Famous Generals

George Smith Patton Jr. lived from November 11, 1885, to December 21, 1945. He was a General in the United States Army. Patton commanded the U.S. Seventh Army in the Mediterranean theater during World War II. He also commanded the U.S. Third Army in France and Germany after D-Day in June 1944. Born in 1885, Patton had a military family spanning the United States and Confederate States armies. He attended the Virginia Military Institute and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Patton studied fencing and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber.

Ulysses S. Grant was an American soldier, politician, and international statesman. He served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. During the Civil War, General Grant led the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy alongside President Abraham Lincoln. During the Reconstruction Era, Grant led Republicans in removing the vestiges of Confederate nationalism, racism, and slavery. Grant was a skilled equestrian from childhood in Ohio.

George Washington was the first President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. He was one of the Founding Fathers. Washington presided over the convention that drafted the United States Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation and remains the supreme law of the land. The electors unanimously elected Washington as President in both 1788–1789 and 1792.

Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel lived from November 15, 1891, to October 14, 1944. He was a German general and military theorist, known as the Desert Fox. Rommel served as field marshal in the Wehrmacht (Defense Force) of Nazi Germany during World War II. He also served in the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic and the army of Imperial Germany. Rommel earned the Pour le Mérite for his actions on the Italian Front in World War I. In 1937, he published his book on military tactics, Infantry Attacks, based on his World War I experiences.

Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (German: [ɡuˈdeːʁi̯an]; 17 June 1888 – 14 May 1954) was a German general during World War II. He pioneered and advocated the "Blitzkrieg" doctrine. In 1931, he became chief of staff to the Inspectorate of Motorized Troops under Oswald Lutz. Guderian led an armored corps in the Invasion of Poland at the start of the Second World War. During the Invasion of France, he commanded the armored units that attacked through the Ardennes forest and overwhelmed Allied defenses at the Battle of Sedan. He led the 2nd Panzer Army during Operation Barbarossa.

Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (listen), known as Paul von Hindenburg (German: [ˈpaʊl fɔn ˈhɪndn̩bʊʁk] (listen); 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German general and statesman. He commanded the Imperial German Army during World War I before becoming President of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934, during the Weimar Republic. During the Nazi "Seizure of Power" in January 1933, he appointed Adolf Hitler as chancellor of a "Government of National Concentration," despite pressure from advisers.

Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was a Chinese nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader. He served as the leader of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1975. Chiang led in mainland China until 1949 and then in Taiwan until his death. Chiang was a member of the Kuomintang. He was a lieutenant of Sun Yat-sen during the revolution that overthrew the Beiyang government and reunified China. Chiang organized the military with Soviet and communist (CCP) help.

Ferdinand Foch (French: [fɔʃ]; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general and military theorist. He served as the Supreme Allied Commander during World War I. Foch commanded the First Marne, Flanders, and Artois campaigns of 1914–1916. Facing the German spring offensive in late March 1918, Foch became the Allied Commander-in-Chief. He coordinated French, British, and American efforts into a unified whole, handling operations deftly.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, achieved many notable things and made major contributions. Born in Denison, Texas on October 14, 1890, his early life set a strong foundation for his later career. After graduating from West Point in 1915, Eisenhower began a military career spanning three decades. He became the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II. His leadership showed in his strategy during the successful D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944.

General of the Army Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893 – April 8, 1981) was a senior officer in the United States Army during and after World War II. Bradley was the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and managed U.S. military policy during the Korean War. Born in Randolph County, Missouri, Bradley worked as a boilermaker before attending the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1915. He graduated alongside Dwight D. Eisenhower as part of "the class the stars fell on." During World War I, Bradley guarded copper mines in Montana.

Robert Edward Lee commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War, from 1862 until his surrender in 1865. He was the son of Revolutionary War officer Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee III and a top graduate of the United States Military Academy. Robert E. Lee served as an exceptional officer and combat engineer in the United States Army for 32 years. During this time, he served across the United States, distinguished himself in the Mexican–American War, and served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy. He married Mary C.

John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948) was a senior United States Army officer. He served as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western Front during World War I, 1917–18. Pershing rejected British and French demands for integration with their armies. He insisted that the AEF operate as a single unit under his command. Some American divisions fought under British command, and he allowed all-black units to join the French army.

Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), was a senior British Army officer. He fought in both World Wars. As a junior officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment during the First World War, he saw action at Méteren near Bailleul, where a sniper shot him through the right lung during the First Battle of Ypres. Montgomery returned to the Western Front as a general staff officer and participated in the Battle of Arras in April/May 1917.

Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff (9 April 1865 – 20 December 1937) was a German general. He won the Battle of Liège and the Battle of Tannenberg. From August 1916, his appointment as Quartermaster general made him the leader of German war efforts during World War I, alongside Paul von Hindenburg. Ludendorff experienced great strategic failure when Germany’s Spring Offensive in 1918 failed to achieve total victory; he was forced out in October 1918. After the war, Ludendorff became a prominent nationalist leader and promoter of the state.

Alfred Josef Ferdinand Jodl (10 May 1890 – 16 October 1946) was a German general during World War II. He served as the Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht). After the war, Jodl faced indictment at the Nuremberg trials for conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, planning wars of aggression, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The principal charges involved signing criminal Commando and Commissar Orders.

Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951) was a French general officer. He became Marshal of France at the end of World War I, earning the title The Lion of Verdun. During World War II, he served as the Chief of State of Vichy France from 1940 to 1944. Pétain was 84 in 1940 and is recognized as France's oldest head of state. Pétain led the French Army to victory at the nine-month battle during World War I.

Aleksei Alekseyevich Brusilov (1 September 1853 – 17 March 1926) was a Russian general. He is most noted for developing new offensive tactics during the 1916 Brusilov Offensive, which was his greatest achievement. The innovative and successful tactics were copied by the Germans. Although he trained as a cavalry officer, Brusilov realized in 1914 that cavalry was obsolete due to its vulnerability to machine gun and artillery.

Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig (19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928), was a Scottish senior officer in the British Army. During the First World War, he commanded the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front from late 1915 until the war ended. Haig led command during the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras, the Third Battle of Ypres, the German Spring Offensive, and the Hundred Days Offensive. Although his funeral brought national mourning, Haig became a figure of importance since the 1960s.

Robert Georges Nivelle (15 October 1856 – 22 March 1924) was a French artillery officer. He served in the Boxer Rebellion and the First World War. Nivelle commanded field artillery at the regimental and divisional levels. In May 1916, he succeeded Philippe Pétain as commander of the French Second Army at the Battle of Verdun. He led counter-offensives that pushed back German forces in late 1916. During these actions, Nivelle and General Charles Mangin faced accusations of wasting French lives.

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964) was an American five-star general and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s. MacArthur played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for service in the Philippines Campaign, making him and his father Arthur MacArthur Jr. the first father and son to receive it. He was one of only five to achieve the rank of General of the Army in the US Army and the only one conferred the rank of field marshal.

Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American soldier and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, Jackson gained fame as a general in the United States Army and served in both houses of Congress. As president, Jackson sought to advance the rights of the "common man" against a "corrupt aristocracy" and to preserve the Union. Born in the colonial Carolinas to a Scotch-Irish family in the decade before the American Revolutionary War, Jackson became a frontier lawyer and married Rachel Donelson R

Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. (; August 22, 1934 – December 27, 2012) was a United States Army General. While serving as the commander of United States Central Command, he led all coalition forces in the Gulf War. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Schwarzkopf grew up in the United States and later in Iran. He was accepted by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in 1956. After a number of initial training programs, Schwarzkopf interrupted a stint as an academy teacher, and served in the Vietnam War first as an adviser to the S

Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (22 September 1882 – 16 October 1946) was a German field marshal who served as Chief of the Armed Forces High Command (German: Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW) in Nazi Germany during World War II. According to David Stahel, Keitel was "well known and [...] reviled as Hitler’s dependable mouthpiece and habitual yes-man" among his military colleagues.Following the war, Keitel was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. He was found guilty, sentenced to death and executed by hanging in 1946. He

Marshal Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre (French: [ʒɔsɛf ʒɔfʁ]; 12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931), was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 1916. He is best known for regrouping the retreating allied armies to defeat the Germans at the strategically decisive First Battle of the Marne in September 1914. His political position waned after unsuccessful offensives in 1915, the German attack on Verdun in 1916, and the disappointing results of the Anglo-French offensive on the Somme in 1916. At the end of

Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (October 20, 1882 – May 15, 1966) was the Acting President of El Salvador from 1931 to 1934 and the 30th President of El Salvador from 1935 to 1944. He was the leader of El Salvador during World War II. While he served as President Arturo Araujo's vice-president and defense minister, a directorate seized power during a palace coup and afterwards named General Hernández Martínez president of El Salvador.

