Military Leaders, JOM-LAD
Meet the military leaders whose strategy, daring, and command on the battlefield altered wars, empires, and the fate of nations.
Military Leaders Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Jomini, Henri, baron de
Henri, baron de Jomini was a French general, military critic, and historian whose systematic attempt to define......
Jonathan
Jonathan, in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) books 1 and 2 Samuel, the eldest son of King Saul. Jonathan’s intrepidity......
Jones, Jacob
Jacob Jones was a U.S. naval officer who distinguished himself in the War of 1812. After trying medicine and politics,......
Jones, John Paul
John Paul Jones was an American naval hero in the American Revolution, renowned for his victory over British ships......
Joshua
Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses in the Hebrew Bible. His story continues the narrative......
Joubert, Barthélemy-Catherine
Barthélemy-Catherine Joubert was a French general during the Revolutionary era. Joubert, son of an advocate, ran......
Joubert, Petrus Jacobus
Petrus Jacobus Joubert was an associate and rival of Paul Kruger who served as commandant general and vice president......
Jourdan, Jean-Baptiste, Count
Jean-Baptiste, Count Jourdan was a military commander remembered as the sponsor of conscription during the French......
João Lourenço
João Lourenço is an Angolan politician and, since 2017, the president of Angola. He has been a longtime member......
Juan de Austria
Juan de Austria was an illegitimate son of the Holy Roman emperor Charles V and half brother of King Philip II......
Juan José de Austria
Juan José de Austria was the most famous of the illegitimate children of King Philip IV of Spain. He served with......
Juba I
Juba I was the king of Numidia who sided with the followers of Pompey and the Roman Senate in their war against......
Juel, Niels
Niels Juel was a naval officer who guided the development of the Danish Navy in the late 17th century and led the......
Jugurtha
Jugurtha was the king of Numidia from 118 to 105, who struggled to free his North African kingdom from Roman rule.......
Juin, Alphonse
Alphonse Juin was an officer of the French army who became a leading Free French commander in World War II. The......
Junot, Andoche, duc d’Abrantès
Andoche Junot, duke d’Abrantès was one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s generals and his first aide-de-camp. Junot, the......
Justo, Agustín Pedro
Agustín Pedro Justo was an army officer and president (1932–38) of Argentina. After studying at military academies,......
Kagame, Paul
Paul Kagame is a former Rwandan military leader who is now a politician. He led the Rwandan Patriot Front (RPF)......
Kainerugaba, Muhoozi
Muhoozi Kainerugaba is a Ugandan military general and the son of Ugandan Pres. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (1986– ).......
Kalb, Johann
Johann Kalb was a prominent German officer who fought for the Continental Army in the American Revolution. Of peasant......
Kaledin, Aleksey Maksimovich
Aleksey Maksimovich Kaledin was a Russian Imperial Army officer and Cossack leader who was one of the first to......
Kaltenbrunner, Ernst
Ernst Kaltenbrunner was an Austrian Nazi, leader of the Austrian SS and subsequently head of all police forces......
Kangxi
Kangxi was the second emperor (reigned 1661–1722) of the Qing (Manchu) dynasty (1644–1911/12). To the Chinese empire......
Kanáris, Konstantínos
Konstantínos Kanáris was a Greek naval officer and statesman who achieved fame for his exploits against the Turks......
Kara Mustafa Paşa, Merzifonlu
Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa was an Ottoman grand vizier (chief minister) in 1676–83, who in 1683 led an unsuccessful......
Katsu Kaishū, Count
Count Katsu Kaishū was a Japanese naval officer who reformed his country’s navy and played a mediatory role in......
Katsura Tarō, Kōshaku
Kōshaku Katsura Tarō was a Japanese army officer and statesman who served three times as the prime minister of......
Katō Kiyomasa
Katō Kiyomasa was a Japanese military leader who helped both Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu in their attempts......
Kaufmann, Konstantin Petrovich
Konstantin Petrovich Kaufmann was a general who conquered vast territories in Central Asia for the Russian Empire......
Kearny, Stephen Watts
Stephen Watts Kearny was a U.S. Army officer who conquered New Mexico and helped win California during the Mexican......
Keigwin, Richard
Richard Keigwin was an English naval officer and military commander of the East India Company, prominent as the......
Keitel, Wilhelm
Wilhelm Keitel was a field marshal and head of the German Armed Forces High Command during World War II. One of......
Keith, James
James Keith was a Scottish Jacobite who was a military commander under Frederick II of Prussia. Forced into exile......
Kellermann, François-Christophe, Duc De Valmy
François-Christophe Kellermann, duke de Valmy was a French general whose defeat of a Prussian army at Valmy in......
