u/Left-Captain-2118

Vote here ➡️ https://strawpoll.com/eJnvVJJmWnv

Scipio Africanus

✅Accomplishments :

One of the greatest Roman commanders in history.

Captured New Carthage in Spain in a brilliant surprise assault.

Defeated Carthaginian armies in Iberia, removing Hannibal’s main source of reinforcements.

Invaded North Africa despite strong opposition in Rome.

Won the decisive Battle of Zama (202 BC), ending the Second Punic War.

First Roman general to consistently defeat Hannibal’s veterans in open battle.

Revolutionized Roman military flexibility with aggressive tactics and strong cavalry coordination.

Expanded Roman dominance across the western Mediterranean.

❌Failures :

Relied heavily on allies such as Numidian cavalry under Masinissa.

Accused of corruption and political arrogance later in life.

Struggled against political rivals in the Roman Senate.

Never achieved the lasting political dominance his military prestige suggested.

Ended his life in relative exile and bitterness despite his victories.

Philip II of Macedon :

✅Accomplishments :

Transformed Macedon from a vulnerable kingdom into the dominant power in Greece.

Unified most of Greece under Macedonian hegemony through the League of Corinth.

Reformed the Macedonian army into one of the most effective military forces of the ancient world.

Introduced the sarissa phalanx, revolutionizing ancient warfare.

Defeated the Illyrians, Paeonians, and Thracians, securing Macedon’s borders.

Built the military machine later used by Alexander the Great to conquer the Persian Empire.

❌Failures :

Never tested his army against the full power of the Persian Empire.

Struggled at times against constant revolts and coalitions in Greece.

Relied heavily on diplomacy and bribery alongside military force.

Assassination exposing security failure.

Who was the better general ?

Vote here ➡️ https://strawpoll.com/xVg71Lb8zyr

Robert E Lee :

✅ Accomplishments :

Major victories at:

Seven Days Battles

Second Bull Run

Fredericksburg

Chancellorsville

Frequently defeated larger armies despite limited manpower and resources

Inspired extreme loyalty and morale within the Army of Northern Virginia

His leadership likely prolonged the Confederacy’s resistance by several years

Exceptional coordination with corps commanders such as Stonewall Jackson and Longstreet

At times tactically outperformed many Union commanders

❌ Failures :

Gettysburg was a catastrophic strategic mistake, especially Pickett’s Charge on July 3rd

Antietam failed to achieve major strategic objectives like foreign recognition or a decisive invasion of the North

Focused heavily on tactical victories while the Confederacy lacked long-term industrial and logistical sustainability

Often overly aggressive despite limited manpower reserves

Benefited at times from facing weak Union leadership early in the war

Winfield Scott :

✅ Accomplishments :

One of the most influential American commanders of the 19th century

Distinguished himself during the War of 1812 after a difficult start

Played a major role in modernizing and professionalizing the U.S. Army

Led one of the greatest campaigns in American military history during the Mexican-American War:

amphibious landing at Veracruz

advance inland toward Mexico City

capture of the Mexican capital

Successfully handled several political and military crises, including the Nullification Crisis

Developed the “Anaconda Plan,” a long-term strategy focused on blockade and economic pressure

Excellent organizer and administrator with major influence on future American military structure

❌ Failures :

Early struggles during the War of 1812

Performed poorly during parts of the Seminole Wars

Criticized for slow mobilization early in the conflict

Had frequent conflicts with political and military figures

Who was the better general ?

​

I’m running a major historical military tournament featuring some of the greatest commanders in history.

This is NOT a popularity contest or a nationalist competition.

The goal is to build the most fair and accurate ranking possible through discussion, historical arguments, and community voting.

Please vote as objectively and neutrally as possible.

Nationalism and personal bias have no place in this tournament. Commanders should be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Tactical genius

Strategic ability

Complexity of campaigns

Adaptability

Military innovation

Overall impact as a commander

⚠️ Important

If you are unfamiliar with one of the commanders in a matchup, please take a moment to learn about them before voting. Many lesser-known commanders, such as:

Subutai

Jan Žižka

Khalid ibn al-Walid

Belisarius

Suvorov

are widely regarded by historians as military geniuses despite being less known online.

The purpose of this tournament is historical discussion and military analysis, not patriotism.

Matchups will be posted progressively.

Posts are also shared both on my profile and on the r/MilitaryHistory subreddit. The first 5 matchups have already been posted, and a voting system has been set up in the comments.

Each vote should ideally be justified with reasoning.

Let the tournament begin ⚔️

Khalid ibn al-Walid :

✅ Accomplishments :

Undefeated in battle throughout his military career

Played a decisive role in the Ridda Wars, especially at the Battle of Yamama, helping reunify Arabia after Muhammad’s death

Defeated both the Byzantine and Sassanid Persian Empires within a few years despite often being outnumbered

Achieved one of history’s greatest tactical victories at the Battle of Yarmouk (636), permanently weakening Byzantine control over Syria

Won major victories in Iraq such as Walaja and Ullais using mobility, encirclement and cavalry tactics

Famous for rapid desert marches and operational speed, allowing surprise attacks across massive distances

Captured Damascus and contributed heavily to the conquest of Syria and Iraq

Master of cavalry warfare and battlefield adaptation

❌ Failures :

Less effective in siege warfare than in open-field battles

Some conquered regions required later reconsolidation after his campaigns

Relied heavily on maneuver warfare, which was not always suited for long occupations

