MENSBY

4.2

These people lived by war. They conquered empires and kingdoms, defeated enemies that were many times larger than their armies. Successful commanders, they developed the art of war and revolutionized the understanding of war, its strategy and tactics.

By the time the famous campaign in Asia began, Alexander the Great already had one of the most powerful armies of that time, inherited from his father.

Contrary to popular belief that the main striking force of the Macedonian army was the famous phalanx, the main role in the attack belonged to the strong Thessalian cavalry.

At three the most important battles with the Persians: at Granicus, Issus and Gaugamella, the Macedonian flank attack of the cavalry overthrew the opposing wing of the enemy and thereby decided the outcome of the battle, while the viscous, sedentary phalanx fettered the powerful center of the enemy.

The Macedonian army, which did not exceed 30-40 thousand people on the battlefield, was controllable, while the larger armies of the enemy fought almost spontaneously and the commander only determined the direction of the masses of people, but during the battle he could change little.

The military innovations of Alexander the Great include his attempts to make the phalanx more mobile and to supplement its formations with archers and slingers. Another thing is that these experiments did not catch on much, and after the death of the commander they were completely forgotten.

Among the famous commanders of antiquity, Hannibal put Alexander the Great in first place, Pyrrhus in second, considering their experience the most valuable, although from the point of view of military art he was probably not inferior and even superior to his teachers.

Having made a crossing of the Alps, unprecedented at that time, along the cornices - narrow paths along the abyss, Hannibal entered into battle with a well-trained Roman army.

Realizing that his motley army, replenished with Gauls and Spaniards, could not be matched against the masses of exemplary Roman infantry, the Carthaginian commander actively used deception of the enemy (Trebiria) and ambushes (Lake Trasimene).

The pinnacle of Hannibal's military leadership was the Battle of Cannae, when the Carthaginian commander surrounded and almost completely destroyed a Roman army almost twice as large.

Subsequently, any famous commander dreamed of creating his own Cannes. Hannibal's last military success was the crossing of his army from Italy to Africa, when he managed to withdraw his troops across a sea teeming with enemy squadrons without losses.

In the fatal battle of Zama for the Carthaginian commander, something happened that no military genius could save from - the betrayal of the Numidian cavalry, which went over to the side of Rome.

Caesar went down in military history as a very controversial politician and commander, who suffered defeats more than once, but at a critical moment he knew how to win in seemingly hopeless situations.

The originality of Caesar's military talent was fully demonstrated in the famous Battle of Pharsalus. Having previously been defeated in the battle with Pompey at Dirarchia and having lost the fight at sea, Caesar found himself with a weakened army in hostile Greece, without a chance of help, in the face of a numerically and qualitatively superior enemy.

Pompey's army was superior to Caesar's in both infantry and cavalry. With this, Pompey intended to overturn Caesar’s left flank and throw the latter’s army into the river.

However, Caesar saw the impending danger and placed his best forces perpendicular to the line of attack. At the decisive moment, Caesar's selected cohorts attacked Pompey's cavalry, which consisted of aristocrats, trying to throw pillums into the enemy's face.

In the short-lived battle, Pompey's cavalry was defeated and the left flank of his army trembled. As a result, Caesar managed to completely defeat the troops of his former friend and son-in-law, who found himself on the side of the Senate.

Caesar was one of the first military leaders to describe part of his military campaigns in the third person in his Notes on the Gallic War.

Having received from his predecessors a powerful and well-trained army, Charlemagne not only did not lose its potential, but also strengthened it, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

In total, he made more than 50 campaigns, creating, albeit for a short time, a huge empire that included most of Western Europe. The basis of Charlemagne's army in the fight against most opponents was heavy cavalry, against which the Frankish opponents, advancing in disorderly formations, could not resist.

Distinguished by its considerable mobility, the army made rapid marches, suddenly (and at times treacherously) attacking the enemy. The Frankish commander attached great importance to reconnaissance and the choice of the route of movement of troops, trying not to repeat the previously traveled path in order to avoid ambushes.

IN medieval Europe fighting represented clashes of tens, hundreds and extremely rarely thousands of people. Compared to the wars of antiquity, they looked more than modest.

The main blow was delivered by the knightly cavalry clad in armor, against which the infantry could not resist in the field.

But the heavy knightly cavalry had one peculiarity - it delivered, as a rule, a single powerful blow. If it was not possible to break the enemy’s resistance immediately, the knights needed to leave the battle, change horses and get themselves in order.

A participant in the battles of Grunwald and Eisencourt, Zizka knew very well the weak points of heavy cavalry and found what could be countered by the enemy. The Hussite tactics boiled down to the fact that the enemy’s carts and cavalry were met with volleys of light artillery, which were first used by the Hussites in a field battle.

Then the enemy troops crashed against the barrier with a bold counterattack. All this required iron discipline and endurance, which the Czech commander managed to achieve.

Jan Zizka created the prototype of one of the first military regulations that regulated the actions of a warrior on a campaign, in a military camp and in battle.

In the 17th century, during the Thirty Years' War in Europe, the fight was waged by mercenary armies, the entire morale of which often depended on the amount of money in the wallet of their commander.

Against this background, the Swedish king Gustav Adolf had the experience of creating one of the first national armies, as opposed to motley formations of mercenaries from all over Europe.

The Swedish king significantly reformed the army, light mobile artillery was created. In the infantry, the number of muskets increased significantly, which in the Swedish army were much lighter than those of the opposing imperial troops.

The cavalry of Gustav Adolf from the noble-knightly cavalry finally turned into qualeria with fairly uniform weapons. Distinguished by strict discipline in the campaign and battle, the small Swedish army more than once crushed the numerically superior troops of the Imperials.

