign against the Crusaders. Under his command, he defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin where he took control of Palestine as well as the city of Jerusalem.
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Prisma/UIG/Getty Images
He was the first sultan of Egypt and Syria
- Saladin
- Orhan
- Osman I
- Murad I
He led the Spartan army at the Battle of Thermopylae

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Leonidas was the warrior king of the Greek city-state of Sparta. He was chosen to lead the combined Greek forces to repel the Second Persian Invasion of Greece and fought off the Persian army for numerous days with just a small force until they were eventually overrun.
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Education Images/UIG via Getty Images
He led the Spartan army at the Battle of Thermopylae
- Leonidas
- Themistocles
- Trajan
- Cyrus the Great
To this day, he is still considered to be England’s most distinguished naval commander

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Horatio Nelson is best-known for his exceptional leadership, unconventional tactics, and deep understanding of strategy. He is credited with winning numerous naval victories during the Napoleonic Wars with the most prominent being the Battle of Trafalgar, where he was shot and killed.
The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images
The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images
To this day, he is still considered to be England’s most distinguished naval commander
- Horatio Nelson
- Arthur Wessely
- David Farragut
- Michel Ney
This is “The One Who Yawns”

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Geronimo was a popular leader and medicine man for the Bedonkohe band of Apache tribe. He joined with other groups of Apache to carry out raids against the United States and Mexican military campaigns against Native Americans. He was renowned and respected for his impressive military tactics and devotion to his cause.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
This is “The One Who Yawns”
- Crazy Horse
- Geronimo
- Sitting Bull
- Squanto
He was the 1st Duke of Wellington

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Arthur Wellesley was one of the major leading English military and political leaders during the Napoleonic Wars. One of his most recognized victories was his defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.
He was the 1st Duke of Wellington
- Arthur Wellesley
- Edmund Allenby
- John Jervis
- Simon Bolivar
He had the longest reign of any Hohenzollern king

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Frederick the Great was the King of Prussia from 1740 until 1786. Although as a young boy he had no interest in military tactics, upon becoming king, he attacked Austria and won military acclaim. His countless military successes stemmed from his excellence in strategy and personal battlefield experience.
He had the longest reign of any Hohenzollern king
- Turenne
- Duke of Marlborough
- Frederick the Great
- Maurice de Saxe
Much of his later life was troubled by constant struggles to consolidate his hold over England

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Sometimes referred to as William the Bastard, William the Conqueror was the first Norman King of England. He reigned from 1066 (when he launched the Norman Conquest) until his death in 1087.
English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images
English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Much of his later life was troubled by constant struggles to consolidate his hold over England
- William I
- Robert I, Duke of Normandy
- Edward the Confessor
- William Rufus
His greatest victory was in the Battle of Chancellorsville

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The American Civil War’s Battle of Chancellorsville was a bloody one. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863. Many consider it to be the Confederate General’s greatest victory.
Bettmann / Contributor
Bettmann / Contributor
His greatest victory was in the Battle of Chancellorsville
- George Patton
- Thomas J. Jackson
- George Custer
- Robert E. Lee
This English leader was nicknamed “Old Ironsides”

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Cromwell went from leading a single cavalry troop to becoming one of the principal commanders of the New Model Army. He was vital in General Sir Thomas Fairfax’s defeat of the royalist forces.
Edward Gooch/Getty Images
Edward Gooch/Getty Images
This English leader was nicknamed “Old Ironsides”
- Winston Churchill
- Oliver Cromwell
- Robert I, Duke of Normandy
- General Sir Thomas Fairfax
This Venezuelan leader lived from 1783 to 1830

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Bolívar, known as “the Liberator,” led forces against Spanish domination in South America. His efforts freed Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Venezuela, and Bolivia.
Eric VANDEVILLE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Eric VANDEVILLE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
This Venezuelan leader lived from 1783 to 1830
- Nathan Bedford Forrest
- Simón Bolívar
- Joaquin Villalobos
- Che Guevara
He was the real-life Lawrence of Arabia (left in photo)

