When looking back at the most crucial battles and wars throughout the history of mankind, the winning sides tend to share something in common: great leaders. Here is some insight on some of the greatest military tacticians in history:
5. Julius Caesar(100 BC-44 BC)
Julius Caesar was a man who knew how to win battles as well as govern. With trusting only the most trustworthy, he was able to keep a tight knit legion that followed him to ultimately "betray" Rome. The 13th Legion managed to outsmart and hold a tactical advantage against 3-1 disadvantage. Caesar was also a man who set the rules for a large portion of not only his empire but others as well.
4. Napoleon Bonaparte(1769-1821)
Napoleon Bonaparte managed to hold the tactical fierceness of Alexander and the passion and away of Hitler. Napoleon managed to get beaten and robbed of his army, home, and life and even though his second reign eventually failed, he managed to come back and take his crown back without killing one man.
3. Genghis Khan(1162-1227)
Genghis Khan managed to work around the edges in an uphill dynasty. Born in a poor background, Khan managed turn nothing into… well a lot. Khan used psychological warfare to create a larger army than what he was packing. With this, he forced many opponents to fight with incorrect tactics for they never knew what they were fighting.
2. Sun Tzu(512 BC-496 BC)
Even though the existence of Sun Tzu is under controversy, he managed to lead a doomed empire into a victorious empire. He also forged a novel that container strategies still used in military today. The Art of War is known to be essential to winning any clean battle.
1. Alexander the Great(356 BC-323 BC)
Alexander the Great may have had a privileged childhood but he sure made good use of it. Being tutored by Aristotle himself, Alexander managed to create an empiric steamroller. In addition to his large empire, he managed to keep a governing system that was free from any rebellion. During every battle, he would usually lead a cavalry flanking charge giving the definition of what a true leader was. He perfected what his father, Phillip II created which was the phalanx, an infantry tactic. At his death, Alexander never left a clear heir. "To whomever is the strongest" was his answer and because of that, his empire divided and eventually crumbled in the sands of time.