However, this rise was short-lived. After the death of Gustav Adolf near Lützen in November 1632, the undertakings of the Swedish king began to fade away, and weakening discipline and looting quickly reduced the Swedish army to the level of other armies in Europe.

Tamerlane was responsible for the creation of the strongest and most numerous army in Central Asia at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries.

The huge army had a clear structure and division into infantry and cavalry. The armament was brought to relative uniformity. In addition, special units were created designed for combat operations in mountain warfare.

During the battle, the troops lined up in several lines, which allowed the commander to control huge masses of people and bring them into battle as necessary. This made it possible to avoid the traps that the Horde often set, luring the enemy with a false retreat.

A significant contribution to the development of military art in the first half of the 17th century was made by the Austrian commander Eugene of Savoy, who became famous as the conqueror of the Turks and the most famous commander of the War of the Spanish Succession.

IN early XVIII centuries, the armies of the warring parties continued to suffer the main losses not in battles, but during long sieges and difficult transitions.

Evgeniy Savoysky developed an army supply system that was quite advanced for its time. Much attention was paid to intelligence and communications. In close combat, Evgeny Savoysky actively used the increased striking power of the infantry in close combat due to the appearance of the bayonet.

In the cavalry under Eugene of Savoy, dragoons began to fight both on horseback and on foot.

Numerous books and articles have been written about Suvorov’s military innovations. We will focus on only a few aspects. So, if for modern man Suvorov's reliance on the officer's initiative and individual qualities soldier is quite logical, then for the second half of the XVIII centuries, during the period of the linear system, the views were somewhat different and they had certain grounds.

At linear system formation, the infantry lined up in long lines, allowing maximum use of the power of rifle fire. It looks beautiful in films and on battle paintings, but not everyone could actually stand at full height when volleys of fire are fired and bullets mow down entire rows.

There was only one way out in such a situation - drill, when the soldier carried out all commands automatically, no matter what the situation was, and was more afraid of his own officer than of the enemy.

It was precisely this established system that Suvorov opposed the actions of columns, which, quickly approaching the enemy, could break through the relatively thin line of the enemy formation, and thereby decide the outcome of the battle.

In addition to innovations on the battlefield, Suvorov gave great value supplying the army. Having first-hand knowledge of the intricacies of the quartermaster service, Alexander Vasilyevich knew perfectly well how thefts occur in the army and where and with what they need to be caught later.

Suvorov was also among the very small number of commanders who successfully fought the partisans, against whom the regular army, as a rule, was powerless.

Napoleon said that the mind of a commander is like a square, where mind and will are equal sides. If the will prevails over the mind, the commander will act decisively, but not prudently. If the mind prevails over the will, caution will be traced in actions, but lack of decisiveness.

Strategically, the French commander set as his goal the destruction of the main enemy forces in a short-lived campaign, when one or two major battles decided the outcome of the entire war.

This strategy was ideal for offensive actions in the territory relatively small states Western Europe. Regarding the recruitment of the army, Napoleon was one of the first to introduce universal conscription, which has remained in a number of states to this day.

On the battlefield, the French commander skillfully concentrated the fire of a large amount of artillery, which inflicted colossal damage on dense enemy formations. Another thing is that Napoleon lost the lion's share of his troops not even in battles, but on the march, exhausting the troops with long marches in order to achieve a quick victory in the campaign.

Wars march shoulder to shoulder with the civilization of mankind. And wars, as we know, give rise to great warriors. Great commanders can decide the course of a war with their victories.

So we present to your attention the 7 greatest commanders of all times.

1) Alexander the Great - Alexander the Great
We gave the first place among the greatest commanders to Alexander the Great. Since childhood, Alexander dreamed of conquering the world and, although he did not have a heroic physique, he preferred to participate in military battles. Thanks to his leadership qualities, he became one of the great commanders of his time. The victories of the army of Alexander the Great are at the pinnacle of military art Ancient Greece. Alexander's army did not have numerical superiority, but was still able to win all the battles, spreading his gigantic empire from Greece to India. He trusted his soldiers, and they did not let him down, but faithfully followed him, reciprocating.

2) Genghis Khan - the great Mongol Khan
In 1206, on the Onon River, the leaders of the nomadic tribes proclaimed the mighty Mongol warrior as the great khan of all Mongol tribes. And his name is Genghis Khan. The shamans predicted Genghis Khan power over the whole world, and he did not disappoint. Having become the great Mongol emperor, he founded one of the greatest empires and united the scattered Mongol tribes. Conquered China, all of Central Asia, as well as the Caucasus and Eastern Europe, Baghdad, Khorezm, the Shah's state, as well as some Russian principalities.

3) Tamerlane – “Timur the lame”
He received the nickname “Timur the lame” for a physical disability that he received during skirmishes with the khans, but despite this he became famous as a Central Asian conqueror who played a fairly significant role in the history of Central, South and Western Asia, as well as the Caucasus, Volga region and Rus'. Founded the Timurid empire and dynasty, with its capital in Samarkand. He had no equal in saber and archery skills. However, after his death, the territory under his control, which stretched from Samarkand to the Volga, very quickly disintegrated.

4) Hannibal Barca – “Father of Strategy”
Hannibal the greatest military strategist Ancient world, Carthaginian commander. This is the "father of strategy." He hated Rome and everything connected with it, and was a sworn enemy of the Roman Republic. He fought the well-known Punic Wars with the Romans. He successfully used the tactic of enveloping enemy troops from the flanks and then encircling him. Standing at the head of a 46,000-strong army, which included 37 war elephants, he crossed the Pyrenees and the snow-capped Alps.

5) Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich - national hero of Russia
Suvorov can safely be called a national hero of Russia, a great Russian commander, because he did not suffer a single defeat during his entire military career, which included more than 60 battles. He is the founder of Russian military art, a military thinker who had no equal. Participant Russian-Turkish wars, Italian, Swiss hikes.

