NationStates Jolt Archive

Who do you think was the best ww2 general and why?

Rommel, it seems he only lost when the odds were totally stacked against him.

And even then he knew when to pull back to avoid a total defeat.

In absence of standing orders, go find something and kill it. ~ Rommel.

Rawr, for Rommel!

No, I'm not jumping on the band-wagon, even though it may seem like it! As you see, its a wooden wagon, and not all the comfortable....

Tough choice between Rommel and Patton. Rommel had amazing tactics, but he was hindered by his pride when every odd was against him. Patton was definitely effective and was able to pull off some impressive stunts, but his disregard for his soldiers' lives probably cost more than always necessary.

they do say the D-day landings might have failed if Rommel hadn't left after catching a cold. Although my Grandad served under Montgomery and he seemed to think he was good....

Montgomery.

Erich von Manstein. Primarily for his development of the masterful plan that led to the fall of France, his lightning panzer advance on Leningrad, his successful siege of Sevastopol and for his victory at the battle of Kharkov and the entire “Manstein Miracle” following Stalingrad generally.

they do say the D-day landings might have failed if Rommel hadn't left after catching a cold. Although my Grandad served under Montgomery and he seemed to think he was good....
I believe that Cold was his Wife's Birthday.

I believe that Cold was his Wife's Birthday.
Twas.

Twas.
Thank you.

Incidently i voted Rommel.
Good Organisational skills in the Austrian Parade and maybe Poland.
He was magic in France.
Dynamite in Africa though he did over extend himself.
Excellent Attempt to fortify the Atlantic Wall.
Madness at Alam Halfa.

Incidently i voted Rommel.
Good Organisational skills in the Austrian Parade and maybe Poland.
He was magic in France.
Dynamite in Africa though he did over extend himself.
Excellent Attempt to fortify the Atlantic Wall.
Madness at Alam Halfa.
Thank you! I didn't feel much like giving my explanation, and now: what Harlesburg said!

Heck although Alam Halfa was unfortunate that wasnt the battle i was thinking of that was a disaster.
The one i am thinking of was in Tunisa.
So i tried to Google him to find the name of the battle and i found the Wiki.-I hate Wiki.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Rommel

Beautiful Quotes though.

Tomoyuki Yamashita

Best known for taking Singapore from the British after invading Malaya...a campaign which took only two months, despite the Japanese being outnumbered 2 to 1

Held the Phillipines against the American invasion longer than MacArthur held them against the Japanese.

http://www.euronet.nl/users/wilfried/ww2/yamahita.htm

Rommel. Manstein, and Zhukov close behind. All were pioneers of armoured warfare.

Konev deserves a mention too, though he isn't quite as prominent as Zhukov. Perhaps Guderian too.

I have to admit to a degree of disappointment that George S. Patton hasn't received more votes. Patton was, IMHO, one of the most effective commanders of all time. He pulled an entire Army out of a Winter engagement ( Winter Operations are difficult in the extreme ), force marched it 200 miles, and immediately threw it into another Winter engagement, which it won.

The logistics of this type of maneuver alone stagger the mind. Envision a long hose extending from England to Le Harvre, then on to the foward edge of the battle zone. Flowing through this hose at an incredible rate are thousands of trucks carrying everything an Army needs to fight a Winter engagement: literally thousands and thousands of items, everything from bullets to beans. Now envision this Army pulling back, turning North, marching 200 miles without stop and immediately shifting back into combat. Now think about this hose again. The hose has to shift along with the Army so that the Army doesn't run out of critical supplies at awkward moments ( like bullets during an extended enemy contact, or gasoline during an armored battle ).

Patton was a genius.

Manstein.
They all did fancy stuff, but Manstein actually stepped up to Hitler, told him when he was talking out of his arse again.
Not only that, he survived the war with his honour pretty much intact - and proceeded to start the Bundeswehr in West Germany as one of the head people.

He was probably the last true Prussian if you think about it...

Manstein.
They all did fancy stuff, but Manstein actually stepped up to Hitler, told him when he was talking out of his arse again.
Not only that, he survived the war with his honour pretty much intact - and proceeded to start the Bundeswehr in West Germany as one of the head people.

He was probably the last true Prussian if you think about it...

Can only second that point...

btw, what happened to your old self :p

btw, what happened to your old self :p
A reminder not to post graphic images of war under any circumstances...
Most people prefer a bit of emotional detachment.

A reminder not to post graphic images of war under any circumstances...
Most people prefer a bit of emotional detachment.

Jaja...ich bin totally detached...but I was asking about your former self...another victim of jolt?

