Military Leaders, XER-ṬāR
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
Xerxes I
Xerxes I was a Persian king (486–465 bce), the son and successor of Darius I. He is best known for his massive......
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu was a Chinese general and leader of the rebel forces that overthrew the Qin dynasty (221–207 bce). He......
Xu Da
Xu Da was a general who helped the founder and first emperor of the Ming dynasty, Hongwu (reigned 1368–98), to......
Yadin, Yigael
Yigael Yadin was an Israeli archaeologist and military leader noted for his work on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Yadin,......
Yamaga Sokō
Yamaga Sokō was a military strategist and Confucian philosopher who set forth the first systematic exposition of......
Yamagata Aritomo
Yamagata Aritomo was a Japanese soldier and statesman who exerted a strong influence in Japan’s emergence as a......
Yamamoto Gonnohyōe, Count
Count Yamamoto Gonnohyōe was a Japanese naval officer who served two terms as prime minister of his country (1913–14;......
Yamamoto Isoroku
Yamamoto Isoroku was a Japanese naval officer who conceived of the surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl......
Yamana Mochitoyo
Yamana Mochitoyo was the head of the most powerful warrior clan in western Japan in the 15th century. Yamana’s......
Yamashita Tomoyuki
Yamashita Tomoyuki was a Japanese general known for his successful attacks on Malaya and Singapore during World......
Yang Xiuqing
Yang Xiuqing was an organizer and commander in chief of the Taiping Rebellion, the political-religious uprising......
Yarborough, William
William Yarborough was a U.S. Army officer decorated for his service in World War II and highly influential as......
Yasuke
Yasuke was a valet and bodyguard of the Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano who rose to become a member of the......
Ye Jianying
Ye Jianying was a Chinese communist military officer, administrator, and statesman who held high posts in the Chinese......
Ye Ting
Ye Ting was an outstanding Chinese military leader. Ye is thought to have been of peasant origin, but he was educated......
Yermak Timofeyevich
Yermak Timofeyevich was a Cossack leader of an expeditionary force during Russia’s initial attempts to annex western......
Yi Seong-Gye
Yi Seong-Gye was the founder of the Korean Joseon (Yi) dynasty (1392–1910). A military leader in the Goryeo dynasty,......
Yi Sun-shin
Yi Sun-shin was a Korean admiral and national hero whose naval victories were instrumental in repelling Japanese......
Yohannes IV
Yohannes IV was the emperor of Ethiopia (1872–89). Like his predecessor, Tewodros II (reigned 1855–68), Yohannes......
Yorck von Wartenburg, Johann, Graf
Johann Yorck, count von Wartenburg was a Prussian field marshal, reformer, and successful commander during the......
York and Albany, Frederick Augustus, duke of
Frederick Augustus, duke of York and Albany was the second son of King George III of Great Britain, younger brother......
York, Alvin Cullum
Alvin York was a celebrated American hero of World War I, immortalized by the film version of his life story, Sergeant......
York, Richard, 3rd duke of
Richard, 3rd duke of York was a claimant to the English throne whose attempts to gain power helped precipitate......
Younghusband, Sir Francis Edward
Sir Francis Edward Younghusband was a British army officer and explorer whose travels, mainly in northern India......
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was a Chinese army leader and reformist minister in the twilight of the Qing dynasty (until 1911) and......
Yudenich, Nikolay
Nikolay Yudenich was the commander of the White forces in the northwest during the Russian Civil War (1918–20).......
Yue Fei
Yue Fei was one of China’s greatest generals and national heroes. In 1126 North China was overrun by the nomadic......
Zaccaria, Benedetto
Benedetto Zaccaria was a Genoese merchant, diplomat, and admiral, hero of a decisive Genoese naval victory over......
Zamoyski, Jan
Jan Zamoyski was a Polish advisor to King Sigismund II Augustus and Stephen Báthory and later an opponent of Sigismund......
Zangī
Zangī was an Iraqi ruler who founded the Zangid dynasty and led the first important counterattacks against the......
Zapata, Emiliano
Emiliano Zapata was a Mexican revolutionary, champion of agrarianism, who fought in guerrilla actions during and......
Zeng Guofan
Zeng Guofan was a Chinese administrator, the military leader most responsible for suppressing the Taiping Rebellion......
Zeno, Carlo
Carlo Zeno was a Venetian admiral whose victory over the Genoese at Chioggia, near Venice, in 1380 was a turning......
Zeroual, Liamine
Liamine Zeroual was an Algerian military officer and politician who served as the president of Algeria (1994–99).......
Zhang Xueliang
Zhang Xueliang was a Chinese warlord who, together with Yang Hucheng, in the Xi’an Incident (1936), compelled the......
