Quote Originally Posted by Fred III View Post
There were a number of German WWII officers who have merely been lost to history who may deserve a higher place (you have already brought up the names of several: v. Manstein, who I consider the most brilliant general of the 20th century; Rommel, an exceptionally dynamic man; and 1 or 2 others), among them men like Gerd v. Rundstedt; Erich Marcks; Walther Model; Hans Guenther v. Kluge; Hans Valentin Hube; Hermann Geyer; and Erich Brandenberger.

WWI produced some of the finest tacticians of the past 150 years, men like Fritz v. Lossberg (who may not have risen above colonel) and Wilhelm Balck. I also believe Erich v. Ludendorff should be considered in any list of "great." Obviously some of these men were specialists and may not fit the overall parameters, but they were all formidable in their own right.

As for Americans, I hold a very strong belief that the finest of our generals-- post-WWII-- was William E. DePuy, and to me no list of 20th-century American soldiers is complete without him.
Very much agreed Fred, on both the Germans and General DePuy. DePuy's papers should be recommended reading at all army staff colleges (I don't know if they are at CGSC, but I would expect that they are).