See, no emotion attached...though it´s quiet tagging on my fingers

I vote Montgomery because of market garden (if it had worked he would be celebrated as the greatest general in history)

he was also a pretty good leader

...but I was asking about your former self...another victim of jolt?
Call it a victim of a strange form of political correctness...
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=418666&page=17

Call it a victim of a strange form of political correctness...
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread....418666&page=17

The link is broken...Dein Link hakt

Do I hear some bitterness in your voice

Sorry, no hijacking

The link is broken...Dein Link hakt
Ups! I'll send you a telegram.

Ups! I'll send you a telegram.

Danke...

Hijacking is over

Manstein or Rommel. Yeah, they were on the side of the bad guys, but that doesn't make their military exploits any less respectable.

Manstein or Rommel. Yeah, they were on the side of the bad guys, but that doesn't make their military exploits any less respectable.

"Bad guys" is such a dumb term to use to refer to history...

"Bad guys" is such a dumb term to use to refer to history...

Okay, "evil bastards," then. Better?

Okay, "evil bastards," then. Better?

Not by much. Evil is as subjective as bad.

I think MacArthur has been overlooked in this survey. He did lead the defeat of the Japanese in the Pacific.

I think MacArthur has been overlooked in this survey. He did lead the defeat of the Japanese in the Pacific.

Yeah, because "I'm bored, let's nuke something" was such a great plan.

I have to admit to a degree of disappointment that George S. Patton hasn't received more votes. Patton was, IMHO, one of the most effective commanders of all time. He pulled an entire Army out of a Winter engagement ( Winter Operations are difficult in the extreme ), force marched it 200 miles, and immediately threw it into another Winter engagement, which it won.

The logistics of this type of maneuver alone stagger the mind. Envision a long hose extending from England to Le Harvre, then on to the foward edge of the battle zone. Flowing through this hose at an incredible rate are thousands of trucks carrying everything an Army needs to fight a Winter engagement: literally thousands and thousands of items, everything from bullets to beans. Now envision this Army pulling back, turning North, marching 200 miles without stop and immediately shifting back into combat. Now think about this hose again. The hose has to shift along with the Army so that the Army doesn't run out of critical supplies at awkward moments ( like bullets during an extended enemy contact, or gasoline during an armored battle ).

Patton was a genius.


I agree, Patton was an absolutely brilliant tactical general, definately the best of the 'wester allies'. Which made it so hard to vote against him, but I did. Both he and Zhukov were far better than Rommel, and thats who I voted for, Zhukov. Zhukov was also a phenomenal general who had to conduct his battles and campaigns under terrible circumstances. Namely the fact that Stalin kept interferring with the plans, often hampering them. If Zhukov had been given a free hand would probably be head and shoulders above any general of WW2.

Also why no Marshall? He was an administrative genius who must get the credit for how well the US army was organised and sent into action so quickly.

I find it diffult to vote for any western general, for the simple fact that in almost all of their battles they had almost complete air superiority, numerical advantage, and better equipment. Zhukov's bullyboy tactics also leave very little sympathy for him in me. I have much more respect for Heinrici who planned one of the most brilliant defenses at Selowe Heights against Zhukov and tricked him into wasting an artillery bombardment equivalent to 4 nukes in power.
Having said that, Rommel and Mannstein immediately come up in my mind as the only true gentlemen in ww2 and also brilliant minds. Rommel's superior tank tactics and ability to improvise puts him head and shoulder above Patton. Mannstein's overall strategic genius is undebateble. However i went with Guderian, since he is afterall the father of the blitzkrieg. He isn't as well known as the other generals, since his career met an early end in moscow when he decided to defy Hitler's orders and pull back his panzers. He was so brilliant in the invasion of France that when he reported that he had reached the Swiss border several days ahead of schedule, Hitler was so surprised that he actually sent recon planes to make sure he wasn't lying.

Rommel definitely; if he had commanded his troops at D-day, then we'd all be speaking german atm :D
Hitler just had to interfere and put Panzers in battlegroups and sent it to the wrong part of the coast (rommel was against that).

Zhukov: FOR THE MOTHERLAND.
Seriously, he was a great General and without him the USSR, and therefore the Allies, would have lost the war.

I agree, Patton was an absolutely brilliant tactical general, definately the best of the 'wester allies'.
I very much disagree on behalf of all the Brits here.
Montgomery did a much better job, and it was thanks to Patton and his pompous plans that the war wasn't finished earlier. Montgomery had the plans drawn up, yet Eisenhower refused to implement them properly because he didn't want a Brit to hog all the glory. There wouldn't even have been an Ardennes Offensive had Montgomery been listened to.

That being said, the Western Campaign after D-Day can pretty much entirely be credited to the USAF and RAF - the one time the weather was consistently bad enough to stop them from flying they got into all kinds of trouble in the Ardennes. Then the clouds go away and *swoosh* another victory.

BUMP
Manstien's Recapture of Kharkov was risky.

Patton or Rommel. Patton... he's just cool. Rommel has enough brilliance that he is the basis for Mirkana's leader, General Ken Remmol.