6) Napoleon Bonaparte - a brilliant commander
Napoleon Bonaparte French emperor in 1804-1815, a great commander and statesman. It was Napoleon who laid the foundations of modern French state. While still a lieutenant, he began his military career. And from the very beginning, participating in wars, he was able to establish himself as an intelligent and fearless commander. Having taken the place of the emperor, he unleashed the Napoleonic Wars, but he failed to conquer the whole world. He was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and spent the rest of his life on St. Helena.

7) Alexander Nevsky
Grand Duke, wise statesman, famous commander. He is called the fearless knight. Alexander devoted his entire life to defending his homeland. Together with his small squad, he defeated the Swedes at the Battle of the Neva in 1240. That's why he got his nickname. He recaptured his hometowns from the Livonian Order Battle on the Ice, which took place on Lake Peipsi, thereby stopping the ruthless Catholic expansion in Russian lands coming from the West.

You can learn a lot of interesting history by visiting the website HISTORY

Throughout the history of mankind, a huge number of wars, battles and battles have taken place in different parts of the world. They necessarily had victors who won the battle, and losers who were defeated or captured by a stronger enemy. Most often, the victory is won by the side that goes into battle under the leadership of a leader, on whose shoulders falls the goal of uniting people into a single whole, making difficult decisions in difficult situations, and much more.

At different times, the world has been inhabited by outstanding commanders, whose intelligent tactics and strategies led to significant victories even in the most difficult conditions. Let's get acquainted with top 5 greatest commanders in history.

5. Adolf Hitler

He tried himself as an artist, was a military corporal, but went down in history as a great evil genius. He was able to become the dictator of the Third Reich, as well as the self-proclaimed commander-in-chief of the troops in Germany. After all, power over all the countries of Europe was in his hands, albeit for a short period of time. Historical facts claim that it was he who developed the “blitzkrieg” tactics, during which the war and the capture of opponents are carried out in record time, until other troops have time to mobilize. Tens of millions of people fell at his hands around the world. Therefore, he is a truly outstanding military leader.

4. Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan managed to found the Mongol nation and gain power over most of the world that existed at that time. Therefore, he deserves the title of one of the most famous commanders in history. Despite the fact that his troops were called "barbarians" and "hordes", his victories were based not on brute force, but on his brilliant tactics, leadership and organization. Genghis Khan managed to unite all the tribes under his banner and conduct a brilliant military campaign to conquer the countries of Eurasia. Under his rule were countries from Korea to Poland and from Vietnam to the Arctic Ocean.

3. Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte was the Emperor of France, under whose leadership the military and political life of Europe was controlled for more than two decades. His military genius, which manifested itself at an early age, gave him the opportunity to subjugate almost all the countries of the European continent, as well as extend his influence to Asia and Africa. In addition to the fact that these countries were under his influence, he managed to introduce his ideology, innovations and practices there. The troops, armies and governments of all conquered countries were subordinate to him. Thus, he managed to go down in history as one of the most significant military leaders of all time.

2. Gaius Julius Caesar

The achievements of Julius Caesar are so significant for world history that the words “Kaiser” (German) and “tsar” (Russian) arose from his name. He was not only a legendary commander, but also a great statesman. Thanks to his conquests, the Roman Empire gained security and enormous influence in the world for 5 centuries. During his reign, Latin, Roman laws, traditions and customs. His life was cut short great battle, but from a blow with a knife, which was inflicted by his close friend.

1. Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great had 11 years of continuous battles, during which he did not win a single defeat. Although most often he fought with stronger opponents. His thoughtful military strategy managed to rationally distribute forces between different types troops (infantry, cavalry, reconnaissance and military equipment), which made it possible to conduct the most effective battles. The main goal of Alexander the Great was the unification of East and West, therefore the Hellenic culture, their political and military thoughts were spread to all the captured territories.

In different areas human activity There have been many great men throughout history, from science to art, from philosophy to politics, from business to technology, but none of these great men have shed more blood than the greatest warriors in history. So take a deep breath and get ready to discover the 25 deadliest, most brutal and bloodthirsty warriors who ever lived.

25. Alaric I Visigoth

Alaric was a Visigoth king who was distinguished by the fact that he destroyed Rome. This made him an honorary Roman citizen and magister militum, "master of soldiers", a valued member of the Roman Empire. After taking Rome, Alaric led his troops south into Campania, taking Nola and Capua along the way. Alaric headed for the Roman province of Africa, where he intended to supply his army with provisions from the granary of Rome, but a storm destroyed his ships, temporarily blocking his passage. Only Mother Nature could defeat Alaric the Barbarian.

24. Roland

Roland was a great French warrior and medieval folk hero who was immortalized in the poem Chanson de Roland, which was written in the eleventh or twelfth century. Historically, Count Roland was Charlemagne's commander on the Breton border and his most best warrior. According to legend, he was killed at a pass in the Pyrenees when the Basques cut off the rearguard of the Frankish army as they returned from their invasion of Spain in 778

23. Horace Cockle

Horace Cockles was a legendary Roman hero who defended the bridge over the Tiber when the city was attacked by the Etruscans. Just keep in mind that Horace lost an eye in battle due to an arrow that hit him in the eye, which he removed (with his eye still on it), and continued to fight like a beast, hence the name "Cockle", which means "one eyed". I don't think this man's heroism can be questioned, right?

22. Prince Rupert of the Rhine

Even though Prince Rupert looked like a soft boy and came from an insanely rich family, the man was truly ambitious. By the age of fourteen, the German prince had already joined the army and began his very varied, colorful career, although he
best known for commanding the royal cavalry during civil war in England.

Although Prince Rupert was an inventor, an artist, and an entrepreneur, it was his fighting skills and ruthless warrior spirit that made him special. For the record, he was such a skilled warrior that his enemies at one point began to believe that he had supernatural powers and could not be killed.