Kelly, Mark
Mark Kelly’s life story could be told as a fairy tale, as science fiction, as a romance novel, or as a tale of......
Kelly, Scott
Scott Kelly is an American astronaut who made four spaceflights, the longest of which lasted 340 days. He is the......
Kennedy, John F.
John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States (1961–63), who faced a number of foreign crises, especially......
Kent and Strathern, Edward Augustus, duke of, Earl Of Dublin
Edward Augustus, duke of Kent and Strathern was the fourth son of King George III of Great Britain, and the father......
Keppel, Augustus
Augustus Keppel was an English admiral and politician whose career as a seagoing commander ended in a controversy......
Kerry, John
John Kerry is a U.S. politician who served in the Senate (1985–2013) and who was the Democratic Party’s nominee......
Kesselring, Albert
Albert Kesselring was a field marshal who, as German commander in chief, south, became one of Adolf Hitler’s top......
Keyes, Geoffrey
Geoffrey Keyes was a U.S. Army officer who commanded forces in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Germany during......
Keyes, Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron
Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes was a British admiral who planned and directed the World War I raid......
Khamenei, Mojtaba
Mojtaba Khamenei is Iran’s third supreme leader (rahbar), appointed to the position at the start of the 2026 Iran......
Khan, Yahya
Yahya Khan was a professional soldier who became commander in chief of the Pakistani armed forces in 1966 and was......
Khevenhüller, Ludwig Andreas
Ludwig Andreas Khevenhüller was an Austrian field marshal and writer of military manuals; the scion of an Austrian......
Khmelnytsky, Bohdan
Bohdan Khmelnytsky was the leader (1648–57) of the Zaporozhian Cossacks who organized a rebellion against Polish......
Khālid ibn al-Walīd
Khālid ibn al-Walīd was one of the two generals (with ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ) of the enormously successful Islamic expansion......
Kim Il-Sung
Kim Il-Sung was the communist leader of North Korea from 1948 until his death in 1994. He was the country’s premier......
Kim, Jonny
Jonny Kim is a Korean American Navy SEAL, doctor, aviator, and astronaut who is a member of NASA’s Artemis team,......
King, Ernest Joseph
Ernest Joseph King was an American admiral who was commander in chief of U.S. naval forces and chief of naval operations......
Kirby-Smith, E.
E. Kirby-Smith was a Confederate general during the American Civil War (1861–65) who controlled the area west of......
Kirk, Alan G
Alan Goodrich Kirk was a U.S. naval officer who commanded successful amphibious landings in Sicily and Normandy......
Kirkcaldy, William
William Kirkcaldy was a Scottish soldier, a leader of Scotland’s Protestants in the reign of the Roman Catholic......
Kiselyov, Pavel Dmitriyevich
Pavel Dmitriyevich Kiselyov was a Russian general, statesman, and progressive administrator during the reign of......
Kitchener, Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl
Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener was a British field marshal, imperial administrator, conqueror of......
Klapka, György
György Klapka was a soldier and Hungarian nationalist, one of the leaders in the revolutionary war of 1848–49.......
Kleist, Paul Ludwig von
Paul Ludwig von Kleist was a German general during World War II. Educated in a German military school, he served......
Kluck, Alexander von
Alexander von Kluck was a German general who, in World War I, commanded the 1st Army in the German offensive against......
Kluge, Günther von
Günther von Kluge was a German field marshal who was one of Adolf Hitler’s ablest commanders on the Eastern Front......
Kléber, Jean-Baptiste
Jean-Baptiste Kléber was a French general of the Revolutionary wars who suppressed the counterrevolutionary uprising......
Knox, Frank
William Franklin Knox was a U.S. newspaper publisher and secretary of the navy during World War II. After graduating......
Knox, Henry
Henry Knox was an American general in the American Revolution (1775–83) and the first secretary of war under the......
Knyphausen, Wilhelm, Freiherr von
Wilhelm, baron von Knyphausen was a German soldier who after 1777 commanded “Hessian” troops on the British side......
Koch, Karl Otto
Karl Otto Koch was a German commandant of several Nazi concentration camps and husband of the infamous Ilse Koch.......
Kodama Gentarō
Kodama Gentarō was a Japanese army general and statesman of the Meiji period. Kodama, born into the samurai class,......
Koenig, Marie-Pierre
Marie-Pierre Koenig was a French army officer who became one of the leading commanders of General Charles de Gaulle’s......
Koiso Kuniaki
Koiso Kuniaki was a Japanese army general and prime minister during the final phase of World War II. Koiso graduated......