Manstien's Recapture of Kharkov was risky.
You reckon?
He had the best troops in the world under his command, rested and at full strength, plus plenty of Tiger tanks.
And something had to be done, it was no longer possible to sit there and hope the Soviets would bleed to death. Had it worked like it should, they could have encircled Kursk and changed the playing field again for a while.

Patton wins for pure badassery.
Yeah, because "I'm bored, let's nuke something" was such a great plan.
You are overlooking so much its unbelievable, but MacArthur was more of a master Governor General than a great combat general. He was far too brash. Sometimes that worked splendidly, other times not so much.

If we go by those great FPS games that have cheapened the contribution to WWII, I must go with the OSP (Ontario Sniper League) General on Call of Duty.

If we go by the actual war, which not one of us were alive to remember or be a part of, then I must show a little bit of pride to Pillsbury for giving all those State Side women important recipes that didn't take away from the rationing and reminded the folks at home to support the War Effort (tm).

In short, it's a stupid question. I'd no sooner ask a bunch of 14 year olds the greatest WWII general than I would ask them the nature of the Cold War or what to do with their genitalia.

Zhukov The Undefeated.

He managed to juggle difficult military and political circumstances, while completing masterpieces like The Defense Of Leningrad and Defense of Stalingrad (yes, the casualties were high, but Patton wouldn't have done much better in Zhukov's shoes, I'd imagine).

It's a pity what happened to him through, being replaced by Boris Shaposhnikov after a dispute with Stalin (not many men can say they survive a dispute with THAT guy).

Zhukov The Undefeated.

He managed to juggle difficult military and political circumstances, while completing masterpieces like The Defense Of Leningrad and Defense of Stalingrad (yes, the casualties were high, but Patton wouldn't have done much better in Zhukov's shoes, I'd imagine).

It's a pity what happened to him through, being replaced by Boris Shaposhnikov after a dispute with Stalin (not many men can say they survive a dispute with THAT guy).



Agreed, well said. This is what I had in mind when I voted. Zhukov fought in every major battle that Russians won, which means mentioned Leningrad and Stalingrad but, perhaps the most important, counterattack at the gates of Moscow in winter '41. That was one of the turningpoints of history.

Later on, he was the mastermind behind the Soviet steamroller that crushed the bulk of Wehrmacht after the massive clash of armour in Kursk (In where he also played a major role!) to the very end in Berlin '45.

I am kinda disappointed because of the failure of Guderian in this poll, though. My vote would have went to him if I knew how very little he is appreciated by most of the people that voted here. As American general Patton gained so many votes, I guess the main of the voters are from States, too... Perhaps that's the reason?
Anyways, Guderian was a man who created independent armoured formations, panzerdivisions, and the Blizkrieg-strategy/tactics that were the main factor in the conquest of Europe and pretty much the whole succes of the Wehrmacht-WfnSS in the war. In the field, he was extremely succesful general also.

Finally, couple words about Monty... See, IMO Montgomery is the most overboasted general in the WW2. What was so great that he earned that reputation, really?

He got beaten by Rommel every time the forces were even somewhere near equal, but was able to cause a defeat only with stunning odds and when the Ak was totally exhausted and their supply lines extended too far, lacking oil and ammunition and with nastily mauled divisions. 8th Army was rested and in good positions. Then he slowly, slowly, sloooowly pushed the Fox out of the North Africa (not to forget the Amercain expedition of course) and same happened in the Italy. Slowl, slow pushing against much weaker enemy. In Normandy, I can't see any significant, unexpected succes neither. Just slow maneuvering with massive force and advantage in numbers, equipment and air support.

Yes, he wasn't beaten because he was so carefull and cautious, but isn't that something every average, decent general would have achieved? He was, indeed, that. A decent general.
His greatest abilities, that made him so famous, were his ability to make himself a character, "The Monty", that was liked by his men and the audience in England and his ability to create a myth of himself by his books and the those of the great fanclub he had managed to create.

Also why no Marshall? He was an administrative genius who must get the credit for how well the US army was organised and sent into action so quickly.

Marshall didn't have the brains God gave a gopher. His military skills were virtually nill. Like Eisenhower, he was merely a politician in uniform.

"Uncle Bill" Slim has been over looked the way he transformed the 14th Army and then deafeated the Japanese in Burma must rank him as one of the Best if not the Best my
top Three

1.Bill Slim
2. Field Marshal Alexander
3. Erwin Rommel

Montgomery, purely because he was British, and he is the source of one of my favourite quotes:
"this is my master plan; wake me when its over."
closely followed by Rommel, because if Hitler had not overruled his orders in France, the Allies could have been pushed out of frogland.

personally, I hate Patton because he was so up himself (pearl handled revolvers etc).