21. Vercingetorix

In France, the first national hero, Vercingetorix managed to unite several independent Celtic tribes to defeat the warlike Romans. He fought valiantly and fiercely to save Gaul from the Roman army. His forces were eventually defeated at Alesia and Vercingetorix was forced to surrender after fighting a powerful Roman army with everything he had.

20. William Wallace

William Wallace became famous around the world thanks to the film "Braveheart" by Mel Gibson, but those who know European history already knew what a great warrior this legendary Scot was. Wallace is considered one of Scotland's most significant national heroes for his fight to the death to free Scotland from English rule.

19. Vasily II

Vasily the Bulgarian Slayer was one of the most cruel, ruthless emperors in history. He was a Byzantine emperor of Greek descent from the Macedonian dynasty and ruled the vast Byzantine Empire for almost fifty years from January 976 to 1025. After his death the empire stretched from southern Italy to the Caucasus and from the Danube to the borders of Palestine, this was the time of its greatest dawn, when the boundaries of the empire were the most extensive for the last four centuries, its conquest included many bloody battles, in which Basil II always fought more brutally than any other warrior in the army.

18. Attila

Attila, the Hun was born on the territory of modern Hungary and became one of the most cruel and merciless rulers. He was known for his piercing gaze and according to historian Edward Gibbon, he often rolled his eyes as if in delight at the terror he inspired. He also frightened his opponents by the fact that his sword belonged to Ares, Greek god war, and judging by his brutal attacks and battles against the Roman Empire, his intimidation tactics worked.

17. Yue Fei

During 25 years military career Yue Fei fought in 126 battles, mostly in central China, and never lost a single battle. In addition, he rose in rank from private to Commander of the Imperial Forces, he invented many styles of martial arts and wrote a lot of epic poetry about how he defeated his enemies. He is now considered a national hero in China and a symbol of unity, patriotism and loyalty.

16. Eirik I Bloodaxe

Eric the Bloody was a Norwegian prince and the last independent king of York. He became king of the Northumbrians twice, in 947 and 952. He is considered one of the most legendary names in Viking history due to his incredible skill and bravery on the battlefield and warrior spirit.

15. Arminius

Arminius was a German military leader in the early first century AD. He is remembered as a great warrior who fought back against the Romans at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where he literally destroyed three Roman legions and their support. Although Arminius was defeated and killed, his victory in that battle was so impressive and bloody that it had a lasting effect on both the ancient Germanic tribes and the Roman Empire. The Roman legions would never again attempt to conquer and hold Germany beyond the Rhine River forever.

14. Miltiades

According to the historian Herodotus, the sacrifice of King Leonidas and three hundred brave Spartans would have meant nothing if not for Miltiades. The excellent Athenian strategist and ruler led the Athenians and their allies to victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon, where he literally destroyed the Persian fleet and forced the most powerful empire in the world at that time, having failed to subjugate Greece.

13. Vlad Tepes

Very few people could boast how scary Vlad the Impaler was, or how he is better known as Dracula. The man who became a legend and was called the Lord of Darkness was a real man and a great warrior. He was born in 1431 in Transylvania, the central region of modern Romania, and ruled for many years.

Vlad's victories over the invading Ottoman Empire were viewed and celebrated not only in Romania but also in the rest of Europe, and it was noted that even Pope Pius II was impressed by his skill and fighting spirit.

12. Sun Tzu

Sophisticated and experienced in the conduct of war during times of unprecedented political and military upheaval, Sun Tzu was a military specialist active during the turbulent decline of the Zhou dynasty. However, he became a legend by writing a book on Chinese military strategy and martial arts, The Art of War, which continues to have a huge influence on both Asian and Western culture.

11. Scipio Africanus

Scipio Africanus was one of the most talented and successful generals in history and he is the one who defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama, during the Second Punic Wars. Despite the fact that Scipio was one hundred percent Roman, after his victory in Africa, he was called African.

10. Spartak

Undoubtedly the most famous and skilled gladiator who ever lived, Spartacus, along with Crixus, Oenomaus, Castus and Gannicus, was one of the slave leaders during the Spartacus Rebellion, a major slave revolt against the Roman Republic. No one else frightened the powerful republic as much as he did.

9. Xiahou Dun

Xiahou Dun offered his services as a military general to the warlord Cao Cao during the decline of the Eastern Han Dynasty and became a legend when, during a battle, he was hit by a stray arrow and lost his left eye. In front of his amazed soldiers and enemies, he pulled out an arrow and swallowed his own eyeball. After this incident, the enemy armies in China trembled in fear of the "Blind Xiahou, the One-Eyed Warrior."

8. Hannibal Barca

Hannibal was born in 247 BC. e. in Carthage, immediately after his country had lost a long and very important war with Rome. But Hannibal was destined to return multiple territories to his power after he grew up. It is believed that Hannibal was one of the greatest strategists who developed tactics to bypass and encircle the enemy using infantry and cavalry. His wars with the Roman Empire were among the most intense in all of antiquity.

7. Pyrrhus of Epirus

Pyrrhus Epirus was the king of the Greek Molossians, and the one who gave battle to the Romans. He was the first and only threat to Rome during its heyday at the beginning of the empire. In fact he was the only person, who continued to beat the Roman legions. Some historians believe that history would have been different if Pyrrhus had not been killed in Argos. Hannibal Barca considered him the best general and greatest warrior king. Some of his battles, although victories, were so bloody and resulted in the terrible death of his own men that they gave rise to the term "Pyrrhic victory", an expression that is still used today, especially in sports and politics.

6. Richard the Lionheart

Richard was the King of England, later known as the "Lionheart", and is famous for his exploits in the Third Crusade, although he spent only six months in England during his ten-year reign. He is described as an extremely skilled warrior who showed no mercy to his enemies, and his most famous attribute was his bravery and courage. They wouldn't call him "Lionheart" just like that.

