Best General of All Time?

[ClearlyInvsible]

Well that cav charge wasn't wise, you have to admit that.

Napoleon should have brought Davout and left Grouchy in fckin Paris.

He should indeed have brought Davout, but also Grouchy. Grouchy gets a very undeserved amount of shit for not coming to Waterloo, yet he was following his orders from Napoleon to explicitly not do that and follow the Prussians. The Waterloo campaign was lost the very day Napoleon marched out.

"March towards the sounds of the guns"

Initiative like that from the Marshals saved Napoleon back in Italy.

[Skipper]

I made a mistake, but never once said he was ahead of those people. Please read my personal list of greatest generals, Kruschev is not there. I noted him in this situation for his known ruthlessness as opposed to people like Patton.

[Archduke Sven]

I made a mistake, but never once said he was ahead of those people. Please read my personal list of greatest generals, Kruschev is not there. I noted him in this situation for his known ruthlessness as opposed to people like Patton.

Not to bug you more, but Zhukov was by far the most ruthless officer in the Red Army, just look at the defenses of Moscow and Leningrad. Not to mention he had a much higher position and influence.

[Skipper]

He was yes, all Soviet generals had a sense of ruthlessness that was required much like British naval officers. Though as stated Kruschev was only an example.

[Dan the Seagull Chef]

Can I throw Nelson in for some discussion?

[Skipper]

Well I consider admiral and general different things, but Nelson was the best naval commander ever... No question about it.

[ClearlyInvsible]

Soviet Generals had to be terrifying, or, you know, they'd be purged.

Well I consider admiral and general different things, but Nelson was the best naval commander ever... No question about it.

I see your Nelson and raise you a Yi Sun Shin

[Skipper]

There is a lot of arguments for them both, the total war forums decided mainly Nelson.

I would agree Nelson too simply because of the naval education of the British at the time as opposed to what Yi Sun would have gotten, meaning Nelson could likely do similar.

[Dan the Seagull Chef]

Well I consider admiral and general different things, but Nelson was the best naval commander ever... No question about it.

I see your Nelson and raise you a Yi Sun Shin

I don't believe he knew the definition of fear much like Nelson.

[ClearlyInvsible]

That's just it though, Nelson did that with proper training. Shin did it basically Ad Hoc.

I mean if you take a Militia-regimental commander and a Regular-regimental commander and they both do equally well, I'm gonna say the Militia commander is better.

Well I consider admiral and general different things, but Nelson was the best naval commander ever... No question about it.

I see your Nelson and raise you a Yi Sun Shin

I don't believe he knew the definition of fear much like Nelson.

Oh he knew fear, he was just also ballsy as shite.

[Skipper]

True, very true.

[Duuring]

Well that cav charge wasn't wise, you have to admit that.

Napoleon should have brought Davout and left Grouchy in fckin Paris.

He should indeed have brought Davout, but also Grouchy. Grouchy gets a very undeserved amount of shit for not coming to Waterloo, yet he was following his orders from Napoleon to explicitly not do that and follow the Prussians. The Waterloo campaign was lost the very day Napoleon marched out.

"March towards the sounds of the guns"

Initiative like that from the Marshals saved Napoleon back in Italy.

Grouchy was given orders by Napoleon in person to pursue the Prussians while the rest of the army would finish off the Allied army at Waterloo. Grouchy KNEW he would hear the sounds of guns and presumed it was Napoleon beating the Allied army to pulp. Meanwhile he thought he was chasing the Prussian army, and turning to Waterloo would (in theory) mean the Prussian army could reform and do so as well, and the Prussians outnumbered Grouchy by a far degree. Sadly for the French, Grouchy was only chasing part while the rest was already hurrying to Waterloo.

[ClearlyInvsible]

Aye, but Grouchy should have realized that the fight was going on for too long.

What was the name of that Marshal who disobeyed Napoleon's orders but managed to save him? He was a General from the Republic...

[Duuring]

Desaix. He was not a marshal. And he wasn't persuading anyone, just marching somewhere. He had little to lose but time.

Aye, but Grouchy should have realized that the fight was going on for too long.

Why? Battles could rage for hours and whether someones loses or wins has little to do with the noise. At what point is Grouchy to think 'oh shit this battle went past the limit, better hurry towards it'?

[ClearlyInvsible]

Because when you can hear the battle from miles away and the reinforcements you're pursuing get smaller, you can usually tell something is up.