General Erich Georg Sebastian Anton von Falkenhayn (11 September 1861 – 8 April 1922) was the Chief of the German General Staff during the First World War from September 1914 until 29 August 1916. He was removed in the late summer of 1916 after the failure at the battle of Verdun, the opening of the Allied offensive on the Somme, the Brusilov Offensive and the entry of Romania into the war. He was later given important field commands in Romania and Syria. His reputation as a war leader was attacked in Germany during and after the war, especially by the faction which supported Paul von Hindenbu

Colin Powell, born on April 5th, 1937 in New York City, was a towering figure in American public life, known for his military service, statesmanship and authorship. The son of Jamaican immigrants, he grew up in the South Bronx and later attended City College of New York (CCNY), where he participated in ROTC and discovered his affinity for the military. Powell's military career, which spanned over three decades, was marked by several key positions and moments of historic significance. He served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War, and later held high-ranking posts including serving as the

Ivan Stepanovich Konev (Russian: Ива́н Степа́нович Ко́нев; 28 December [O.S. 16 December] 1897 – 21 May 1973) was a Soviet general and Marshal of the Soviet Union who led Red Army forces on the Eastern Front during World War II, responsible for retaking much of Eastern Europe from occupation by the Axis Powers. Born to a peasant family, Konev was conscripted into the Imperial Russian Army in 1916 and fought in World War I. In 1919, he joined the Bolsheviks and served in the Red Army during the Russian Civil War. After graduating from Frunze Military Academy in 1926, Konev gradually rose throug

Emiliano Zapata Salazar (Spanish pronunciation: [emiˈljano saˈpata]; 8 August 1879 – 10 April 1919) was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution, the main leader of the peasant revolution in the state of Morelos, and the inspiration of the agrarian movement called Zapatismo. Zapata was born in the rural village of Anenecuilco in Morelos State, where peasant communities were under increasing pressure from the small landowning class who monopolized land and water resources for sugar cane production with the support of dictator Porfirio Díaz. Zapata early on participated in political movements

Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (Russian: Георгий Константинович Жуков; 1 December 1896 – 18 June 1974) was a Soviet general and Marshal of the Soviet Union. He also served as Chief of the General Staff, Minister of Defence, and was a member of the Presidium of the Communist Party (later Politburo). During the Second World War, Zhukov oversaw some of the Red Army's most decisive victories. Born to a poor peasant family from central Russia, Zhukov was conscripted into the Imperial Russian Army and fought in the First World War. He then served in the Red Army during the Russian Civil War. Graduall

Yuan Shikai (pinyin: Yuán Shìkǎi; born September 16, 1859; died June 6, 1916) was a Chinese military and government official who rose to power during the late Qing dynasty. He pursued modernization projects—bureaucratic, fiscal, judicial, and educational reforms—to save the dynasty. Despite this effort, he played a key role in the failure of the Hundred Days' Reform. Yuan Shikai established the first modern army and an efficient provincial government in North China before the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor.

John Watson Foster was an American diplomat, military officer, lawyer, and journalist. He held the highest public office as U.S. Secretary of State under Benjamin Harrison. Foster also proved influential as a lawyer in international relations.

Kurt Ferdinand Friedrich Hermann von Schleicher (April 7, 1882 – June 30, 1934) was a German general and the final Chancellor of Germany during the Weimar Republic. He entered the Prussian Army as a lieutenant in 1900. Schleicher rose to become a General Staff officer in the Railway Department of the German General Staff and served in the General Staff of the Supreme Army Command during World War I. As a rival for power with Adolf Hitler, Schleicher was murdered by the SS during the Night of the Long Knives in 1934.

Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (February 12, 1900 – March 18, 1982) was a Soviet military officer. He commanded the 62nd Army during heavy combat at the Battle of Stalingrad. After World War II, Chuikov held several high positions: Chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (1949–53), commander of the Kiev Military District (1953–60), and Deputy Minister of Defense (1960–64). He also led the Soviet Armed Forces and the Soviet Civil Defense Forces (1961–72). Chuikov received the title Hero of the Soviet Union twice (1944 and 1945) and the Distinguished Service Cross.

Francisco "Pancho" Villa (born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula; June 5, 1878 – July 20, 1923) was a Mexican revolutionary general and a major figure in the Mexican Revolution. As commander of the División del Norte in the Constitutionalist Army, he acted as a military-landowner (caudillo) in northern Chihuahua. The region's size and mineral wealth provided Villa with extensive resources. Villa also served as provisional Governor of Chihuahua in 1913 and 1914, earning credit for decisive military victories.

Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was the 12th president of the United States. He served from March 1849 until his death in July 1850. Taylor previously served as a career officer in the U.S. Army, rising to major general. He became a national hero due to his victories in the Mexican–American War. Despite vague political beliefs, he won the election to the White House. His main goal was preserving the Union, but he died sixteen months into his term, before addressing slavery.

Gustavo Rojas Pinilla (March 12, 1900 – January 17, 1975) was the 19th President of Colombia from June 1953 to May 1957. As an Army General, he successfully executed a coup d'état against incumbent President Laureano Gómez Castro (1889–1965). Rojas Pinilla imposed martial law and established a dictatorship-style government in Colombia.

John Aaron Rawlins (February 13, 1831 – September 6, 1869) was a general officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He served as a cabinet officer in the Grant administration and was a longtime confidant of Ulysses S. Grant. Rawlins served on Grant's staff throughout the war, rising to brevet major general. He defended Grant against allegations of insobriety. Rawlins was appointed Secretary of War when Grant became President of the United States. He overcame an impoverished family background, scanty education, and an absentee father.

Ramón González Valencia (May 24, 1851 – October 3, 1928) was a Colombian conservative, military officer, and statesman. He participated in the civil wars of 1876, the Colombian Civil War of 1895, and the Thousand Days War.

Pedro Nel Ignacio Tomás de Villanueva Ospina Vásquez (18 September 1858 – 1 July 1927) was a Colombian General and political figure. He served as president of Colombia between 1922 and 1926.

Marcus Licinius Crassus (c. 115 BC or 112 BC – May 6, 53 BC) was a Roman general and politician who transformed the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He became known as "The richest man in Rome." Crassus began his career as a military commander under Lucius Cornelius Sulla during the civil war. After Sulla seized dictatorship, Crassus amassed great wealth through real estate speculation. Crassus gained political prominence by defeating Spartacus's slave revolt and shared the consulship with Pompey.

James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British soldier, Member of Parliament, and philanthropist, as well as the founder of the colony of Georgia. As a social reformer, he hoped to resettle Britain's worthy poor in the New World, initially focusing on those in debtors' prisons.

George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician. A graduate of West Point, McClellan served with distinction during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848), and later left the Army to work in railroads until the outbreak of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Early in the war, McClellan was appointed to the rank of major general and played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army, which would become the Army of the Potomac in the Eastern Theater; he served a brief period (November 1861

John Anthony Quitman (September 1, 1798 – July 17, 1858) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. As President of the Mississippi Senate, he served one month as Acting Governor of Mississippi (from December 3, 1835 to January 7, 1836) as a Whig. He was elected Governor in 1850, as a Democrat, and served from January 10, 1850 until his resignation on February 3, 1851, shortly after his arrest for violating U.S. neutrality laws. He was strongly pro-slavery and a leading Fire-Eater. According to Quitman's first biographer, John F. H. Claiborne, writing in 1860, "A more ambitious man never

William "Willie" Miranda Marín (September 23, 1940 – June 4, 2010) was the mayor of Caguas, Puerto Rico from 1997 until his death in 2010.

Gen. Piotr Jaroszewicz (['pjɔtr jarɔˈʂɛvit͡ʂ] (listen); 8 October 1909 – 1 September 1992) was a post World War II Polish political figure. He served as the Prime Minister of Poland between 1970 and 1980. After he was forced out of office he lived quietly in a suburb of Warsaw until his brutal, still unsolved 1992 murder.

Gabriel París Gordillo (March 8, 1910 – March 21, 2008) was President of Colombia from May 1957 to August 1958 as Chairman of the Colombian Military Junta Government following the 1957 Coup d'état.

Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈtonjo ˈlopes ðe sant(a)ˈanna]; 21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876), often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, was a Mexican politician and general who fought to defend royalist New Spain and then fought for Mexican independence. He greatly influenced early Mexican politics and government, and he was an adept soldier and cunning politician who dominated Mexican history in the first half of the nineteenth century to such an extent that historians often refer to it as the "Age of Santa Anna." He

Charles XIV John or Carl John, (Swedish and Norwegian: Karl XIV Johan; born Jean Bernadotte; 26 January 1763 – 8 March 1844) was King of Sweden (as Charles XIV John) and King of Norway (proclaimed as Charles XIV John, but in recent times referred to accurately in Norway as Charles III John) from 1818 until his death in 1844. Born in Pau in southern France, Bernadotte joined the French Royal Army in 1780. Following the outbreak of the French Revolution, he exhibited great military talent, rapidly rising through the ranks and was made a brigadier general by 1794. He served with distinction in It

Joaquim Pereira Pimenta de Castro, 10th Count of Pimenta de Castro (Pias, Monção, 5 November 1846 – Lisbon, 14 May 1918; Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuɐˈkĩ piˈmẽtɐ dɨ ˈkaʃtɾu]) was a Portuguese army officer and politician. He was a career military officer reaching the position of General, also graduated in Mathematics by the University of Coimbra. In 1908, he was nominated commander of the 3rd Military Region, in Porto. After the proclamation of the Republic on 5 October 1910, he was Minister of War, for only two months, in 1911. He had to resign due to the monarchist incursion of Henrique de P