5. Miyamoto Musashi

Musashi was a skilled Japanese swordsman and an invincible ronin (samurai without a lord or master). He became a legend mainly because of his remarkable fencing in numerous duels from the age of thirteen. He was the founder of the haiha Niten Ichi-ryu or Niten-ryu style of fencing. At the end of his life, after he had perfected his Two Swords fighting style, he climbed the mountain and wrote the definitive treatise, The Zen of Decapitation, which he called The Book of Five Rings. He is considered by many historians and experts to be the greatest swordsman who ever lived.

4. Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar is perhaps the most famous and successful Roman statesman and general in history and was the one who led Rome's army in numerous victorious battles that expanded its territory. After this, he wrote about his military adventures, from which we learn about his genius and courage on the battlefield.

3. Leonid

Leonidas was one of two kings of Sparta during the Greco-Persian Wars and the leader of one of the most ferocious military units in history: the three hundred Spartan hoplites. He remained throughout the centuries for his unrivaled courage and fearlessness, and it is rumored that at the end of the Battle of Thermopylae he stood alone, fighting hundreds of thousands of Persian soldiers before being killed.

2. Chengis Khan

He was at the forefront of the conquest of a quarter of the world's population and is considered one of the greatest conquerors of all time. His people believed that he greatest man of all times and that he was sent by the gods, which is why he is also known as the "Holy Warrior".

1. Alexander the Great

Although he died at the age of thirty-three, the famous Greek king managed to conquer most of the then world, which is why most historians consider him the greatest general who ever lived. He also fought on the front lines of every battle (unlike many other kings who simply watched their troops fight). He remained undefeated and took over all the major kingdoms of his time, such as Persia, India and Egypt, among others, he was the first king to spread Greek and therefore Western civilization to other parts of the world.

The creator of victory in the Great Patriotic War was the Soviet people. But to implement his efforts, to protect the Fatherland on the battlefields, it was necessary high level the military art of the Armed Forces, which was supported by the leadership talent of military leaders.

The operations carried out by our military leaders in the last war are now being studied in all military academies around the world. And if we talk about assessing their courage and talent, here is one of them, short but expressive: “As a soldier who observed the campaign of the Red Army, I was filled with the deepest admiration for the skill of its leaders.” This was said by Dwight Eisenhower, a man who understood the art of war.

The harsh school of war selected and assigned the most outstanding commanders to the positions of front commanders by the end of the war.

The main features of military leadership talent Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov(1896-1974) - creativity, innovation, ability to make decisions unexpected for the enemy. He was also distinguished by his deep intelligence and insight. According to Machiavelli, “nothing makes a great commander like the ability to penetrate the enemy’s plans.” This ability of Zhukov played a particularly important role in the defense of Leningrad and Moscow, when, with extremely limited forces, only through good reconnaissance and foreseeing possible directions of enemy attacks, he was able to collect almost all available means and repel enemy attacks.

Another outstanding military leader of the strategic plan was Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky(1895-1977). Being the chief of the General Staff for 34 months during the war, A.M. Vasilevsky was in Moscow for only 12 months, at the General Staff, and was at the fronts for 22 months. G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky had developed strategic thinking and a deep understanding of the situation. It was this circumstance that led to the same assessment of the situation and the development of far-sighted and informed decisions on the counter-offensive operation near Stalingrad, to the transition to strategic defense on Kursk Bulge and in a number of other cases.

An invaluable quality of Soviet commanders was their ability to take reasonable risks. This trait of military leadership was noted, for example, among Marshal Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky(1896-1968). One of the remarkable pages of the military leadership of K. K. Rokossovsky is the Belarusian operation, in which he commanded the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front.

An important feature of military leadership is intuition, which makes it possible to achieve surprise in a strike. Possessed this rare quality Konev Ivan Stepanovich(1897-1973). His talent as a commander was most convincingly and clearly demonstrated in offensive operations, during which many brilliant victories were won. At the same time, he always tried not to get involved in protracted battles in big cities and, with roundabout maneuvers, forced the enemy to leave the city. This allowed him to reduce the losses of his troops and prevent great destruction and casualties among the civilian population.

If I. S. Konev showed his best leadership qualities in offensive operations, then Andrey Ivanovich Eremenko(1892-1970) - in defensive.

A characteristic feature of a real commander is the originality of his plans and actions, his departure from the template, and military cunning, in which the great commander A.V. Suvorov succeeded. distinguished by these qualities Malinovsky Rodion Yakovlevich(1898-1967). Throughout almost the entire war, a remarkable feature of his military leadership talent was that in the plan of each operation he included some unexpected method of action for the enemy, and was able to the whole system well-thought-out measures to mislead the enemy.

Having experienced the full wrath of Stalin in the first days of the terrible failures at the fronts, Timoshenko Semyon Konstantinovich asked to be directed to the most dangerous area. Subsequently, the marshal commanded strategic directions and fronts. Under his command, heavy defensive battles took place on the territory of Belarus in July - August 1941. His name is associated with the heroic defense of Mogilev and Gomel, counterattacks near Vitebsk and Bobruisk. Under the leadership of Tymoshenko, the largest and most stubborn battle of the first months of the war unfolded - Smolensk. In July 1941, troops Western direction under the command of Marshal Timoshenko stopped the advance of Army Group Center.

Troops under the command of a marshal Ivan Khristoforovich Bagramyan actively participated in the defeat of the Germans - fascist troops on the Kursk Bulge, in the Belarusian, Baltic, East Prussian and other operations and in the capture of the Konigsberg fortress.

