These are the greatest generals in American history

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• • Some generals became president of the United States.
  • All the generals became famous because of their actions during the war.
  • A general on this list went on to lead the entire NATO.
  • Also: 2 dividend legends to be kept forever

If you look back at the history of the United States, you will see that the nation has been involved in as many as 108 military conflicts and 12 major wars. When the US is ready to go to war, it looks to its brightest military leaders to lead the country to victory. Of course, when you think of some of America’s best-remembered military leaders, names like Patton, Washington, and Eisenhower come to mind. However, these are not the only great military generals of the United States.

Why is this important?

The United States Army has long looked to its generals to lead the country to victory.

It is important to understand the history of the United States and how it rose to become the world’s sole superpower. The work of the men on this list who fought and in some cases died to establish the United States as a global power are often looked to for leadership and freedom.

12. John J. Pershing

General Pershing led the American forces during World War I.

• Military rank: general of the armies
• Conflict: First World War

While British and French forces were at a stalemate with the German army during World War I, the world waited for America to enter the war. When it finally happened, John J. Pershing led the “American Expeditionary Force” and served as a mentor to Eisenhower, Marshall, Bradley, Patton, and MacArthur, all while designing the “Hundred Day Offensive” of to the Allies, which led to the surrender of Germany.

11. Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson was an important figure during the War of 1812.

• Military rank: Major General
• Conflict: War of 1812

Before becoming the seventh president of a young nation, Andrew Jackson was a prominent military general in the US Army. As a general, Jackson’s military strategy helped the US defeat the British during the War of 1812 and defeat the Creek Indians. Jackson also defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans, one of the bloodiest battles of the conflict.

10. Nathanael Greene

General Greene was a prominent leader who served under George Washington.

• Military rank: Major General
• Conflict: Revolutionary War

A prominent member of George Washington’s inner military circle, Nathanael Greene is remembered for handling many of the struggles of the southern colonies against the British. Washington appointed Greene as commanding officer of all Continental Army forces in the South, which included Virginia, Georgia, and South Carolina. There, he helped launch guerrilla warfare tactics and harassed British forces.

9. Stonewall Jackson

Stonewall Jackson was an important figure in the Confederate Army.

• Military rank: Lieutenant General (Confederate States of America)
• Conflict: The civil war

Considered one of America’s most brilliant military tacticians by military historians, Stonewall Jackson was a force on the battlefield. His role in the Civil War earned him the “stone wall” for commanding a brigade during the First Battle of Bull Run, where his army defeated a much larger and better equipped Union force.

8. William Tecumseh Sherman

Sherman was highly regarded for his brilliant military strategies.

• Military rank: Commanding General of the US Army
• Conflict: Civil Army

Serving under General Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman was widely recognized for his deep understanding of military strategy. His presence on this list is a response to his “Scorched Earth” policy which, while controversial, destroyed much of the Confederate states’ will to fight.

7. Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee was the architect of the Southern military rebellion during the Civil War.

• Military rank: General-in-Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States
• Conflict: The civil war

While Robert E. Lee fought on the side of the Confederates against the Union Army, his military genius cannot be overlooked as part of American history. Lee was a brilliant military strategist who gained fame in the military and political community during the Mexican-American War. While Lee lost the Civil War, his military genius kept the larger Union army fighting for years.

6. Omar Bradley

Omar Bradley (left) commanded more men than any other American general.

• Military rank: Army Chief of Staff
• Conflict: World War II

Rising to the rank of General of the Army and later as the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Omar Bradley played a pivotal role in World War II. At one point, Bradley supervised more than 1.3 million men, the largest US force ever commanded by a single commanding officer. His successes in Europe and Africa paved the way for the eventual defeat of Germany’s forces.

5. George Patton

General Patton was well known for his sudden manners.

• Military rank: Lieutenant General
• Conflict: World War II

“Old Blood and Guts,” as he is most commonly known, George Patton was a hard-working general who commanded various American forces during World War II. Patton was most comfortable on the battlefield and often went to the front lines with his troops. His dedication to military strategy helped him win victories in Italy, France, Germany and Africa.

4. Dwight D. Eisenhower

General Eisenhower will become the 34th US President.

• Military rank: General of the Army, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force
• Conflict: World War II

The highest-ranking American during World War II, Eisenhower planned and oversaw Operation Torch, which liberated Africa from Germany and the Normandy invasion. Eisenhower’s prominence as a military general was widespread, and his role afforded him enormous popularity, which he later used to run for President of the United States.

3. Winfield Scott

General Scott fought in three American wars during his lifetime.

• Military rank: Commanding General of the US Army
• Conflict: War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War

Often overlooked by other names on this list, Winfield Scott is nothing less than one of the greatest generals in American history. After fighting in three wars, Scott retired as commanding general of the US Army after giving President Lincoln the “Anaconda” battle plans in the early stages of the Civil War, which were largely followed in the early days of the war.

2. Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was the general who held the US together during the Civil War.

• Military rank: Commanding General of the US Army
• Conflict: The civil war

As the commanding general of the Union Army, Ulysses S. Grant should essentially be credited with holding the country together during the Civil War. While much of the credit goes to President Lincoln, Grant was on the battlefield working with his leadership to strategize to defeat the Confederates.

1. George Washington

No American general is more important than George Washington.

• Military rank: Lieutenant General, later awarded posthumously General of the Armies
• Conflict: Revolutionary War

No general of the United States is more prominent or more beloved than George Washington. Considered the father of this nation, Washington took an army of soldiers and turned them into a fighting force that defeated the largest empire in the world at the time. Washington’s final rank was general of the armies, awarded posthumously in 1976.

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