10 Cleverest Generals In History

Publius Cornelius Scipiowas the Roman general who turned the tide in the Second Punic War.Second Punic WarScipio came to aid the Republic during its worst time. He took command of a Roman army at age 24 after his father died young. Instead of facing Hannibal in Italy, Scipio went to Iberia. He destroyed the Carthaginian base in Spain. This stopped supplies and reinforcements reaching Hannibal at the Ilipa River.Ilipa RiverScipio pulled off a move Hannibal would have been proud of.

Roman and Carthaginian forces lined up day after day without fighting. Scipio put his weakest troops—local Spanish mercenaries—on the flanks each time. On the seventh day, Scipio woke his men early and put his best troops on the wings. Carthaginians saw the switch; the Roman army attacked. The Spanish troops held firm, stopping the best Carthaginian troops from helping the collapsing flanks. Scipio followed this win, securing Iberia for Rome. He then launched a final attack in Africa, forcing Hannibal to leave his Italian campaign to protect Carthage.

Military leadership means managing an army and allies, not just winning battles. Scipio showed wisdom beyond his young age. Rome lacked cavalry. Scipio fixed this by convincing a Numidian prince, Massinissa, to switch sides and bring his elite horsemen to Rome.MassinissaMassinissa switched sides and brought his elite horsemen to the Roman cause. This proved vital at the battle of Zama.ZamaScipio's army beat Hannibal at Zama largely because of Massinissa’s cavalry.

Scipio earned the name Scipio Africanus, which people remember him by today.

Napoleon was a military leader who innovated history. He fought over 60 battles and won most of them, often against much larger armies. Europe's top powers had to team up to defeat the French emperor, yet the match remained very close.

Napoleon succeeded by keeping opponents guessing and then uniting his forces for a decisive strike. His victory at Austerlitz showed his leadership skill. He used trickery to make the battle happen on his terms, appearing weaker than he was. Napoleon likely never used Sun Tzu's The Art of War, but his plans matched the ancient text's advice on fighting on favorable terms.The Art of WarNapoleon's plans perfectly showed the ancient text's advice for fighting on favorable terms.fought on favorable terms:

Hold out baits to lure the enemy. Fake disorder and crush them.

Napoleon pretended to retreat to a chosen spot and kept his right flank weak to draw the Russian and Holy Roman Army to attack. As they turned to attack the French right flank, Napoleon waited for the optimal moment.the optimal momentNapoleon ordered his main strike at the Austro-Russian center, launching the attack of 16,000 men under Marshal Nicolas Soult.Marshal Nicolas SoultNapoleonremarked:

One sharp blow ends the war.

The attack smashed through the enemy army as planned. By the time the dust settled, the Austro-Russian army was broken; 36,000 men died or were captured. This was the peak of a great career.

For the Mongols, military skill was the rule, not the exception. The Mongols chose generals based on merit, unlike most of their peers. If a person showed ability, a Mongol warrior had unlimited potential. This produced top officers and generals who vastly outperformed others.Subutai.

Subutai, one of Genghis Khan’s earliest followers (also spelled Subotai), became Khan’s most trusted and capable general. He won 65 pitched battles. Subutai oversaw 20 campaigns, moving from China to Russia and the Hungarian steppes. Subutai marched on Moscow, even in winter. The Khan’s sudden death stopped his European conquests.

Subutai led armies hundreds of miles apart, coordinating them with command and control methods ahead of their time. His troops spread out to raid kingdoms and then meet to destroy any opposition the enemy formed unexpectedly.

The tough victory atMohiSubutai showed skill in making quick fixes and executing a plan. When the Mongols faced a Mongol river crossing, the Hungarians used crossbows to stop them. The Mongols used stone throwers to force a route. Subutai also organized building a temporary bridge downstream.

After heavy fighting, the Hungarians retreated to their camp. Subutai created a gap in the Mongol lines to tempt them into a nighttime escape. This idea came from the Art of War, and it worked:

When you surround an army, leave an exit open. Do not attack a desperate foe too hard.

Fleeing soldiers are easier targets than those trapped fighting to the end. Subutai’s understanding of operational warfare puts him among history's greatest generals.

The Carthaginian generalHannibal BarcaHannibal Barca was Rome’s most capable opponent. During the Second Punic War, he pushed the Roman Republic to disaster with brilliant battlefield wins. Only Roman stubbornness and the later rise of Scipio, a Hannibal of his own, stopped Carthage from becoming the top power in the ancient Mediterranean.

Hannibal used surprising routes and turned the enemy's strengths into weaknesses with clever tactics. He took an unexpected route through the Alps to bypass the forces in northern Italy. Reaching the other side, he overcame a Roman army using a careful plan. He baited the Romans into a river crossing, then used a hidden group to smash into the Roman rear.