During the Great Patriotic War Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov commanded the 62nd (8th Guards) Army, which is forever inscribed in the chronicle of the heroic defense of the city of Stalingrad. Army commander Chuikov introduced a new tactics - tactics close combat. In Berlin, V.I. Chuikov was called: “General - Sturm.” After the victory in Stalingrad, the following operations were successfully carried out: Zaporozhye, crossing the Dnieper, Nikopol, Odessa, Lublin, crossing the Vistula, Poznan Citadel, Küstrin Fortress, Berlin, etc.

The youngest commander of the fronts of the Great Patriotic War was an army general Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky. Chernyakhovsky’s troops took part in the liberation of Voronezh, Kursk, Zhitomir, Vitebsk, Orsha, Vilnius, Kaunas, and other cities, distinguished themselves in the battles for Kyiv, Minsk, were among the first to reach the border with Nazi Germany, and then defeated the Nazis in East Prussia.

During the Great Patriotic War Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov commanded the troops of the northern directions. In 1941, Meretskov inflicted the first serious defeat of the war on the troops of Field Marshal Leeb near Tikhvin. On January 18, 1943, the troops of generals Govorov and Meretskov, delivering a counter strike near Shlisselburg (Operation Iskra), broke the blockade of Leningrad. In June 1944, under their command, Marshal K. Mannerheim was defeated in Karelia. In October 1944, Meretskov's troops defeated the enemy in the Arctic near Pechenga (Petsamo). In the spring of 1945, the “cunning Yaroslavets” (as Stalin called him) under the name of “General Maksimov” was sent to Far East. In August-September 1945, his troops took part in the defeat of the Kwantung Army, breaking into Manchuria from Primorye and liberating areas of China and Korea.

Thus, during the Great Patriotic War, many remarkable leadership qualities of our military leaders emerged, which made it possible to ensure the superiority of their military art over the military art of the Nazis.

In the books and magazine articles suggested below, you can learn more about these and other outstanding commanders of the Great Patriotic War, the creators of its Victory.

References

1. Alexandrov, A. The general was buried twice [Text] / A. Alexandrov // Echo of the Planet. - 2004. - N 18/19 . - P. 28 - 29.

Biography of Army General Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky.

2. Astrakhansky, V. What Marshal Bagramyan read [Text] / V. Astrakhansky // Library. - 2004. - N 5.- P. 68-69

What literature interested Ivan Khristoforovich Bagramyan, what was his reading range, personal library - another touch in the portrait of the famous hero.

3. Borzunov, Semyon Mikhailovich. The formation of commander G. K. Zhukov [Text] / S. M. Borzunov // Military History Journal. - 2006. - N 11. - P. 78

4. Bushin, Vladimir. For the Motherland! For Stalin! [Text] / Vladimir Bushin. - M.: EKSMO: Algorithm, 2004. - 591 p.

5. In memory of Marshal of Victory [Text]: on the 110th anniversary of the birth of Marshal Soviet Union G. K. Zhukova // Military Historical Journal. - 2006. - N 11. - P. 1

6. Gareev, M. A.“The name... of the commander of commanders will shine in the conduct of war by mass armies” [Text]: on the 60th anniversary of the Victory: Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov / M.A. Gareev // Military Historical Journal. - 2003. - N5. -C.2-8.

The article talks about the outstanding Russian commander Marshal of the USSR G.K. Zhukov.

7. Gassiev, V. I. He could not only make a quick and necessary decision, but also be in a timely manner where this decision was carried out [Text] / V. I. Gassiev // Military Historical Journal. - 2003. - N 11. - pp. 26-29

The essay, dedicated to a prominent and talented military leader, contains fragments of the memories of those who fought side by side with I. A. Pliev during the Great Patriotic War.

8. Twice a hero, twice a marshal[Text]: to the 110th anniversary of the birth of Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky / material prepared by. A. N. Chabanova // Military History Journal. - 2006. - N 11. - P. 2nd p. region

9. Zhukov G.K. At any cost! [Text] / G. K. Zhukov // Motherland. - 2003. - N2.- P.18

10. Ionov, P. P. Military glory of the Fatherland [Text]: book. for reading on "History of Russia" for Art. class general education school, Suvorov. and Nakhimov. schools and cadets. buildings / P. P. Ionov; Scientific research "RAU-Unit" company. - M.: RAU-University, 2003 - Book. 5: The Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945: (military history of Russia in the 20th century). - 2003. - 527 p.11.

11. Isaev, Alexey. Our " atomic bomb"[Text]: Berlin: Zhukov’s biggest victory?/Alexey Isaev // Motherland. - 2008. - N 5. - 57-62

Berlin operation of Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.

12. Kolpakov, A. V. In memory of the marshal-military leader and quartermaster [Text]/ A.V. Kolpakov // Military History Journal. - 2006. - N 6. - P. 64

About Karpov V.V. and Bagramyan I.Kh.

13. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War war [Text]: review of the editorial mail of the Military Historical Journal // Military Historical Journal. - 2006. - N 5. - P. 26-30

14. Kormiltsev N.V. The collapse of the Wehrmacht offensive strategy [Text]: on the 60th anniversary Battle of Kursk/ N.V. Kormiltsev // Military Historical Journal. - 2003. - N 8. - P. 2-5

Vasilevsky, A. M., Zhukov, G. K.

15. Korobushin, V.V. Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov: “General Govorov... has established himself... as a strong-willed, energetic commander” [Text] / V.V. Korobushin // Military Historical Journal. - 2005. - N 4. - P. 18-23

16. Kulakov, A. N. The duty and glory of Marshal G.K. Zhukov [Text] / A.N. Kulakov // Military History Journal. - 2007. - N 9. - P. 78-79.

17. Lebedev I. Order of Victory in the Eisenhower Museum // Echo of the Planet. - 2005. - N 13. - P. 33

On the mutual awarding of the highest state awards during the Second World War to major military leaders of the victorious countries.

