Famous Military Leaders - List of Famous Military Leaders - page 3

Military Leaders are the leaders of the military forces—armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine—of a nation. Military leaders influence others by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission, and have the legal authority to lawfully exercise control over subordinates by virtue of their rank or position. Warlords who exercise absolute civil power and individual autonomy in regions where the government is weak are also considered to be military leaders. History is replete with the legends of military leaders and revolutionaries who left their indelible marks on human civilization. Alexander the Great, who established one of the largest empires of the ancient world, is undoubtedly one of the best known military leaders. Ancient China’s Sun Tzu was not just a brilliant military leader, but also the author of ‘The Art of War’, an ancient Chinese text on military strategy. While Saladin, William the Conqueror and Henry V were the famous military leaders who lived during the Middle Ages, Oliver Cromwell, Shivaji and Peter the Great were courageous warriors of the Early Modern Period. Even though a majority of military leaders throughout history have been men, brave ladies like Joan of Arc, Boudicca, Laskarina Bouboulina, and Lakshmibai have proven that women too can be powerful military leaders. Read on to discover about the life and works of various famous military leaders from all over the world.

The Most Famous Military Leaders

NameBirthdayNationalityBio
William Wallace1270ScottishWilliam Wallace was a Scottish knight who was a central figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence
Reinhard HeydrichMarch 7, 1904GermanReinhard Heydrich was a high-ranking German Nazi official during the World War II
Heinrich HimmlerOctober 7, 1900GermanHeinrich Himmler was a German Nazi military commander and a close associate of Adolf Hitler
Che GuevaraJune 14, 1928ArgentinianChe Guevara is one of the most revered and legendary political figures in world history
Vasili ArkhipovJanuary 30, 1926RussianVasili Arkhipov was a Soviet Navy officer who is credited for 'saving the world' from a nuclear war by casting the decisive vote that prevented a Soviet nuclear strike on U.S
Herbert SobelJanuary 26, 1912AmericanHerbert Sobel was a commissioned officer in the U.S
Joan of Arc1412FrenchJoan of Arc was a young woman who led the French army to victory over the British in a crucial battle during the Hundred Years' War
Ariel SharonFebruary 26, 1928IsraeliAriel Sharon was an Israeli general and politician who later on served as the eleventh Prime Minister of Israel
Crazy HorseAmericanCrazy Horse was one of the most celebrated Native American warriors to have ever lived
Ahmad Shah MassoudSeptember 2, 1953AfghanAhmad Shah Massoud, who was known in his native Afghanistan as the ‘Lion of Panjshir’, was a political and military leader
James Oglethorpe

James Oglethorpe

James Edward Oglethorpe was a British general and social reformer who founded the colony of Georgia

BritishDecember 22, 1696221 views

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great, also known as Alexander III of Macedon, was the king of Macedonia from 336 to 323 B.C

Greek161 views

Kit Carson

Kit Carson was an American frontiersman and soldier who played an important role in the westward expansion of the United States

AmericanDecember 24, 1809205 views

Charles I, Duke of Brittany

Charles of Blois Chatillon was a Breton leader who is best remembered for his involvement in the Breton War of Succession

French1319104 views

Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein

Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery was a British Army officer who served as an Allied commander in World War II

BritishNovember 17, 188798 views

William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror was the Duke of Normandy, who later became the King of England

British102892 views

Georgy Zhukov

Georgy Zhukov was a notable Soviet military commander during World War II who played a vital role in the defeat of Axis Powers

RussianDecember 1, 1896129 views

Prince Rupert of the Rhine

Prince Rupert was a distinguished German soldier and admiral who commanded the Royalist cavalry during the English Civil War

GermanDecember 17, 1619105 views

Philippe Pétain

Philippe Pétain was a French general who was declared a national hero in World War I but was later discredited and sentenced to death.

FrenchApril 24, 1856118 views