Military Personalities

Ferdinand Foch (1851/1929), Marshal of France and commander of Allied forces during the closing months of WW1, generally considered the leader most responsible for the Allied victory.

Gen George S. Patton (1885/1945) watching his forces advance into the El Guettar Valley in Tunisia, March 23, 1943.

Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (1896/1974), the Soviet military leader who served as a top commander during WW2

(He appears to have been decorated.)

A photograph documented Gen Douglas MacArthur’s (1880/1964) unique, confident stance with hands on his hips, a pose that became a trademark of his leadership style during battlefield inspections and in meetings during WWII and the subsequent occupation of Japan.

arms akimbo

If you have not read William Manchester's "American Caesar" biography of MacArthur, I'd highly recommend it.  One of the things I learned from the book was that "Dugout Doug" was the most decorated soldier in US Army history until Audie Murphy came along.  He was nominated for the Medal of Honor twice.  He might have been a Prima Donna, but he was a brave prima donna.  As a young soldier, he definitely walked the walk.

The Fall of a Field Marshal
March 15, 1945. One of Germany’s most powerful commanders was no longer giving orders. He was a captured man.
In this rare wartime photograph, Gerd von Rundstedt (born 1875) appears shortly after being taken into custody by the 36th Infantry Div of the 7th US Army.
For years, Rundstedt had stood at the top of Germany’s military hierarchy.

A military leader who had directed massive formations, now under Allied control.
When this photo was taken, Rundstedt was not commanding troops in the field. He was inside a convalescent hospital in Bad Tölz, Germany, being treated for chronic arthritis. On that same day, March 15, he had been officially relieved of his command.

He was liberated on May 26, 1949. He died in Hanover of a heart attack on Feb 24, 1953, at the age of 77.

The Desert Fox — Erwin Rommel

One of the most studied commanders of WWII, Rommel became famous for fast, aggressive maneuver warfare in North Africa and for leading from the front — often close enough to the action to be seen by his own troops.

Interesting note: many of his battlefield successes came despite chronic supply shortages, forcing him to rely on speed, deception, and improvisation rather than brute strength.

Thought he deserved a spot in this thread.

Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke (1883/1963), Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery (1887/1976), Winston Churchill (1874/1965), and General William Simpson (1888/1980) inspect 'dragons teeth' anti-tank obstacles on the Siegfried Line near Aachen, 4 March 1945.

Aachen was the first German city to fall to the Allies.

Maurice Gamelin (1872/1958) commanded the French military during the critical days of May 1940, before being removed from his position after failing to defend France from the Germans.

Heinz Guderian was a pioneering German general who helped develop and implement blitzkrieg tactics, emphasizing speed, coordination, and concentrated armored force. As commander of XIX Panzer Corps in 1940, his rapid advances through France demonstrated the devastating effectiveness of armored warfare and reshaped modern military doctrine. Later serving as Inspector General of Armored Troops, he clashed with Hitler over strategy but remained one of the most influential architects of mechanized warfare in World War II.

Isoroku Yamamoto was the architect of Japan’s early Pacific War strategy and the driving force behind the attack on Pearl Harbor. A skilled naval aviator and strategist, he recognized the importance of carrier-based air power and sought a decisive blow to neutralize the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Despite early successes, he warned of Japan’s limited industrial capacity and was ultimately killed in 1943 after U.S. intelligence intercepted his travel plans.

Omar Bradley was a senior U.S. Army commander in World War II, known for his steady leadership and close connection with frontline soldiers. Often called the “soldier’s general,” he emphasized careful planning and minimizing unnecessary casualties while commanding the First U.S. Army during the Normandy invasion. He later led the 12th Army Group, the largest American field command in U.S. history, overseeing the push across France into Germany. After the war, he became the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, helping shape U.S. military policy in the early Cold War.

A gathering of friends on a sunny day... Lt Gen. Sir Miles Dempsey (1896/1969), Gen. Omar Bradley (1893/1981), Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery (1887/1976), and Lt Gen. William Hood Simpson (1888/1980), 11 April 1945.

Colorized pic - Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (1887/1973) -left- and Generaloberst Hermann Hoth (1885/1971) seated at a laid table with soup during the campaign in the Soviet Union, southern Don / Stalingrad sector, 1942.

Nice! Memorial of Erwin Rommel at the Battle of El Alamein Museum, Egypt.