Removed from command by Caliph Umar partly due to concerns over his growing prestige

Thomas E Lawrence :

✅Accomplishments :

One of the key figures of the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I

Helped organize and lead Arab tribal forces despite lacking formal large-scale command experience

Mastered guerrilla warfare, sabotage and mobility in desert warfare

Led successful raids on Ottoman railways and communication lines, especially the Hejaz Railway

Played a major role in the capture of Aqaba (1917), a strategic port considered nearly impossible to attack from land

Helped coordinate the advance toward Damascus alongside British and Arab forces

Exceptional diplomat and political operator, managing to unite tribes with long-standing rivalries

Demonstrated how irregular forces could seriously damage a larger conventional army

❌ Failures :

Never commanded massive conventional armies like many other generals in the tournament

Depended heavily on British logistics, gold, weapons and overall strategy

His military successes alone were not enough to defeat the Ottomans without Britain’s main offensives

More of a guerrilla strategist and liaison officer than a traditional battlefield commander

Limited experience in large-scale set-piece battles and long-term campaign management

Who was the better general ?

Carolus Magnus

Accomplishments :

Helped build the foundations of medieval Western Europe.

Defeated the Lombards and captured Pavia in 774, becoming King of the Lombards.

Crushed repeated Saxon revolts after victories such as the campaigns following the Massacre of Verden and fully absorbed Saxony into the Frankish realm.

Removed Tassilo III from power and secured Bavaria.

Destroyed the power of the Avars after campaigns culminating in the capture of the Avar Ring.

Expanded into northeastern Spain and established the Spanish March as a buffer zone.

Successfully managed near-constant warfare across Italy, Germany, and Central Europe for over 30 years.

Failures :

Suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass during the retreat from Spain.

Failed to conquer most of Muslim-controlled Spain despite repeated campaigns.

The Saxon Wars lasted over 30 years, showing how difficult the region was to pacify.

Could not fully stop Viking raids late in his reign despite defensive reforms.

His empire fragmented relatively quickly after his death.

Attila the Hun

Accomplishments :

United the Hunnic tribes into one of the most feared military powers in Europe.

Mastered highly mobile cavalry warfare using horse archers, feigned retreats, and rapid raids.

His reputation as the “Scourge of God” caused some cities and enemies to surrender without battle.

Devastated the Eastern Roman Empire during the Balkan campaigns of the 440s and forced massive tribute payments.

Captured and destroyed major Roman cities such as Naissus.

Adapted Hunnic warfare to include siege tactics against fortified Roman settlements.

Invaded Gaul and Italy, bringing the Western Roman Empire close to collapse.

Failures :

Struggled against strong coordinated coalitions, especially at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains.

Could raid and devastate cities more effectively than permanently occupying them.

Failed to capture Constantinople or fully destroy either Roman Empire.

Relied heavily on fear, tribute, and mobility rather than stable administration.

His empire collapsed rapidly after his death and lacked long-term structure.

Overextension into Gaul and Italy exposed the limits of Hunnic power in Western Europe.

Who was the better general ?

Tamerlane

✅ Accomplishments :

Built a massive empire across Central Asia

Major victories against:

- the Golden Horde

- the Ilkhanates

- the Ottoman Empire at Ankara (1402)

Conducted extremely fast and devastating large-scale campaigns

Master of mobility, shock warfare and strategic terror

❌ Failures :

Empire quickly weakened after his death

Highly dependent on his personal leadership

Focused more on conquest than long-term stability

Less administrative consolidation than other empire builders

Belisarius

✅ Accomplishments:

One of the greatest Byzantine generals under Justinian

Rapid reconquest of Vandal North Africa

Successful campaigns against the Ostrogoths in Italy

Won major victories while often outnumbered

Exceptional tactical flexibility and discipline

❌ Failures :

Constant political interference from Constantinople

Several campaigns left unfinished

Byzantine reconquests proved difficult to sustain long-term

Who was the better general ?

George S. Patton

Accomplishments :

- Led the rapid Third Army advance across France

- Relieved Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge

- Master of fast armored maneuver warfare

- One of the most aggressive Allied commanders of WWII

Failures :

- Frequent discipline and political controversies

- Sometimes too aggressive operationally

- Less experienced in grand strategic command

Georgy Zhukov

Accomplishments :

- Major role in Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk and Berlin

- Coordinated massive Soviet offensives against Germany

- One of the greatest large-scale operational commanders in history

- Central figure in the defeat of Nazi Germany

Failures :

- Extremely costly offensives with huge casualties

- Ruthless attritional warfare methods

- Associated with several early Soviet disasters in 1941

Who was the better general ?

Napoleon Bonaparte

✅ Accomplishments

Revolutionized modern warfare

Mastermind behind the corps system and operational warfare

Defeated multiple European coalitions

Dominated continental Europe at his peak

Victories such as Austerlitz, Jena and Ulm are considered military masterpieces

❌ Failures

Catastrophic Russian campaign

Costly Peninsular War

Final defeat at Waterloo

Failed to create a stable long-term empire

Edward III

✅ Accomplishments

Major victories during the Hundred Years’ War

Crushed larger French armies at Crécy and Poitiers

Helped establish English military supremacy in the 14th century

Improved professionalism and effectiveness of the English army

❌ Failures

Failed to fully conquer France

Could not secure lasting domination despite early victories

Relied on medieval feudal military structures

Who was the better general ?

Napoleon 1

Edward III 2