Military Leaders, LAE-MAG
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
Laelius, Gaius
Gaius Laelius was a Roman general and politician who contributed to Roman victory during the Second Punic War (218â201)......
Lafayette, Marquis de
Marquis de Lafayette was a French aristocrat who fought in the Continental Army with the American colonists against......
Laidoner, Johan
Johan Laidoner was an Estonian soldier and patriot who led the Estonian liberation army in 1918 and supported the......
Lake, Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount
Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake was a British general, most prominent for his role in suppressing the Irish Rebellion......
Lally, Thomas-Arthur, comte de
Thomas-Arthur, comte de Lally was a French general who was executed for capitulating to the British in India during......
Lambert, John
John Lambert was a leading Parliamentary general during the English Civil Wars and the principal architect of the......
Lamoricière, Christophe-Louis-Leon Juchault de
Christophe-Louis-Leon Juchault de Lamoricière was a French general and administrator noted for his part in the......
Lancaster, Henry, 1st duke and 4th earl of, earl of Leicester, earl of Derby, earl of Lincoln, earl of Moray, Lord Lancaster
Henry, 1st duke and 4th earl of Lancaster was a soldier and diplomat, the most trusted adviser of King Edward III......
Langiewicz, Marian
Marian Langiewicz was a Polish soldier and patriot who played a key role in the Polish insurrection of 1863. After......
Lannes, Jean, duc de Montebello
Jean Lannes, duc de Montebello was a French general who, despite his humble origins, rose to the rank of marshal......
Lanrezac, Charles
Charles Lanrezac was a French army commander during the first part of World War I who, though a capable tactician,......
Larrey, Dominique-Jean, Baron
Dominique-Jean, Baron Larrey was a French military surgeon in the service of Napoleon. He introduced field hospitals,......
Lattre de Tassigny, Jean de
Jean de Lattre de Tassigny was a French army officer and posthumous marshal of France who became one of the leading......
Laudon, Gideon Ernest, Freiherr von
Gideon Ernest, baron von Laudon was an Austrian field marshal who was one of the most successful Habsburg commanders......
Laurens, John
John Laurens was an American Revolutionary War officer who served as aide-de-camp to Gen. George Washington. John......
Lauria, Ruggiero di
Ruggiero di Lauria was an Italian admiral in the service of Aragon and Sicily who won important naval victories......
Lautaro
Lautaro was a Mapuche Indian who led the native uprising against the Spanish conquerors in south-central Chile......
Lauzun, Antonin-Nompar de Caumont, Count and Duke de
Antonin-Nompar de Caumont, count and duke de Lauzun was a French military officer who was imprisoned by King Louis......
Lawrence, James
James Lawrence was a U.S. naval officer of the War of 1812 whose dying words, âDonât give up the ship,â became......
Lawrence, Stringer
Stringer Lawrence was a British army captain whose transformation of irregular troops into an effective fighting......
Lawrence, T.E.
T.E. Lawrence was a British archaeological scholar, military strategist, and author best known for his legendary......
Le Loi
Le Loi was a Vietnamese general and emperor who won back independence for Vietnam from China in 1428, founded the......
Le Tellier, Michel
Michel Le Tellier was the secretary of state for war (1643â77) and then chancellor who created the royal army that......
Lea, Homer
Homer Lea was a U.S. soldier and author whose knowledge of Japanese affairs enabled him, 30 years before World......
Leahy, William Daniel
William Daniel Leahy was an American naval officer who served as personal chief of staff to President Franklin......
Leake, William Martin
William Martin Leake was a British army officer, topographer, and antiquary whose surveys of ancient Greek sites......
Leboeuf, Edmond
Edmond Leboeuf was a French general who was marshal of the Second Empire and minister of war in the crucial period......
Leclerc, Charles
Charles Leclerc was a French general, brother-in-law of Napoleon, who attempted to suppress the Haitian revolt......
Leclerc, Jacques-Philippe
Jacques-Philippe Leclerc was a French general and war hero who achieved fame as the liberator of Paris. Born into......
Lee, Henry
Henry Lee was an American cavalry officer during the American Revolution. He was the father of Robert E. Lee and......
Lee, John Clifford Hodges
John Clifford Hodges Lee was a U.S. Army logistics officer who oversaw the buildup of American troops and supplies......
Lee, Robert E.
Robert E. Lee was a U.S. Army officer (1829â61), Confederate general (1861â65), college president (1865â70), and......
Lefebvre, François-Joseph, Duc De Dantzig
François-Joseph Lefebvre, duke de Dantzig was a French general who was one of the 18 marshals of the empire appointed......
