Military Leaders, PET-RAN
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
Petraeus, David
David Petraeus is a U.S. army general who was appointed by Pres. George W. Bush to head multinational forces in......
Pezeshkian, Masoud
Masoud Pezeshkian is the president of Iran (2024â ). He is distinguished from his predecessor in that he favors......
Pfyffer, Ludwig
Ludwig Pfyffer was a Swiss military leader, spokesman for Roman Catholic interests in the cantons, and probably......
Pharnabazus
Pharnabazus was a Persian soldier and statesman who was the hereditary satrap (provincial governor) of Dascylium......
Phibunsongkhram, Luang
Luang Phibunsongkhram was a field marshal and premier of Thailand in 1938â44 and 1948â57, who was associated with......
Philip II
Philip II was the 18th king of Macedonia (359â336 bce), who restored internal peace to his country and by 339 had......
Philippe, King of the Belgians
Philippe, King of the Belgians became the king of Belgium in 2013. Philippe was the first of three children of......
Phillip, Arthur
Arthur Phillip was a British admiral whose convict settlement established at Sydney in 1788 was the first permanent......
Philopoemen
Philopoemen was a general of the Achaean League notable for his restoration of Achaean military efficiency. He......
Phocion
Phocion was an Athenian statesman and general, virtual ruler of Athens between 322 and 318. Formidable in the defense......
Phormion
Phormion was a brilliant Athenian admiral who won several engagements before and during the Peloponnesian War.......
Piccinino, NiccolĂČ
NiccolĂČ Piccinino was an Italian soldier of fortune who played an important role in the 15th-century wars of the......
Piccolomini-Pieri, Ottavio, duca dâAmalfi
Ottavio Piccolomini-Pieri, duca dâAmalfi was a general and diplomat in the service of the house of Habsburg during......
Pichegru, Charles
Charles Pichegru was a general of the French Revolutionary Wars who played a leading role in the conquest of the......
Pickering, Timothy
Timothy Pickering was an American Revolutionary officer and Federalist politician who served (1795â1800) with distinction......
Pickett, George Edward
George Edward Pickett was a Confederate army officer during the American Civil War, known for Pickettâs Charge......
Piestewa, Lori
Lori Piestewa was a U.S. Army soldier who became the first American servicewoman to perish in the Iraq War (2003â11)......
Pike, Albert
Albert Pike was a lawyer, political writer, Masonic lodge leader, and Confederate general who played a central......
Pike, Zebulon
Zebulon Pike was a U.S. army officer and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado was named. In 1805 Pike, then......
Pinchback, Pinckney Benton Stewart
Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback was a Black man who was born free and served as a Union officer in the American......
Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney was an American soldier, statesman, and diplomat who participated in the XYZ Affair,......
Pinckney, Thomas
Thomas Pinckney was an American soldier, politician, and diplomat who negotiated Pinckneyâs Treaty (Oct. 27, 1795)......
Pinochet, Augusto
Augusto Pinochet was the leader of the military junta that overthrew the socialist government of Pres. Salvador......
Pisani, NiccolĂČ
NiccolĂČ Pisani was a Venetian admiral, renowned for his victories in the third war between the feuding republics......
Pisani, Vettore
Vettore Pisani was a Venetian admiral, victor in a decisive battle in the fourth war between the maritime republics......
Pister, Hermann
Hermann Pister was a German SS officer who was the second and last commandant of the Buchenwald concentration camp,......
Pittacus Of Mytilene
Pittacus Of Mytilene was a statesman and sage who is known as one of the Seven Wise Men of ancient Greece. He collaborated......
Piye
Piye was a king of Cush (or Kush, in the Sudan) from about 753 to about 723 bce. He invaded Egypt from the south......
PiĆsudski, JĂłzef
JĂłzef PiĆsudski was a Polish revolutionary and statesman, the first chief of state (1918â22) of the newly independent......
Platner, Graham
During his campaign, Maineâs former Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner was a study in contrasts. Consider:......
Polivanov, Aleksey Andreyevich
Aleksey Andreyevich Polivanov was a general in the imperial Russian army who, during World War I, was appointed......
Polk, Leonidas
Leonidas Polk was a U.S. bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church, founder of the University of the South, and......
Pombal, Marquis de
Marquis de Pombal was a Portuguese reformer and virtual ruler of his country from 1750 to 1777. SebastiĂŁo was the......
Pompeius Magnus Pius, Sextus
Sextus Pompeius Magnus Pius was the younger son of the Roman general Pompey the Great, and a vigorous opponent......