18. Lubchenkov, Yuri Nikolaevich. The most famous commanders of Russia [Text] / Yuri Nikolaevich Lubchenkov - M.: Veche, 2000. - 638 p.

Yuri Lubchenkov's book "The Most Famous Commanders of Russia" ends with the names of the marshals of the Great Patriotic War Zhukov, Rokossovsky, Konev.

19. Maganov V. N.“This was one of our most capable chiefs of staff” [Text] / V.N. Maganov, V.T. Iminov // Military Historical Journal. - 2002. - N12 .- pp. 2-8

The activities of the chief of staff of the association, his role in organizing military operations and command of the troops of Colonel General Leonid Mikhailovich Sandalov are considered.

20. Makar I. P.“By going over to a general offensive, we will finally finish off the main enemy grouping” [Text]: to the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk / I. P. Makar // Military Historical Journal. - 2003. - N 7. - pp. 10-15

Vatutin N. F., Vasilevsky A. M., Zhukov G. K.

21. Malashenko E. I. Six fronts of the marshal [Text] / E. I. Malashenko // Military history magazine. - 2003. - N 10. - P. 2-8

About Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Stepanovich Konev - a man of difficult but amazing fate, one of the outstanding commanders of the 20th century.

22. Malashenko E. I. Warrior of the Vyatka Land [Text] / E. I. Malashenko // Military history magazine. - 2001. - N8 .- P.77

About Marshal I. S. Konev.

23. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text] / E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 1. - P. 13-17

A study about the commanders of the Great Patriotic War, who played an important role in leading the troops.

24. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text] / E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 2. - P. 9-16. - Continuation. Beginning No. 1, 2005.

25. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text]; E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 3. - P. 19-26

26. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text]; E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 4. - P. 9-17. - Continuation. Start NN 1-3.

27. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text]: commanders of tank forces / E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 6. - P. 21-25

28. Malashenko, E. I. Commanders of the Great Patriotic War [Text] / E. I. Malashenko // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 5. - P. 15-25

29. Maslov, A. F. I. Kh. Bagramyan: “...We must, we definitely must attack” [Text] / A. F. Maslov // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 12. - P. 3-8

Biography of Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Khristoforovich Bagramyan.

30. Artillery Strike Master[Text] / prepared material. R.I. Parfenov // Military History Journal. - 2007. - N 4. - S. 2nd from the region.

To the 110th anniversary of the birth of Marshal of Artillery V.I. Kazakov. Brief biography

31. Mertsalov A. Stalinism and war [Text] / A. Mertsalov // Motherland. - 2003. - N2 .- P.15-17

Stalin's leadership during the Great Patriotic War. Place of Zhukov G.K. in the leadership system.

32. "We are in vain now We’re fighting” [Text] // Motherland. - 2005. - N 4. - P. 88-97

Recording of a conversation between military leaders and political workers that took place on January 17, 1945 with General A. A. Epishev. The question of the possibility of ending the Great Patriotic War earlier was discussed. (Bagramyan, I. K., Zakharov, M. V., Konev, I. S., Moskalenko, K. S., Rokossovsky, K. K., Chuikov, V. I., Rotmistrov, P. A., Batitsky, P. F., Efimov, P. I., Egorov, N. V., etc.)

33. Nikolaev, I. General [Text] / I. Nikolaev // Zvezda. - 2006. - N 2. - P. 105-147

About General Alexander Vasilyevich Gorbatov, whose life was inextricably linked with the army.

34. Order "Victory"[Text] // Motherland. - 2005. - N 4. - P. 129

On the establishment of the Order of "Victory" and the military leaders awarded by it (Zhukov, G.K., Vasilevsky A.M., Stalin I.V., Rokossovsky K.K., Konev, I.S., Malinovsky R.Ya., Tolbukhin F.I., Govorov L.A., Timoshenko S.K., Antonov A.I., Meretskov, K.A.)

35. Ostrovsky, A. V. Lvov-Sandomierz operation [Text] / A. V. Ostrovsky // Military History Journal. - 2003. - N 7. - P. 63

About the Lviv-Sandomierz operation of 1944 on the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal I. S. Konev.

36. Petrenko, V. M. Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky: “The front commander and the ordinary soldier at times have the same influence on success...” [Text] / V.M. Petrenko // Military Historical Journal. - 2005. - N 7. - P. 19-23

About one of the most prominent Soviet commanders - Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky.

37. Petrenko, V. M. Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky: “The front commander and the ordinary soldier at times have the same influence on success...” [Text] / V.M. Petrenko // Military Historical Journal. - 2005. - N 5. - P. 10-14

38. Pechenkin A. A. Front commanders of 1943 [Text] / Pechenkin A. A. // Military history magazine. - 2003. - N 10 . - pp. 9 -16

Military leaders of the Great Patriotic War: Bagramyan I. Kh., Vatutin N. F., Govorov L. A., Eremenko A. I., Konev I. S., Malinovsky R. Ya., Meretskov K. A., Rokossovsky K. K., Timoshenko S.K., Tolbukhin F.I.

39. Pechenkin A. A. Commanders of the fronts of 1941 [Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2001. - N6 .- P.3-13

The article talks about the generals and marshals who commanded the fronts from June 22 to December 31, 1941. These are Marshals of the Soviet Union S. M. Budyonny, K. E. Voroshilov, S. K. Timoshenko, Army Generals I. R. Apanasenko, G. K. Zhukov, K. A. Meretskov, D. G. Pavlov, I. V. Tyulenev, Colonel General A. I. Eremenko, M. P. Kirponos, I. S. Konev, F. I. Kuznetsov, Ya. T. Cherevichenko, Lieutenant General P. A. Artemyev, I. A. Bogdanov, M. G. Efremov, M. P. Kovalev, D. T. Kozlov, F. Ya. Kostenko, P. A. Kurochkin, R. Ya. Malinovsky, M. M. Popov, D. I. Ryabyshev, V. A. Frolov, M. S. Khozin, Major Generals G. F. Zakharov, P. P. Sobennikov and I. I. Fedyuninsky.

