Go on,
Dare ya!
Most underrated/over-shadowed general/admiral and why?
Jean Victor de Constant
Quarter master-general of the troops during the 100 days campaign.
known to most as the 'babysitter' of the prince of orange in the sharpe series
Scipio Africanus. Not exactly unknown, but never makes anyone's top ten list (whereas Julius Caesar frequently does, for far less reason).
Quote from: FierceKitty on 21 December 2020, 12:17:33 AM
Scipio Africanus. Not eactly unknown, but never makes anyone's top ten list (whereas Julius Caesar frequently des, for far less reason).
B H Liddle Hart wrote 'Scipio Africanus: Greater Than Napoleon' which perhaps unsurprisingly extolled Scipio as a master exponent of B H Liddle Hart's military theories
Davout - as good a strategist, far better tactician and far more careful with his troops than "the boss" and yet "Corporal Short-arse" gets all the plaudits. :)
Artúr Görgei and Józef Bem, both of whom conducted amazingly rapid and audacious manoeuvres, worthy of a young Bonaparte, during the Hungarian War of Independence of 1848-1849. Görgei also qualifies as 'over-shadowed' because of the debate over whether he undermined and ultimately betrayed the Hungarian cause (he had serious differences with others in the political and military leadership, and was responsible for the decision to surrender his army in August 1849). These two are not underrated by historians writing about them, it's just not a very well-known conflict, despite its size and duration.
Chris
https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/hungary-1848-the-winter-campaign.php
https://groups.io/g/bloodybigbattles
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/
For WWII Slim, Wavell and Aukinleck - all Indian Army, so not in favour with British Army mainstraem, with for Slim being in the wrong theatre as well.
Going to pitch my first one.
Major General John Buford.
The man who won Gettysberg.
He chose the ground, the rest of the Union Army formed up around him.
Quote from: ianrs54 on 21 December 2020, 12:25:32 PM
For WWII Slim, Wavell and Aukinleck - all Indian Army, so not in favour with British Army mainstraem, with for Slim being in the wrong theatre as well.
Absolutely!
Can't agree more :)
Quote from: Ithoriel on 21 December 2020, 10:08:28 AM
Davout - as good a strategist, far better tactician and far more careful with his troops than "the boss" and yet "Corporal Short-arse" gets all the plaudits. :)
Furthermore, Auerstedt never appeared as a battle honour on Napoleonic drapeaux. Jena did though, which was a much less impressive victory, but "Corporal Short-arse" was present so he took all the accolades.
I nominate Patrick Cleburne. Perhaps less well known, rather than under-rated. The so-called 'Stonewall of the West', he only rose to command a division. He was loved by his men and his record speaks for itself. Killed at Franklin in 1864 during Hood's badly conceived and ill-fated frontal assaults on the entrenched Union army that, more or less, resulted in the destruction of Confederate The Army of Tennessee.