Leicester, Robert Sidney, 1st earl of
Robert Sidney, 1st earl of Leicester was a soldier, diplomatist, and patron of literature. He was the younger brother......
Lejeune, Louis-François, Baron
Louis-François, Baron Lejeune was a military general, painter, and lithographer who was chiefly responsible for......
LeMay, Curtis E
Curtis E. LeMay was a U.S. Air Force officer whose expertise in strategic bombardment techniques was important......
Lemnitzer, Lyman
Lyman Lemnitzer was a U.S. Army general, commander of the United Nations forces in the Korean War (1955â57), chairman......
Leo III
Leo III was a Byzantine emperor (717â741), who founded the Isaurian, or Syrian, dynasty, successfully resisted......
Leonidas
Leonidas was a Spartan king whose stand against the invading Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae in central......
Leopold I
Leopold I was a prince of Anhalt-Dessau, Prussian field marshal and reformer and inventor of the iron ramrod; he......
Leopold III
Leopold III was the king of the Belgians, whose actions as commander in chief of the Belgian army during the German......
Leotychides
Leotychides was a Spartan king of the Eurypontid family and a successful military commander during the Greco-Persian......
Lesdiguières, François de Bonne, duc de
François de Bonne, duke de Lesdiguières was the constable of France and a Protestant leader who late in life abjured......
Lettow-Vorbeck, Paul von
Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck was a lieutenant colonel commanding Germanyâs small African force during World War I (1914â18),......
Leven, Alexander Leslie, 1st earl of
Alexander Leslie, 1st earl of Leven was the commander of the Scottish army that from 1644 to 1646 fought on the......
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang was a leading Chinese statesman of the 19th century, who made strenuous efforts to modernize his country.......
Li Keyong
Li Keyong was a Tang general of Turkish origin who suppressed the great peasant rebellion of Huang Chao (died 884),......
Li Lisan
Li Lisan was a Chinese revolutionary who was one of the early leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Li......
Li Xiucheng
Li Xiucheng was a Chinese general and leader of the Taiping Rebellion, the giant religious-political uprising that......
Liddell Hart, Sir Basil
Sir Basil Liddell Hart was a British military historian and strategist known for his advocacy of mechanized warfare.......
Liggett, Hunter
Hunter Liggett was an American general, corps and army commander in World War I. After graduating from West Point......
Light, Francis
Francis Light was a British naval officer who was responsible for acquiring Penang (Pinang) Island in the Strait......
Lilburne, John
John Lilburne was an English revolutionary, leader of the Levelers, a radical democratic party prominent during......
Liman von Sanders, Otto
Otto Liman von Sanders was a German general largely responsible for making the Ottoman army an effective fighting......
Lin Biao
Lin Biao was a Chinese military leader who, as a field commander of the Red Army, contributed to the communistsâ......
Lincoln, Benjamin
Benjamin Lincoln was a Continental army officer in the American Revolution who rendered distinguished service in......
Lind, James
James Lind was a physician, known as the âfounder of naval hygiene in England,â whose recommendation that fresh......
Little Turtle
Little Turtle was an American Indian, chief of the Miami, who achieved fame during the turbulent period when the......
Liu Bei
Liu Bei was the founder of the Shu-Han dynasty (ad 221â263/264), one of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo) into which......
Liu Yuan
Liu Yuan was a Xiongnu invader who took the title of king of Han in 304. Liuâs invasion is seen as the start of......
Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice
Mary Ashton Rice Livermore was an American suffragist and reformer who believed that woman being able to vote would......
Logan, James
James Logan was a prominent Indian leader, whose initial excellent relations with white settlers in Pennsylvania......
Logan, John A.
John A. Logan was a U.S. politician, Union general during the American Civil War (1861â65), and author who played......
Longstreet, James
James Longstreet was a Confederate officer during the American Civil War. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy......
Longueville, Henri II dâOrlĂŠans, Duke de, Duke de Coulommiers
Henri II dâOrlĂŠans, duke de Longueville was a noted rebel in the French civil wars of the Fronde. His second wife......
Loredan, Pietro
Pietro Loredan was a Venetian nobleman and admiral who became one of the cityâs popular heroes. His naval achievements......
Loris-Melikov, Mikhail Tariyelovich, Graf
Mikhail Tariyelovich, Graf Loris-Melikov was a military officer and statesman who, as minister of the interior......
Louis I
Louis I was the duke of Anjou, count of Maine, count of Provence, and claimant to the crown of Sicily and Jerusalem.......
