Archive for the ‘World War II leaders’ tag
The “Other Guys”
During World War II in Europe, there were multiple personalities who disproportionately received much of the publicity and attention from the press. Students of history will remember the names of Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin because of their high profile positions as heads of state for the major Allied Powers. They would have likely garnered much attention simply due to their positions. Likewise General DeGaulle is remembered as the leader of the Free French, not necessarily for his military prowess, but primarily for his political skills. Most will also recall the names of Eisenhower, Montgomery, Patton, Bradley, and even the German Field Marshal Rommel as the dominate personalities of their respective military commands; however these military leaders, perhaps have received a disproportionate amount of recognition when compared to less well known military commanders. Clearly they made huge contributions, however so did some of the “Other Guys.” On the Allied side, Gen Crear (Canadian), Gen Dempsey (British), Gen Hodges (US), Gen Simpson ( US), Gen Patch (US) and Gen Tassigny (FR) also skillfully led significant army commands in Western Europe and their troops made decisive contributions to the outcome of the war. Likewise on the German side, Field Marshals Von Rundstedt, von Kluge, and Model were key players along with other even lesser known generals in leading their army as it fought the advancing Allies in Western Europe.
So who are these lesser known leaders, and what role did they play in the war? This is the first post in a series that will explore the backgrounds and contributions of these lesser known figures, but who nevertheless played significant roles. Students of both history and leadership will appreciate that it was not just the more well know leaders who were always the most important in determining the outcome in every battle. In war as in peace, sometimes leaders who don’t have the public profile can influence events as much or more than those who receive a disproportionate amount of publicity. Check back here periodically in the future to learn more about these lesser known leaders. The contributions and leadership styles of the “Other Guys” may surprise you.
Here is a intriguing picture of some of them who happened to be Americans:
Amercian Generals WWII in Europe