40. Pechenkin A. A. Front commanders of 1942 [Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2002. - N11 .- pp. 66-75

The article is dedicated to the commanders of the fronts of the Red Army in 1942. The author cites full list military leaders of 1942 (Vatutin, Govorov, Golikov Gordov, Rokossovsky, Chibisov).

41. Pechenkin, A. A. They gave their lives for the Motherland [Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 5. - P. 39-43

About the losses of Soviet generals and admirals during the Great Patriotic War.

42. Pechenkin, A. A. Creators Great Victory[Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2007. - N 1. - P. 76

43. Pechenkin, A. A. Front commanders of 1944 [Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 10. - P. 9-14

About the actions of the military leaders of the Red Army in offensive operations against the German invaders in 1944.

44. Pechenkin, A. A. Front commanders of 1944 [Text] / A. A. Pechenkin // Military History Journal. - 2005. - N 11. - P. 17-22

45. Popelov, L. I. The tragic fate of Army Commander V. A. Khomenko [Text] / L. I. Popelov // Military History Journal. - 2007. - N 1. - P. 10

About the fate of the commander of the Great Patriotic War Vasily Afanasyevich Khomenko.

46. ​​Popova S. S. Military awards of Marshal of the Soviet Union R. Ya. Malinovsky [Text] / S. S. Popov // Military History Journal. - 2004. - N 5.- P. 31

47. Rokossovsky, Konstantin Konstantinovich Soldier's duty [Text] / K. K. Rokossovsky. - M.: Voenizdat, 1988. - 366 p.

48. Rubtsov Yu. V. G.K. Zhukov: “I will take any instruction... for granted” [Text] / Yu. V. Rubtsov // Military History Journal. - 2001. - N12. - pp. 54-60

49. Rubtsov Yu. V. About the fate of Marshal G.K. Zhukov - in the language of documents [Text] / Yu. V. Rubtsov // Military Historical Journal. - 2002. - N6. - pp. 77-78

50. Rubtsov, Yu. V. Marshals of Stalin [Text] / Yu. V. Rubtsov. - Rostov - n/a: Phoenix, 2002. - 351 p.

51. Russian military leaders A.V. Suvorov, M.I. Kutuzov, P.S. Nakhimov, G.K. Zhukov[Text]. - M.: WRIGHT, 1996. - 127 p.

52. Skorodumov, V. F. About Marshal Chuikov and Zhukov’s Bonapartism [Text] / V.F. Skorodumov // Neva. - 2006. - N 7. - P. 205-224

Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov as commander in chief ground forces stayed relatively short. It must be assumed that his irreconcilable character did not suit the court in the highest spheres.

53. Smirnov, D. S. Life for the Motherland [Text] / D. S. Smirnov // Military History Journal. - 2008. - N 12. - P. 37-39

New information about the generals who died during the Great Patriotic War.

54. Sokolov, B. Stalin and his marshals [Text] / B. Sokolov // Knowledge is power. - 2004. - N 12. - P. 52-60

55. Sokolov, B. When was Rokossovsky born? [Text]: touches to the portrait of the marshal / B. Sokolov // Motherland. - 2009. - N 5. - P. 14-16

56. Spikhina, O. R. Master of Environments [Text] / O. R. Spikhina // Military History Journal. - 2007. - N 6. - P. 13

Konev, Ivan Stepanovich (Marshal of the Soviet Union)

57. Suvorov, Victor. Suicide: Why Hitler attacked the Soviet Union [Text] / V. Suvorov. - M.: AST, 2003. - 379 p.

58. Suvorov, Victor. Shadow of Victory [Text] / V. Suvorov. - Donetsk: Stalker, 2003. - 381 p.

59. Tarasov M. Ya. Seven January days [Text]: to the 60th anniversary of the breaking of the siege of Leningrad / M. Ya. Tarasov // Military History Journal. - 2003. - N1. - pp. 38-46

Zhukov G. K., Govorov L. A., Meretskov K. A., Dukhanov M. P., Romanovsky V. Z.

60. Tyushkevich, S. A. Chronicle of the commander’s exploits [Text] / S. A. Tyushkevich // Domestic history. - 2006. - N 3. - P. 179-181

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich.

61. Filimonov, A. V.“Special folder” for division commander K.K. Rokossovsky [Text] / A.V. Filimonov // Military History Journal. - 2006. - N 9. - P. 12-15

About little-known pages of the life of Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky.

62. Chuikov, V. I. Banner of victory over Berlin [Text] / V. I. Chuikov // Free Thought. - 2009. - N 5 (1600). - pp. 166-172

Rokossovsky K. K., Zhukov G. K., Konev I. S.

63. Shchukin, V. Marshal of the Northern Directions [Text] / V. Shchukin // Warrior of Russia. - 2006. - N 2. - P. 102-108

The military career of one of the most outstanding commanders of the Great Patriotic War, Marshal K. A. Meretsky.

64. Ekshtut S. Admiral and Master [Text] / S. Ekshtut // Motherland. - 2004. - N 7. - pp. 80-85

About Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov.

65. Ekshtut S. Debut of a commander [Text] / S. Ekshtut // Motherland. - 2004. - N 6 - P. 16-19

The history of the Battle of the Khalkhin Gol River in 1939, the biography of commander Georgy Zhukov.

66. Erlikhman, V. The commander and his shadow: Marshal Zhukov in the mirror of history [Text] / V. Erlikhman // Motherland. - 2005. - N 12. - P. 95-99

About the fate of Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.