He followed this with an ambush atTrasimene., but his greatest triumph was the reverse encirclement atCannae.Against a larger army, Hannibal placed his best troops on the flanks while he took command in the center to stop his weaker troops from breaking.

His lines moved back. Just as the Romans seemed to push through, he sprung his trap. As his better cavalry gained the upper hand, his elite infantry turned on the Roman flanks while the horsemen wheeled back to hit the exposed Roman back. The surrounded Romans were wiped out in one of military history’s greatest accomplishments.

As the general of the Continental Army.George Washington., George Washington faced the British Empire's might with few allies. For eight years, he kept his army in the field, narrowly avoiding disaster with clever tactics and sharp management. One of his important gifts as a commander was attention to detail.

Before the American Revolution, he cut his (not wood) teeth as a leader for the British in theFrench and Indian War.. Though he only led small numbers, he learned lessons for the future.

The first lesson was discipline in his men. Washington called this "the soul of an army," and in that era of rank-and-file fighting, discipline separated a loss from total destruction. He also learned how to adapt to terrain and the need to care for his men. Several years later, he showed this value with themass inoculation.of his troops against smallpox, a key measure to keep his men in the field.

Against a superior British force, Washington avoided major defeats while hurting the will of the redcoats. This strategy mirrored how the Romans dealt with Hannibal in the Second Punic War. The Continental Army nearly failed after a loss at theBattle of Long Island., surrounded by British General William Howe’s men, defeat seemed certain. However, Washington moved his men to Manhattan under darkness. He used trickery to keep his opponents guessing, making them think he had more men than he actually did.

River crossings became a signature move for the general. In the tough winter of 1776, he unexpectedly crossed theDelaware River.On December 26, he caught mercenaries off guard. He did not push his luck; he retreated with his captives. Days later, he crossed the Delaware again to face Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis’s army. After three British attacks failed, Cornwallis waited for the next day’s light to finish Washington. When his men attacked again, they found the Americans gone.

Washington kept the British off for years. He battled a Congress that refused to supply the army fairly. Still, his smart leadership worked. The army fought long enough for the French and Spanish to join and change the situation. A weaker leader might have meant the revolution failed.

In matters, both military and political.Military and political., Julius Caesar gambled first and foremost. But his habit of taking risks came with a knack for having a trick ready. During his conquest of Gaul, he finally corneredVercingetorix., the uprising leader, at the fortress city ofAlesia..

Instead of wasting men's lives, he built siege works around the settlement to starve the enemy. As the siege moved forward, he heard about a huge army (Caesar claimed 250,000 strong) sent to relieve Vercingetorix. He ordered a second ring of fortifications built—around his own men.

The siegeworks stopped the two Gaulish armies from linking up and destroying Caesar’s army. Caesar’s improvised solution ended the Gallic Wars. It proved a master stroke; it remained a hard-fought victory.

Each success brought a bolder risk. After defeating the Gauls, Caesar crossed the Rubicon with one legion to start a civil war. The main fight happened in Greece atPharsalus.. Up against the forces led by the strong generalPompey.. Caesar faced more troops and ran low on supplies. Still, he went to the field with an elite army of veterans and a clever trick.

Caesar stretched his lines to match the Republican army’s size. He knew they could hold long enough for his plan. He kept a hidden line of infantry behind his cavalry to break Pompey’s larger horsemen. The trap worked; Pompey’s cavalry fled, exposing the army’s left side. With the gap, Caesar sent in his best troops, causing Pompey’s army to break and securing Caesar’s biggest win.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi. was a Japanese warlord. He rose from humble beginnings to master Japan during the Sengoku period, a hundred years of constant fighting among rival warlords from the mid-1400s to the mid-1500s. He began as a retainer forOda Nobunaga.Toyotomi Hideyoshi swiftly rose through the ranks. He found creative solutions to problems and minimized his losses.

At the siege of Tottori.The siege of Tottori.for example, he bought the province’s rice at an inflated price to starve the garrison with minimal losses. AtTakamatsu.he diverted a nearby river to flood the plain and used ships to whittle down the walls. Near the siege's end, he learned his master and mentor were killed by a treacherous subordinate.

Quickly, he rallied his men. He toppled Akechi Mitsuhide by riding through the night and surprising his army. Hideyoshi then continued Oda's work by conquering the rest of Japan. Unlike his predecessor, he showed clemency to beaten rivals, then used them in his next conquest. After defeating the Chosokabe in Shikoku, they became the vanguard for his Kyushu expedition the next year.

Hideyoshi won without major losses, using overwhelming force against his remaining enemies. He modeled the ideal generalship outlined bySun Tzu.:

The ancients called a clever fighter one who wins and excels in winning with ease.

Hideyoshi's last battle was an unwinnable fight against time. As his life ended, he tried to secure his young son’s succession. Little Hideyori was only 6 when Hideyoshi died. After waiting for decades,Tokugawa Ieyasu.made his move. Hideyoshi did not build a lasting dynasty. His astonishing rise from peasant to Japan's ruler in an era full of treachery and danger shows his shrewdness.

