Greatest Military Leaders
Greatest Military Leaders is a structured history dataset with 20 entries. Its fields include Name, Era, Empire / Nation. Community voting appears as a separate signal beside eligible rows and does not replace the source values.
Every row is shown below and is also available as CSV, JSON, or Excel.
Dataset details
- Table scope
- All 20 rows
- Fields
- 6 columns
- Source
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Data updated
- Feb 14, 2026
Included fields: Name, Era, Empire / Nation, Major Victory, Leadership Style, and 1 more.
The table contains every record in this dataset; the same records are available in each download format.
Preview observations
No reliable range or grouping can be calculated from the loaded rows without interpreting the source data.
Useful for
- Comparing Name, Era, and Empire / Nation across history entries
- Building reference tables, charts, or analyses from 20 downloadable records
Name↕ | Era↕ | Empire / Nation↕ | Major Victory↕ | Leadership Style↕ | Legacy↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alexander the Great | 356–323 BCE | Macedon / Hellenistic Empire | Battle of Gaugamela (331 BCE) | Leading from the front, bold flanking maneuvers | Spread Hellenistic culture from Egypt to India; founded over 20 cities |
Genghis Khan | 1162–1227 CE | Mongol Empire | Conquest of Khwarezmia (1219–1221) | Meritocratic command, psychological warfare, rapid cavalry tactics | Built the largest contiguous land empire in history |
Napoleon Bonaparte | 1769–1821 CE | French Empire | Battle of Austerlitz (1805) | Rapid maneuver warfare, concentration of force | Napoleonic Code reformed European legal systems; reshaped the map of Europe |
Sun Tzu | c. 544–496 BCE | Kingdom of Wu (China) | Battle of Boju (506 BCE) | Strategic deception, intelligence-driven warfare | Authored The Art of War, the most influential military treatise ever written |
Julius Caesar | 100–44 BCE | Roman Republic | Battle of Alesia (52 BCE) | Siege warfare, speed of march, political-military integration | Expanded Rome into Gaul; his rise ended the Roman Republic |
Khalid ibn al-Walid | 592–642 CE | Rashidun Caliphate | Battle of Yarmouk (636 CE) | Rapid cavalry charges, envelopment, never lost a battle | Nicknamed 'Sword of Allah'; conquered the Levant and Mesopotamia |
Saladin | 1137–1193 CE | Ayyubid Sultanate | Battle of Hattin (1187) | Chivalric conduct, unity of Muslim factions | Recaptured Jerusalem; respected by both Muslim and Christian chroniclers |
Hannibal Barca | 247–183 BCE | Carthage | Battle of Cannae (216 BCE) | Double-envelopment tactics, daring strategic marches | His crossing of the Alps remains one of the greatest military feats; Cannae is studied to this day |
Cyrus the Great | c. 600–530 BCE | Achaemenid Persian Empire | Conquest of Babylon (539 BCE) | Diplomacy first, tolerance of conquered peoples | Founded the first true world empire; the Cyrus Cylinder is called the first declaration of human rights |
Ashoka the Great | 304–232 BCE | Maurya Empire | Conquest of Kalinga (c. 261 BCE) | Aggressive expansion followed by renunciation of violence | After Kalinga's devastation, embraced Buddhism and promoted non-violence across his empire |
Attila the Hun | c. 406–453 CE | Hunnic Empire | Sack of cities across the Eastern Roman Empire (440s) | Terror and intimidation, rapid mounted raids | Called the 'Scourge of God'; weakened both halves of the Roman Empire |
Timur (Tamerlane) | 1336–1405 CE | Timurid Empire | Battle of Ankara (1402) — defeated Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I | Ruthless siege warfare, strategic alliances, feigned retreats | Conquered from Delhi to Ankara; his dynasty produced the Mughal Empire |
Shivaji Maharaj | 1630–1680 CE | Maratha Empire | Battle of Pratapgad (1659) | Guerrilla warfare, fort-based defense, naval innovation | Founded the Maratha Empire and pioneered guerrilla tactics against the Mughal Empire |
Tokugawa Ieyasu | 1543–1616 CE | Tokugawa Shogunate (Japan) | Battle of Sekigahara (1600) | Patient strategy, alliance-building, political consolidation | United Japan and established 250 years of peace under the Tokugawa Shogunate |
George Washington | 1732–1799 CE | United States of America | Battle of Yorktown (1781) | Strategic retreat and attrition, inspiring leadership under hardship | Won American independence; voluntarily relinquished power, setting a democratic precedent |
Duke of Wellington | 1769–1852 CE | United Kingdom | Battle of Waterloo (1815) | Defensive positioning, terrain exploitation, disciplined infantry | Defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, ending the Napoleonic Wars; later became Prime Minister |
Erwin Rommel | 1891–1944 CE | Nazi Germany | Battle of Gazala (1942) | Rapid armored warfare, improvisation, leading from the front | Nicknamed the 'Desert Fox' for North Africa campaigns; implicated in the July 20 plot against Hitler |
Suleiman the Magnificent | 1494–1566 CE | Ottoman Empire | Battle of Mohács (1526) | Combined land-sea operations, legal reform alongside conquest | Expanded the Ottoman Empire to its greatest extent; reformed its legal system |
Babur | 1483–1530 CE | Mughal Empire | First Battle of Panipat (1526) | Artillery innovation, cavalry charges, adaptability | Founded the Mughal Empire that ruled the Indian subcontinent for over three centuries |
Richard the Lionheart | 1157–1199 CE | Kingdom of England / Angevin Empire | Battle of Arsuf (1191) | Personal bravery, crusader zeal, siege expertise | Iconic crusader king; negotiated a truce with Saladin allowing Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem |
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Frequently asked questions
How is Greatest Military Leaders organized?
The table starts in the source data's order. Community voting is enabled as a separate approval signal beside eligible rows; votes do not replace the source values.
How much data is available on this page?
This dataset contains 20 entries, and every row is available in the table and in the downloadable files.
Can I download the complete dataset?
Yes. CSV, JSON, and Excel downloads contain all 20 rows. Before republishing the data, review the source and any usage terms listed on this page; dtbse does not replace the original source's licensing terms.
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