Louis II
Louis II was the king of Hungary and of Bohemia from 1516, who was the last of the JagieĹĹo line to rule those......
Louis of Nassau
Louis of Nassau was a nobleman who provided key military and political leadership in the early phases (1566â74)......
Louvois, François-Michel Le Tellier, marquis de
François-Michel Le Tellier, marquis de Louvois was the secretary of state for war under Louis XIV of France and......
Lowe, Sir Hudson
Sir Hudson Lowe was a British general, governor of St. Helena when Napoleon I was held captive there; he was widely......
Lucan, George Charles Bingham, 3rd Earl of
George Charles Bingham, 3rd earl of Lucan was a British soldier who commanded the cavalry division, including the......
Lucas GarcĂa, Fernando Romeo
Fernando Romeo Lucas GarcĂa was an army general who served as the president of Guatemala from 1978 to 1982. Lucas......
Luce, Stephen Bleecker
Stephen Bleecker Luce was the principal founder and first president of the Naval War College for postgraduate studies,......
Lucullus, Lucius Licinius
Lucius Licinius Lucullus was a Roman general who fought Mithradates VI Eupator of Pontus from 74 to 66 bc. He served......
Ludendorff, Erich
Erich Ludendorff was a Prussian general who was mainly responsible for Germanyâs military policy and strategy in......
Ludlow, Edmund
Edmund Ludlow was a radical republican who fought for Parliament against the Royalists in the English Civil Wars......
Luxembourg, François-Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de
François-Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duke de Luxembourg was one of King Louis XIVâs most successful generals......
Lyautey, Louis-Hubert-Gonzalve
Louis-Hubert-Gonzalve Lyautey was a French statesman, soldier, marshal of France, and devoted believer in the civilizing......
Lysander
Lysander was a Greek military and political leader who won the final victory for Sparta in the Peloponnesian War......
Lysimachus
Lysimachus was a Macedonian general, satrap (provincial governor), and king who, as one of the diadochoi (âsuccessorsâ)......
LĂźtzow, Adolf, Freiherr von
Adolf, baron von LĂźtzow was a Prussian major general and a famous, though largely ineffectual, guerrilla leader......
Ma Yuan
Ma Yuan was a Chinese general who helped establish the Dong (Eastern) Han dynasty (25â220 ce) after the usurpation......
Mac-Mahon, Patrice de
Patrice de Mac-Mahon was a marshal of France and the second president of the Third French Republic. During his......
MacArthur, Douglas
Douglas MacArthur was a U.S. general who commanded the Southwest Pacific Theatre in World War II, administered......
Maccabeus, Jonathan
Jonathan Maccabeus was a Jewish general, a son of the priest Mattathias, who took over the leadership of the Maccabean......
Maccabeus, Judas
Judas Maccabeus was a Jewish guerrilla leader who defended his country from invasion by the Seleucid king Antiochus......
Macdonald, Jacques, duc de Tarente
Jacques Macdonald, duke de Tarente was a French general who was appointed marshal of the empire by Napoleon. The......
Macdonald, Sir Hector
Sir Hector Macdonald was a British soldier who won the rare distinction of rising from the ranks to major general.......
Macdonald, Sir James Ronald Leslie
Sir James Ronald Leslie Macdonald was a British soldier, engineer, and explorer who carried out a geographical......
MacDonnell, Sorley Boy
Sorley Boy MacDonnell was a Scots-Irish chieftain of Ulster, foe and captive of the celebrated Shane OâNeill. From......
Macdonough, Thomas
Thomas Macdonough was a U.S. naval officer who won one of the most important victories in the War of 1812 at the......
Mack von Leiberich, Karl, Freiherr
Karl Mack, baron von Leiberich was an Austrian soldier, commander of the defeated forces at the Napoleonic battles......
Mackensen, August von
August von Mackensen was a German field marshal and one of the most successful commanders in World War I. Beginning......
MacKenzie, Lewis
Lewis MacKenzie is a Canadian military officer who commanded the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in the Bosnian......
Maebara Issei
Maebara Issei was a Japanese soldier-politician who helped to establish the 1868 Meiji Restoration (which ended......
Magnentius
Magnentius was a usurping Roman emperor from Jan. 18, 350, to Aug. 11, 353. His career forms one episode in the......
Mago
Mago was a leading Carthaginian general during the Second Punic War (218â201 bc) against Rome. He was the youngest......
Magsaysay, Ramon
Ramon Magsaysay was the president of the Philippines (1953â57), best known for successfully defeating the communist-led......