The experienced general Parmenion suggested a night attack on the Persians before theBattle of Gaugamela., Alexander the Great pointedly refused to “steal” his victory. Those who came after him had no such qualms.His most successful Diadochi (“successors”), Ptolemy.andSeleucusused treachery to carve out empires lasting longer than Alexander’s.

Seleucus was not leading the pack when Alexander died in 323 BCE. Seleucus had only one province. He needed smart tactics; honor was a luxury he could not afford. His first treachery involved stabbing Perdiccas in the back in Egypt. Ptolemy repaid this when Antigonus forced Seleucus away from Babylon.

He regained his domain a year later. He then defeated a much larger army sent against him by using the tactics Alexander disdained before Gaugamela. His deftly executednocturnal strike.eliminated enemy leaders without much damage to regular soldiers. He quickly absorbed those men into his ranks. Seleucus used the night again to defeat Antigonus and secure his hold in the east.

Seleucus I Nicator showed intelligence in his diplomacy. Knowing when to fight and when to make a deal is a smart leader's trait. Things went wrong against him.Chandragupta is listed among the 10 Cleverest Generals In History.Seleucus made a deal that worked for both sides: 500 elephants for the eastern provinces. These good relations let the leaders focus efforts elsewhere. Seleucus made and broke alliances as he chose, remaining the last of the original Diadochi. Treachery finally ended his time.

He was not history's most honorable general, but he was certainly one of the smartest.

When Yi Sun-sin...Japan invaded Korea.Toward the end of the 16th century, the situation looked bad. Tens of thousands of seasoned samurai faced an untested, mostly peasant Korean army. The first attack was one-sided. Seoul fell in 19 days; the kingdom seemed doomed. Land operations struggled, but the Korean navy held its own at sea, thanks to Yi Sun-sin's leadership.

Yi did not train as a naval leader. Before the Japanese invasion, Yi held back raiders in northern border forts. A top professional, Yi learned naval warfare quickly. He drilled his men to fight well, focusing on keeping Japanese ships far away and stopping boarding. Yi won many big wins with few losses. This slowed the Japanese invasion as supply lines broke and initial momentum vanished.

A rival's intrigue nearly ruined Yi's work. An intrigue ousted Yi from command. His successor lost almost all but 13 ships in a terrible defeat. After regaining command, Yi refused to sink the fleet. Instead, Yi engaged a Japanese fleet ten times bigger than his own at...Myongnyang.He used the strait's shape to trap the Japanese ships and maximize his fleet's firepower. A last stand turned into a big win. The Japanese fleet could not even touch the determined Korean flotilla.

A year later, as the Japanese prepared to leave Korea, Yi’s fleet and allies from Ming China dealt another blow to the Japanese. This proved Yi’s last fight. Yi never avoided danger; a stray bullet killed him below decks. His nephew took the armor and managed the victory as his uncle. Yi is seen today asYi Sun-sin is a national hero.He operated in Korea.

He waited until age 40 before taking his first military command, butOliver Cromwell is in the list of 10 Cleverest Generals In History.Oliver Cromwell led the British army change. He was a cavalry officer in the first English Civil War and rose fast through the ranks.

After early setbacks for Parliament, Cromwell created the New Model Army.The New Model Army formed in 1645 to fix military problems. It became a professional force under one commander; leaders got chosen by merit, not wealth or connections. Parliamentarian leaders stepped aside to lead in the field in April 1645. Cromwell took charge of the cavalry and played a major part in the victory atIn 1645, Oliver Cromwell formed a professional force to fix military problems. Leaders earned spots based on merit, not wealth or connections. Parliamentarian leaders stepped aside to lead in April 1645. Cromwell took charge of the cavalry and played a key role in the victory atNasebyIt was in the

Second English Civil War(1648-49) that Cromwell made his mark as a leader. As head of the New Model Army, he won a major victory at(1648-49) Cromwell made his mark as a leader. As the head of the New Model Army, he won an outstanding victory atPrestonCromwell fought in Lancashire against a larger Scottish army. He then moved into Ireland to remove support for Charles II. People villainized Cromwell in Ireland.villainized in IrelandDunbar

The third and final part of the English Civil War saw Cromwell secure his greatest victory atCromwell became Lord Protector of theScotland, when his New Model Army attacked the northern neighbor in the summer of 1650. Cromwell outmaneuvered a larger Scottish army with his cavalry. He used artillery, horses, and infantry to defeat Charles II's supporters. His final battle occurred a year later at Worcester.

Cromwell became Lord Protector of theCommonwealthCommonwealth in 1653 and ruled as a military dictator until he died five years later. Cromwell was ruthless and brilliant; he ranks among history's cleverest generals.