Pompey the Great
Pompey the Great was one of the great statesmen and generals of the late Roman Republic, a triumvir (61â54 bce)......
Poniatowski, JĂłzef Antoni
JĂłzef Antoni Poniatowski was a Polish patriot and military hero, who became a marshal of France. Initially an officer......
Poniatowski, StanisĆaw
StanisĆaw Poniatowski was a Polish soldier, state official, and nobleman who supported the Swedes against the Poles......
Pontiac
Pontiac was an Ottawa Indian chief who became a great intertribal leader when he organized a combined resistanceâknown......
Pope, John
John Pope was a Union general in the American Civil War who was relieved of command following the Confederate triumph......
Portal, Charles Frederick Algernon
Charles Frederick Algernon Portal was a British air marshal and chief of the British Air Staff during World War......
Porter, David
David Porter was a U.S. naval officer who commanded the frigate Essex on its two-year expedition against British......
Porter, David Dixon
David Dixon Porter was a U.S. naval officer who held important Union commands in the American Civil War (1861â65).......
Porter, Fitz-John
Fitz-John Porter was a Union general during the American Civil War who was court-martialed and cashieredâbut later......
PortolĂĄ, Gaspar de
Gaspar de PortolĂĄ was a Spanish military officer, the first governor of Upper California, and founder of Monterey......
Porus
Porus was an Indian king who ruled the region between the Hydaspes (Jhelum) and Acesines (Chenab) rivers at the......
Postumus, Marcus Cassianius Latinius
Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus was a Roman general who, by setting himself up as an independent emperor in......
Potemkin, Grigory
Grigory Potemkin was a Russian army officer and statesman, for two years Empress Catherine the Greatâs lover and......
Potocki, StanisĆaw SzczÄsny
StanisĆaw SzczÄsny Potocki was a Polish statesman and general during the breakup of the elective Kingdom of Poland.......
Poveda Burbano, Alfredo
Alfredo Poveda Burbano was the head of the military junta that overthrew the regime of Ecuadorian President Guillermo......
Powell, Colin
Colin Powell was a U.S. general and statesman. He was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989â93) and secretary......
Preble, Edward
Edward Preble was a commander of U.S. naval forces during the most active portion of the Tripolitan War (1801â05).......
Pretorius, Andries
Andries Pretorius was a Boer leader in the Great Trek from British-dominated Cape Colony, the dominant military......
Prevost, Sir George, 1st Baronet
Sir George Prevost, 1st Baronet was a soldier in the service of Great Britain, who was governor in chief (1811â15)......
Price, Sterling
Sterling Price was an antebellum governor of Missouri, and Confederate general during the U.S. Civil War. After......
Pride, Sir Thomas
Sir Thomas Pride was a Parliamentary soldier during the English Civil Wars (1642â51), remembered chiefly for his......
Prim, Juan
Juan Prim was a Spanish military leader and political figure who played an important role in the Revolution of......
Pringle, Sir John, 1st Baronet
Sir John Pringle, 1st Baronet was a British physician, an early exponent of the importance of ordinary putrefactive......
Printz, Johan Björnsson
Johan Björnsson Printz was a Swedish military officer and colonial governor of New Sweden on the Delaware River.......
Prokop The Bald
Prokop The Bald was a Bohemian warrior-priest who was the foremost leader of the Hussite Reformation forces in......
Prophet, The
The Prophet was a North American Indian religious revivalist of the Shawnee people, who worked with his brother......
Psamtik II
Psamtik II was the king (reigned 595â589 bce) of the 26th dynasty (664â525 bce; see ancient Egypt: The Late period......
Ptolemy I Soter
Ptolemy I Soter was a Macedonian general of Alexander the Great, who became ruler of Egypt (323â285 bce) and founder......
Ptolemy of Mauretania
Ptolemy of Mauretania was a North African client ruler for Rome (23â40 ce) who assisted Roman forces in suppressing......
Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator
Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator was a Macedonian king of Egypt and coruler with his famous sister, Cleopatra VII.......
Pugachev, Yemelyan
Yemelyan Pugachev was the leader of a major Cossack and peasant rebellion in Russia (Pugachev Rebellion, 1773â75).......
Puller, Chesty
Chesty Puller was a United States Marine Corps officer who was the most decorated and venerated Marine in the history......
Pushmataha
Pushmataha was a Choctaw Indian chief whose compliance facilitated U.S. occupation of Indian land in the early......
Putnam, Israel
Israel Putnam was an American general in the American Revolution. After moving to Pomfret, Connecticut, about 1740,......