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The British archeologist T.E. Lawrence (1888 – 1935) helped lead battlefield excursions and other important missions behind enemy lines during the two-year Arab Revolt against the Turks, despite having no formal military training. He became famous for writing about his wartime experiences.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
He was the real-life Lawrence of Arabia (left in photo)
- Sir Laurence Olivier
- Thomas Edward Lawrence
- Lawrence Kasdan
- Lawrence Phillips
He is one of four individuals to have risen to the rank of fleet admiral of the United States Navy.

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William “Bull” Halsey fought in one of the largest naval battles in history, WWII’s Battle for Leyte Gulf. Some have described him as a naval version of George Patton.
Keystone/Getty Images
Keystone/Getty Images
He is one of four individuals to have risen to the rank of fleet admiral of the United States Navy.
- Curtis LeMay
- Douglas MacArthur
- George Patton
- William Halsey
During WWI, this German Commander was able to hold 100,000 British and Allied forces tied up, even though he only had 15,000 troops.

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Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck proved to be a master of guerrilla warfare during World War I. His nickname was “the Lion of Africa.” He was also known for fighting in the Boxer Rebellion and Herero Wars.
ullstein bild Dtl. / Contributor
ullstein bild Dtl. / Contributor
During WWI, this German Commander was able to hold 100,000 British and Allied forces tied up, even though he only had 15,000 troops.
- Felix Graf von Bothmer
- Remus von Woyrsch
- Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck
- Karl von Bulow
This man was named an American Expeditionary Force commander from 1917-1919 with an army of 3 million men. He insisted that his army should fight for the U.S. in WWI.

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Along with George Washington, John J. Pershing, nicknamed “Black Jack,” rose to America’s highest possible military rank as a general of the U.S. Army. He is the only American to be promoted to this position in his lifetime.
PA Images via Getty Images
PA Images via Getty Images
This man was named an American Expeditionary Force commander from 1917-1919 with an army of 3 million men. He insisted that his army should fight for the U.S. in WWI.
- Frank Parker
- George Washington
- Mason Patrick
- John J. Pershing
This Navy Admiral’s leadership in 1942 was a turning point in the Pacific War

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Nicknamed “electric brain” for keeping calm in times of stress, Spruance led a 1942 victory at Midway that ended up being a turning point in the Pacific War. Two years later, his defeat of the Japanese at the Battle of the Philippine Sea ensured victory.
American Stock/Getty Image
American Stock/Getty Image
This Navy Admiral’s leadership in 1942 was a turning point in the Pacific War
- Neil Armstrong
- Raymond Spruance
- Michael Monsoor
- Chester W. Nimitz
This man’s heroism in the Vietnam War inspired the 2002 movie We Were Soldiers, in which he was portrayed by Mel Gibson

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Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore was the lieutenant colonel in command of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, at the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965. His command during the battle was key because it established the pattern U.S. combat operations followed for the rest of the Vietnam War.
Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage
Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage
This man’s heroism in the Vietnam War inspired the 2002 movie We Were Soldiers, in which he was portrayed by Mel Gibson
- General William Westmoreland
- Hal Moore
- Joseph Galloway
- Ngo Dinh Diem
This Soviet Red Army General commanded the 1st Belorussian Front in the Battle of Berlin (1945)

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The Battle of Berlin directly resulted in the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of the War in Europe. Some people call Zhukov “the man who won World War II” against Nazi Germany.
PhotoQuest/Getty Images
PhotoQuest/Getty Images
This Soviet Red Army General commanded the 1st Belorussian Front in the Battle of Berlin (1945)
- Georgy Zhukov
- Joseph Stalin
- D. G. Pavlov
- Semyon Timoshenko
He was the French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War.