Kolchak, Aleksandr Vasilyevich
Aleksandr Vasilyevich Kolchak was an Arctic explorer and naval officer, who was recognized in 1919–20 by the “Whites”......
Kondílis, Geórgios
Geórgios Kondílis was a Greek army general, one of a number of army officers who repeatedly intervened in, and......
Konev, Ivan Stepanovich
Ivan Stepanovich Konev was one of the outstanding Soviet generals in World War II, who was a leader of the offensive......
Koniecpolski, Stanisław
Stanisław Koniecpolski was a military and political leader of Poland who won major victories against the Turks,......
Konishi Yukinaga
Konishi Yukinaga was a Christian general who spearheaded the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592. The son of a prosperous......
Kornilov, Lavr Georgiyevich
Lavr Georgiyevich Kornilov was an Imperial Russian general, who was accused of attempting to overthrow the provisional......
Kotzebue, Otto von
Otto von Kotzebue was a Russian naval officer who completed three circumnavigations of the Earth, charted much......
Kościuszko, Tadeusz
Tadeusz Kościuszko was a Polish army officer and statesman who gained fame both for his role in the American Revolution......
Kramer, Josef
Josef Kramer was a German commander of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp (1944–45), notorious for his cruelty.......
Krancke, Theodor
Theodor Krancke was a German naval commander during World War II. Krancke joined the German navy in 1912 and served......
Krasnov, Pyotr Nikolayevich
Pyotr Nikolayevich Krasnov was an imperial Russian army officer and a commander of anti-Bolshevik forces during......
Krueger, Walter
Walter Krueger was a U.S. Army officer whose 6th Army helped free Japanese-held islands in the Pacific Ocean during......
Krum
Krum was the khan of the Bulgars (802–814) who briefly threatened the security of the Byzantine Empire. His able,......
Kurbsky, Andrey Mikhaylovich, Prince
Andrey Mikhaylovich, Prince Kurbsky was a Russian military commander who was a close associate and adviser to Tsar......
Kuroda Nagamasa
Kuroda Nagamasa was a noted Japanese warrior who rendered important service to two leaders, Toyotomi Hideyoshi......
Kuropatkin, Aleksey
Aleksey Kuropatkin was a Russian general. He was chief of staff during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78), commander......
Kusunoki Masashige
Kusunoki Masashige was one of the greatest military strategists in Japanese history. Kusunoki’s unselfish devotion......
Kutuzov, Mikhail
Mikhail Kutuzov was a Russian army commander who repelled Napoleon’s invasion of Russia (1812). The son of a lieutenant......
Kâmil Paşa, Mehmed
Mehmed Kâmil Paşa was a Turkish army officer who served four times as Ottoman grand vizier (chief minister). Trained......
Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Paşa
Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Paşa was the eldest son of Köprülü Mehmed Paşa and his successor as grand vizier (1661–76)......
Köprülü Fazıl Mustafa Paşa
Köprülü Fazıl Mustafa Paşa was an Ottoman vizier and then grand vizier (1689–91) who helped overthrow the sultan......
Köprülü Mehmed Paşa
Köprülü Mehmed Paşa was a grand vizier (1656–61) under the Ottoman sultan Mehmed IV. He suppressed insurgents and......
Körner, Theodor
Theodor Körner was an Austrian military officer during World War I and later a statesman who served as president......
La Bourdonnais, Bertrand-François Mahé, Count de
Bertrand-François Mahé count de la Bourdonnais was a French naval commander who played an important part in the......
La Chétardie, Jacques-Joachim Trotti, Marquis de
Jacques-Joachim Trotti, marquis de La Chétardie was a French officer and diplomat who helped raise the princess......
La Fayette, Gilbert Motier de
Gilbert Motier de La Fayette was a marshal of France during the Hundred Years’ War and noted adviser to King Charles......
La Galissonnière, Roland-Michel Barrin, marquis de
Roland-Michel Barrin, marquis de La Galissonnière was a mariner and commandant general of New France. La Galissonnière......
La Marmora, Alfonso Ferrero
Alfonso Ferrero La Marmora was an Italian general and statesman who, while in the service of Sardinia–Piedmont,......
La Noue, François de
François de La Noue was a Huguenot captain in the French Wars of Religion (1562–98), known for his exploits as......
Laches
Laches was a rich Athenian aristocrat who played a leading part in the first phase of the Peloponnesian War. Laches......
Lacy, Franz Moritz, Count von
Franz Moritz, count von Lacy was a field marshal who served under the empress Maria Theresa and her successors......
Ladislas IV
Ladislas IV was the king of Hungary who, by his support of the German king Rudolf I at the Battle of Dürnkrut,......