Courageous Facts About History's Most Impressive Generals
For every war, there is a soldier, but behind every soldier, compelling them to charge forward, is a general.
You may think that the high rank of general officers means that they don’t see battle, but the most notable generals in history worked closely with the soldiers under their command to defend life and liberty.
Whether they were more of a bumbling type or a strict, highly educated master of strategy, there are scores of memorable generals who participated in some of the world’s most remarkable wars and battles.
Here’s 38 courageous and little-known facts about historical generals.
Generals Facts
38. Total Destruction
One of the great enemies to the South was General William Tecumseh Sherman, who was known for his scorched earth military policy in which he waged “total war” against the Confederate states by destroying everything he came into contact with.
Maybe it got to him, as the media referred to him as insane and he went on to have a nervous breakdown that sidelined him during the Civil War.
37. To Buffalo Buffalo
William Tecumseh Sherman was named after the glorious Native American warrior Tecumseh.
This didn’t stop him from waging war against the Native Americans however, and when he was tasked to clear them from their land in order to build the continental railroad, he waged a total war.
His tactic: to eliminate their primary resource, the bison. In a couple of years, he successfully brought the animal to the brink of extinction by killing an estimated 5 million.
36. Seems Excessive
General Antonio López de Santa Anna served as general of the Mexican army for many years and even was president of the country 11 times over a 22-year period.
A fickle politician and one of the leaders who failed the nation of Mexico, he wasn’t very fortunate on the battlefield. During the Pastry War, he had his ankle destroyed by a cannonball and had most of his leg amputated.
Upon amputation, he then ordered for a military burial of the leg, along with military honors and salute.
