Famous Military Leaders - List of Famous Military Leaders - page 8
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 | |||
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Name | Birthday | Nationality | Bio |
William Wallace | 1270 | Scottish | William Wallace was a Scottish knight who was a central figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence |
Reinhard Heydrich | March 7, 1904 | German | Reinhard Heydrich was a high-ranking German Nazi official during the World War II |
Heinrich Himmler | October 7, 1900 | German | Heinrich Himmler was a German Nazi military commander and a close associate of Adolf Hitler |
Che Guevara | June 14, 1928 | Argentinian | Che Guevara is one of the most revered and legendary political figures in world history |
Vasili Arkhipov | January 30, 1926 | Russian | Vasili 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 Sobel | January 26, 1912 | American | Herbert Sobel was a commissioned officer in the U.S |
Joan of Arc | 1412 | French | Joan 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 Sharon | February 26, 1928 | Israeli | Ariel Sharon was an Israeli general and politician who later on served as the eleventh Prime Minister of Israel |
Crazy Horse | American | Crazy Horse was one of the most celebrated Native American warriors to have ever lived | |
Ahmad Shah Massoud | September 2, 1953 | Afghan | Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was known in his native Afghanistan as the ‘Lion of Panjshir’, was a political and military leader |
Newton Knight
Newton Knight was an American farmer, a southern Unionist, and a soldier in Mississippi, who was also the leader of the ‘Knight Company,’ a group of soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse was one of the most celebrated Native American warriors to have ever lived
Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull was a Teton Dakota Indian chief who led Sioux tribes in their struggle for survival on the North American Great Plains.
Simon Bolivar
Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military leader who was instrumental in independence of several Latin American countries from the Spanish rule
Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck served as the Chancellor of Germany and the Prime Minister of Prussia
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an was an English statesman, soldier, and revolutionary
Olusegun Obasanjo
Olusegun Obasanjo is a former President of Nigeria who held the position from 1999 to 2007
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution