Originally posted by Great Vengeance
I would say, Genghis Khan. He was a man who had no schooling, and so invented all his own strategies as opposed to studying them in a book, yet conquered over half the world. 2nd largest empire ever...behind the good ole' English empire.
No, he didn't come up with them on his own. He just used what the Huns and Mongols had been using for 1,000+ years as hunting tactics. He wasn't even the first to do this, just the first to actually unit the Mongols so the tactics could be effectively used.
Originally posted by Darth_Erebus
History is full of examples that dispute this.
As for Germany not being able to win WWII that's debatable. Germany lost the war on the Eastern front basically. Had the invasion of Russia been launched on it's original date, instead of three weeks late, and had the German forces been concentrated for an all out drive on Moscow, as the Generals wanted, instead of splitting it into three groups, as Hitler ordered saving the Russian army until winter set in, it's likely that the Russian forces would have been decimated beyond recovery, Moscow captured, destroying the Soviet command structure, and the outcome of the war very different. Fortunately for posterity that didn't happen.
Germany could never win the war the logistical situation was against them and there biggest weakness was there need for oil.
If Germany attacked on there original date they would had been bogged down in the spring rains and all that mud, Russia had a very poor road network.
As the drive on to Moscow you are forgetting the Germans had to deal with Kiev, do really think the Germans would just drive on to Moscow with half a million Soviet troops in there flanks waiting to hit the Germans in time for the Soviet winter offensive?
When you look at the facts worn out tank tracks, overstretching the supply chain which was unsecured then along with some 90,000 Soviet soldiers willing to defend Moscow to the last bullet when the Germans get there, and there tanks breaking down due to there lubricate engine oils failed in extreme cold weather.
If Moscow did fall the Soviets would had fought on and stood a good chance to recapture Moscow. Hitler made a very big mistake when he attacked Russia he based some of that belief on the Soviet war with Finland 1939/40 which was a bloody mess for the Soviets, Hitler’s next big mistake was declaring war on America.
I think it was very plausible for Nazi Germany to have won WWII, since their military was - at the time - second to none (including America's, Russia's, Japan's, and so forth). Their technology was superior, they had superior training. Russia only had superior numbers and favorable conditions due to the winter, and Germany still pushed them back 600 miles on foot to Moscow.
Individually, Germany would have curbstomped the USSR.
Originally posted by cking
even with the generals they still wouldn't have won. Germany had a combined force of only 10 million. the u.s had 16.4 million, and Russia had 20 million, believe it or not Russia was bigger at the time. leadership will get you so far but numbers will determine the outcome of a war.
*cough* Atomic Bomb *cough*
*cough* Gorilla Warfare *cough*
I also still think technology and resources also plays a big part. Strategy, of course.
Originally posted by Gideon
I think it was very plausible for Nazi Germany to have won WWII, since their military was - at the time - second to none (including America's, Russia's, Japan's, and so forth). Their technology was superior, they had superior training. Russia only had superior numbers and favorable conditions due to the winter, and Germany still pushed them back 600 miles on foot to Moscow.Individually, Germany would have curbstomped the USSR.
The Soviets stopped the German summer offencive at Kursk 1943 then after defending there lines they went over to the offencive. There are so many reasons why Germany lost against the Soviet Union one main reason was poor logistics.
Genghis Khan for sure. He made the biggest empire the world has ever seen from nothing.
Actually he was brilliant military startegist.
He created this system with the smallest unit comprising 10 troopers (arban), then 100 (jagun or yaghun), 1000 (minghan), then 10,000 (tumen or touman), commanded by a noyan.
This made his army incredibly efficient.
I know some people say Alexander The Great made a weak empire into strong Empire. Well, Genghis made NO empire into strong empire.
Charles Martel should be on that list as well, but not becuase of the battle of Tours, but becuase in 718 he laid waste the Saxons, pushing them all the way to the "3 great banks". He was at war durning his entire reign, primarily becuase his empire was beset by enemies on all sides. At his death he had lost only 1 battle.
But...I'm not saying he was the Greatest.