Zhang Zhidong
Zhang Zhidong was a Chinese classicist and provincial official, one of the foremost reformers of his time. Zhang......
Zhaohui
Zhaohui was a famous Qing dynasty general who played a prominent part in the conquest of East Turkistan (now Uygur......
Zheng Chenggong
Zheng Chenggong was a pirate leader of Ming forces against the Manchu conquerors of China, best known for establishing......
Zheng He
Zheng He was an admiral and diplomat who helped extend the maritime and commercial influence of China throughout......
Zhu De
Zhu De was one of China’s greatest military leaders and the founder of the Chinese communist army. Born into a......
Zhukov, Georgy
Georgy Zhukov was a marshal of the Soviet Union, and the most important Soviet military commander during World......
Zia-ul-Haq, Mohammad
Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq was the Pakistani chief of Army staff, chief martial-law administrator, and president of Pakistan......
Zrínyi, Miklós
Miklós Zrínyi was a statesman, military leader, and author of the first epic poem in Hungarian literature. Born......
Zumalacárregui y de Imaz, Tomás de
Tomás de Zumalacárregui y de Imaz was a Spanish military tactician and the most brilliant soldier to fight for......
Zuo Zongtang
Zuo Zongtang was a Chinese administrator and military leader, one of the scholar-officials who worked to suppress......
Álava y Esquivel, Miguel Ricardo de
Miguel Ricardo de Álava y Esquivel was a soldier in the Napoleonic Wars and statesman. Álava was an aide-de-camp......
Çakmak, Fevzi
Fevzi Çakmak was a Turkish marshal and statesman who played a leading role in the establishment of the Turkish......
İbrahim Paşa
İbrahim Paşa was an Ottoman grand vizier (1523–36) who played a decisive role in diplomatic and military events......
İnönü, İsmet
İsmet İnönü was a Turkish army officer, statesman, prime minister (1923–24; 1925–37; 1961–1965), and collaborator......
Ōkubo Toshimichi
Ōkubo Toshimichi was a Japanese politician and one of the samurai leaders who in 1868 overthrew the Tokugawa family,......
Ōmura Masujirō
Ōmura Masujirō was a Japanese scholar and soldier popularly regarded in Japan as the founder of the modern Japanese......
Şevket Paşa, Mahmud
Mahmud Şevket Paşa was an Ottoman soldier and statesman who, in 1909, suppressed a religious uprising, forced the......
Žižka, Jan, Count
Jan, Count Žižka was a military commander and national hero of Bohemia who led the victorious Hussite armies against......
ʿAbbās Mīrzā
ʿAbbās Mīrzā was the crown prince of the Qājār dynasty of Iran who introduced European military techniques into......
ʿAbd Allāh
ʿAbd Allāh was a political and religious leader who succeeded Muḥammad Aḥmad (al-Mahdī) as head of a religious......
ʿAbd Allāh ibn Saʿd ibn Abī Sarḥ
ʿAbd Allāh ibn Saʿd ibn Abī Sarḥ was the governor of Upper (southern) Egypt for the Muslim caliphate during the......
ʿAlī
ʿAlī was the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, and fourth of the “rightly guided” (rāshidūn)......
ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ
ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ was the Arab conqueror of Egypt. A wealthy member of the Banū Sahm clan of the important tribe......
ʿIsā ibn Mūsā
ʿIsā ibn Mūsā was the nephew of the first two ʿAbbāsid caliphs, a military leader, and at one time the presumptive......
ʿUmar Tal
ʿUmar Tal was a West African Tukulor leader who, after launching a jihad (holy war) in 1854, established a Muslim......
ʿUrābī Pasha
ʿUrābī Pasha was an Egyptian nationalist who led a social-political movement that expressed the discontent of the......
ʿĀmir, ʿAbd al-Ḥakīm
ʿAbd al-Ḥakīm ʿĀmir was a military official who helped establish Egypt as a republic in 1952 and, as leader of......
ʿĀrif, ʿAbd al-Salām
ʿAbd al-Salām ʿĀrif was an Iraqi army officer and politician who was president of Iraq from 1963 to 1966. ʿĀrif,......
ʿĀʾishah
ʿĀʾishah was the third wife of the Prophet Muhammad (the founder of Islam), who played a role of some political......
Ḥaydar, Shaykh
Shaykh Ḥaydar was one of the founders of the Ṣafavid state (1501–1736) in Iran. Ḥaydar inherited the leadership......
Ṣidqī, Bakr
Bakr Ṣidqī was an Iraqi general. Ṣidqī joined the Turkish army at age 18 but was already an ardent Arab nationalist......
Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād
Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād was a Berber general who led the Muslim conquest of Spain. Mūsā ibn Nuṣayr, the Arab conqueror......