Greatest Military Commander Before the Industrial Age

[lustindarkness]

I don't know who to vote for yet. Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar?



How about Alexander Caesar or Julius the Great?  

[Malthus]

I don't know who to vote for yet. Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar?



How about Alexander Caesar or Julius the Great?  

http://www.candywrappermuseum.com/alex.html

[Zanza]

I think I will go with Caesar. He was going up against the greatest army in the area at the time, other Romans, and always won usually against superior odds.

Wasn't it Octavian that fought and won most battles of the civil war?

[celedhring]

I think I will go with Caesar. He was going up against the greatest army in the area at the time, other Romans, and always won usually against superior odds.

Wasn't it Octavian that fought and won most battles of the civil war?

I was about to nominate Marcus Agrippa for that reason. Also qualifies as an Admiral too 

[Valmy]

I think I will go with Caesar. He was going up against the greatest army in the area at the time, other Romans, and always won usually against superior odds.

Wasn't it Octavian that fought and won most battles of the civil war?

The one that was fought after Caesar was dead? No that was Agrippa. Nothing against Octavian, big fan, but he was no general.

[11B4V]

GENGHIS KHAN

[The Brain]

Admiral Yi - great leader hobbled by a devastating gambling addiction.

No. Small penis.

[The Brain]

Andrea Doria was cooler than Nelson. YOUNG PEOPLE SUCK

[CountDeMoney]

Admiral Yi - great leader hobbled by a devastating gambling addiction.

"All I ask is a water bong, and a karaoke mic to steer her by."

[Delirium]

Depends on level of military command. Strategic, operational or tactical genius?

If operational, my money is on Napoleon any day of the week. Yes, there are a few blemishes on his record on the strategic level (and the hundred days were a mess), but over the span of his 22-year career (Toulon to Waterloo) operationally he shines. He routinely put his army in positions to win the coming battles against superior opponents. Perhaps most importantly he may be the leader that has been scrutinized and vilified the most by his opponents. Perfect he ain't, but he was damned good.

[viper37]

Oh Hell I don't know. The problem with guys like Frederick and Alexander is they got handed top notch military machines and then beat up on clearly inferior opponents.

in both cases, they pushed it a bit further.  Alexander's tacticts against the Scythes was unheard of at the time, and I don't think you'd see infantry advancing with artillery support until much later in time, when European armies had access to canons.
Alexander also inovated with his cavalry flanking manoeuvers, something not usually done.
And there's that battle in India where he had some of his troops march up&down the river to make it think he hadn't already crossed.

I say Alexander is the most impressive of the bunch I know of.  The asian guys, I don't know them very well, so I can't judge.

[grumbler]

If naval leaders were military rather than naval, i'd vote Yi.  As it is, i will restrict myself to the question and vote Napoleon.  Not only was he a great commander on the battlefield and in the field, he was a military innovator on a scale not matched by the others.

[The Brain]

Yeah. He taught the French to surrender.

[Razgovory]

Admiral Yi - great leader hobbled by a devastating gambling addiction.

I voted for Yi, give our hometown boy a chance.

[jimmy olsen]

GENGHIS KHAN

Want to vote for the Mongols, chose Subutai.