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Foch was the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied forces and successfully focused the American, British, French, and Italian efforts into one coherent whole, maximizing resources.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
He was the French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War.
- Maréchal Tassigny
- Ferdinand Foch
- Charles de Gaulle
- Jean Moulin
This German Field Marshal was the chief of staff of the Prussian Army for thirty years

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Moltke has been described as the embodiment of “Prussian military organization and tactical genius.” Moltke’s nephew Moltke the Younger commanded the German Army at the outbreak of World War I.
Culture Club/Getty Images
Culture Club/Getty Images
This German Field Marshal was the chief of staff of the Prussian Army for thirty years
- Albrecht von Roon
- Helmuth von Moltke (the Elder)
- Ludwig von Benedek
- Helmuth von Moltke (the Younger)
This man is often called “one of history’s first ‘modern’ generals”

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Sherman, a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, devastated the South during 1864’s Atlanta Campaign and the subsequent March to the Sea. He’s commended by some for his military strategy and criticized by others for his brutal “total war” approach to battle.
Buyenlarge/Getty Images
Buyenlarge/Getty Images
This man is often called “one of history’s first ‘modern’ generals”
- William T. Sherman
- John Bell Hood
- Joseph E. Johnston.
- Robert E. Lee
This Spanish conquerer captured Mexico and Central America for his home country in the 1500s

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With an army of just 600 Spanish conquistadors, Cortés defeated the Aztec Empire, no small feat considering that the Empire had six million inhabitants when he arrived. Cortés died of pleurisy in 1547, at the age of 62 and heavily in debt.
Photo 12/UIG via Getty Images
Photo 12/UIG via Getty Images
This Spanish conquerer captured Mexico and Central America for his home country in the 1500s
- Simon Bolivar
- Hernando Cortés
- Francisco Pizarro
- Juan Ponce de Leon
Napoleon thought this man was his best marshal

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Masséna, nicknamed “l’Enfant chéri de la Victoire (the Dear Child of Victory),” was one of the original eighteen Marshals of the Empire created by Napoleon. Napolean referred to him as “the greatest name of my military Empire.”
Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Napoleon thought this man was his best marshal
- Pierre Augereau
- Claude Victor
- Nicolas Oudinot
- André Masséna
This WWII Japanese Army general was known as the “Tiger of Malaya”

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Tomoyuki Yamashita’s military prowess led to the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to call Japan’s dominance over Singapore the “worst disaster” and “largest capitulation” in British military history. Yamashita’s forces captured Malaya and Singapore in just 70 days.
Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images
Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images
This WWII Japanese Army general was known as the “Tiger of Malaya”
- Isoroku Yamamoto
- Vo Nguyen Giap
- Mao Zedong
- Tomoyuki Yamashita
He achieved the most important win of his military career at 1745’s Battle of Fontenoy

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Maurice de Saxe first served in the German army, the Army of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Imperial Army before joining French forces. In the French Army, de Saxe became a Marshal and later the Marshal General of France.
Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Image
Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Image
He achieved the most important win of his military career at 1745’s Battle of Fontenoy
- Augustus II the Strong
- Claude Victor
- Maurice de Saxe
- Carl Friedrich Vitzthum von Eckstädt
He led the Normandy invasion in WWII

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Before he became the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower was a highly-decorated five-star general in the United States Army. He was also the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe and successfully led the invasion of France and Germany in WWII.
Keystone/Getty Images
Keystone/Getty Images
He led the Normandy invasion in WWII
- Harry S. Truman
- George Patton
- Holland M. Smith
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
He is the most decorated Marine in American history

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Lewis B ‘Chesty’ Puller was a United States Marine Corps lieutenant general who served with distinction in the Korean War and World War II. His decorations include five Navy Crosses and one Army Distinguished Service Cross. He died in 1971.
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PhotoQuest/Getty Images
He is the most decorated Marine in American history
- Chesty Puller
- John McCain
- Leland Diamond
- John Basilone
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