Putnam, Rufus
Rufus Putnam was an American soldier and pioneer settler in Ohio. Putnam fought in the French and Indian War from......
Putnik, Radomir
Radomir Putnik was a Serbian army commander who was victorious against the Austrians in 1914. Educated at the artillery......
PuĆaski, Kazimierz
Kazimierz PuĆaski was a Polish patriot and U.S. colonial army officer, hero of the Polish anti-Russian insurrection......
Pyrrhus
Pyrrhus was the king of Hellenistic Epirus whose costly military successes against Macedonia and Rome gave rise......
Påez, José Antonio
JosĂ© Antonio PĂĄez was a Venezuelan soldier and politician, a leader in the countryâs independence movement and......
PĂ©lissier, Aimable-Jean-Jacques, duc de Malakoff
Aimable-Jean-Jacques PĂ©lissier, duc de Malakoff was a French general during the Algerian conquest and the last......
Pérez Jiménez, Marcos
Marcos PĂ©rez JimĂ©nez was a professional soldier and president (1952â58) of Venezuela whose regime was marked by......
PĂ©rignon, Dominique-Catherine, marquis de
Dominique-Catherine, marquis de PĂ©rignon was a general and marshal of France, active during the Revolutionary and......
PĂ©tain, Philippe
Philippe PĂ©tain was a French general who was a national hero for his victory at the Battle of Verdun in World War......
Qaddafi, Muammar al-
Muammar al-Qaddafi was the de facto leader of Libya (1969â2011). Qaddafi had ruled for more than four decades when......
Qassem Soleimani
Qassem Soleimani was an Iranian major general and commander of the Quds Force (1997/98â2020), a wing of the Islamic......
Quantrill, William C.
William C. Quantrill was the captain of a guerrilla band irregularly attached to the Confederate Army during the......
Quisling, Vidkun
Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian army officer whose collaboration with Nazi Germany in their occupation of Norway......
Qutaybah ibn Muslim
Qutaybah ibn Muslim was an Arab general under the caliphs ÊżAbd al-Malik and ÊżAbd al-WalÄ«d I whose conquests in......
Qutb ud-Din Aibak
Qutb ud-Din Aibak was a founder of Muslim rule in India and an able general of MuÊżizz al-DÄ«n Muáž„ammad ibn SÄm of......
QÄsim, ÊżAbd al-KarÄ«m
ÊżAbd al-KarÄ«m QÄsim was an army officer who overthrew the Iraqi monarchy in 1958 and became head of the newly formed......
Rabin, Yitzhak
Yitzhak Rabin was an Israeli statesman and soldier who, as prime minister of Israel (1974â77 and 1992â95), led......
Radetzky, Joseph, Graf
Joseph, Graf Radetzky was an Austrian field marshal and military reformer whose long record of victorious campaigns......
Raeder, Erich
Erich Raeder was the commander in chief of the German Navy (1928â43) and proponent of an aggressive naval strategy,......
Raglan, FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron
FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan was a field marshal and the first British commander in chief during......
Ragnar Lothbrok
Ragnar Lothbrok was a Viking whose life passed into legend in medieval European literature. Ragnar is said to have......
Rainborow, Thomas
Thomas Rainborow was an English soldier and republican who fought for Parliament during the English Civil Wars.......
Rais, Gilles de
Gilles de Rais was a Breton baron, marshal of France, and man of wealth whose distinguished career ended in a celebrated......
Rall, GĂŒnther
GĂŒnther Rall was a German World War II combat pilot, the third highest scoring fighter ace in history. He flew......
Rama I
Rama I was a Siamese king (1782â1809) and founder of the Chakkri dynasty (q.v.), which reigns in Thailand. (Read......
Ramiro II
Ramiro II was the king of Leon and Asturias in Christian Spain from 931 to 951. The second son of King Ordoño II,......
Ramos, Fidel
Fidel Ramos was a military leader and politician who was president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was......
Ramsay, Bertram Home
Bertram Home Ramsay was a British naval officer who, during World War II, oversaw the evacuation of British forces......
Ramses II
Ramses II was the third king of the 19th dynasty (1292â1191 bce) of ancient Egypt whose reign (1279â1213 bce) was......
Ramses III
Ramses III was the king of ancient Egypt (reigned c. 1187â57 bce) who defended his country against foreign invasion......
Ramsey, Ed
Ed Ramsey was a U.S. Army cavalry officer and guerrilla fighter. He led the last horse-mounted cavalry charge in......
Rantzau, Johan
Johan Rantzau was a hero of the Countâs War (1533â36), the Danish civil war that brought King Christian III to......