Wars and ConflictsΒ permalink
Famous Commanders
This discussion has been closed.
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Message 1.Β
Posted by U1969296 (U1969296) on Thursday, 30th March 2006
Hi Guys
Did any famous commanders suffer from debilitating illnesses? Napoleon suffered from Intergestion i believe any one else?
Did not Patton suffer from crabs? -
Message 2
Posted by stalteriisok (U3212540) on Thursday, 30th March 2006
I thought napoleon suffered from piles
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Message 3
Posted by marduk-slayer of tiamat (U2258525) on Thursday, 30th March 2006
alexander suffered from a chronic obsession with wine and the concept of godhood....
i bet wellington had major trouble with head-colds!
major general david baird had gout i think... -
Message 4
Posted by colonelblimp (U1705702) on Thursday, 30th March 2006
At the start of the battle of El Alamein, Rommel had left Africa because of his poor health, including nasal diptheria, chronic stomach and intestinal catarrh, circulation and blood pressure problems. Napoleon III wasn't a great commander but he was, at least nominally, CinC of the French army at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war. He was in permanent pain from "the stone" (not sure whether of the bladder or kidney variety), which contributed to some bad decisions and to the catastrophic French defeat.
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Message 5
Posted by stalteriisok (U3212540) on Thursday, 30th March 2006
Montgomery suffered from egotism
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Message 6
Posted by LongWeekend (U3023428) on Thursday, 30th March 2006
But nonetheless, as he told Churchill, was 200% fit.
Horrocks suffered recurring illnesses, arising from his various wounds. Monty kept him on in spite of this, but there is some evidence he wasn't fully fit during OP MARKET GARDEN.
Although not a commander, Monty's Chief of Staff, de Guigand, was also ill at various times, including the run-up to MARKET GARDEN, and said afterwards he wouldn't have agreed with some of the plan had he been around.
Slim was ill at various periods, and had to have surgery after the Imphal battles. Stopford took temporary command for a month during the pursuit as a result - something Slim left out of "Defeat Into Victory". -
Message 7
Posted by Mr Pedant (U2464726) on Thursday, 30th March 2006
Julius Caesar had epilepsy.
Hitler only had one ball. -
Message 8
Posted by Mani (U1821129) on Friday, 31st March 2006
Julius Caesar had epilepsy.
Hitler only had one ball.Β
As Did Napoleon (One ball that is) -
Message 9
Posted by craigd1973 (U2853338) on Friday, 31st March 2006
I believe Alexander the Great also suffered from epilepsy. -
Message 10
Posted by Idamante (U1894562) on Friday, 31st March 2006
Blucher suffered from dementia, believing himself to be pregnant by an elephant
The Russian general at the Alma had previously been castrated by a cannon ball
At Poltava, Charles XII of Sweden watched the battle from a stretcher due to a wounded foot
Viking leader Ivar the Boneless suffered from brittle bone disease, according to one modern theory -
Message 11
Posted by arnaldalmaric (U1756653) on Friday, 31st March 2006
U S Grant was a recovered alcoholic, Lee was suffering from dysentery leading up to Gettysburg (guess what I'm re reading).
Cheers AA. -
Message 12
Posted by Erik Lindsay (U231970) on Friday, 31st March 2006
Blucher suffered from dementia, believing himself to be pregnant by an elephantΒ
Actually, Blucher thought he was pregnant WITH an elephant. He thought the father was a French soldier.
The Russian general at the Alma had previously been castrated by a cannon ball
At Poltava, Charles XII of Sweden watched the battle from a stretcher due to a wounded foot
Viking leader Ivar the Boneless suffered from brittle bone disease, according to one modern theoryΒ
There's a strong suspicion, based on carefully scrutinized movies made during the late 1930's and early '40's that Hitler was suffering from Parkinson's.
MacArthur was a megalomaniac and that disrupted a good many of his decisions. Say what you like about his tactical expertise, had his ''I'm God'' complex not gotten in the way, a lot of soldiers -- American and Anzac -- who were killed in New Guinea and the Phillipines would have survived the war.
American Admiral ''Bull'' Halsey caught shingles just before the Battle of Midway. Had he been well, he, and not Spruance, would have commanded at that fight, and the impetuous Halsey might have chased the beaten Japanese carrier escorts right into Yamamoto's surface ambush and lost his whole fleet.
Henry V had some sort of skin disease. Some say it was psoriasis or leprosy (not Hansen's Disease) or even syphilis ( although that latter isn't likely).
Sir Francis Drake died of syphilis while on campaign in the Caribbean.
Goering had two balls, but they were very small. -
Message 13
Posted by arnaldalmaric (U1756653) on Friday, 31st March 2006
Gaiseric,
Firther to Eriks comments above I'm still inclined towards the theory that Blucher has been the victim of propoganda over the ages.
I'm of the opinion that Blucher was inadequately translated from his mother tongue. His actions seem to have been quite sane militarily, there is little other evidence to support a theory that he was suffering from anything else than a usual decline in physical and mental abilities due to old age.
I've seen his comment translated as "pregnant by an elephant", "being pregnant with an elephant" and "feel as if I've eaten an elephant". Enough doubt surely?
Cheers AA. -
Message 14
Posted by snazzyangel (U3243081) on Friday, 31st March 2006
U S Grant was a recovered alcoholic.
A lot of the generals were probably alcoholics. Not all those quarters were for strategies they probably played poker and drank.
I've heard of one headquarter where they had dances.
Besides Grant died of Lung Cancer. -
Message 15
Posted by snazzyangel (U3243081) on Friday, 31st March 2006
Montgomery suffered from egotism Β
I thought most if not all of these suffered from egotism. A big one that is. -
Message 16
Posted by arnaldalmaric (U1756653) on Friday, 31st March 2006
U S Grant was a recovered alcoholic.
A lot of the generals were probably alcoholics. Not all those quarters were for strategies they probably played poker and drank.
I've heard of one headquarter where they had dances.
Besides Grant died of Lung Cancer.Β
Sorry if I've offended. There is a difference between social use of alcohol and alcoholism. The difference tends to get blurred because alcohol is a legal, taxed drug, others aren't.
I take it you're referring to Fighting Joe in the next bit of your message.
Grant did indeed die (it happens to everyone) of what was diagnosed as lung cancer. Damn all those cigars people sent him.
Cheers AA.
(Trying to work out your point). -
Message 17
Posted by Balanchine (U3177050) on Saturday, 1st April 2006
General 'Stonewall' Jackson of the Confederate Army in the American civil War was either, depending on your point of view, wildly eccentric or ever so slightly barking mad. I tend to go for the latter.
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Message 18
Posted by DaveMBA (U1360771) on Saturday, 1st April 2006
Archduke Charles of Austria, victor at Aspern-Essling 1809, suffered with grand mal epilepsy until about 1804.
Michael Melas, defeated by Napoleon at Marengo probably had a mild form of Parkinson's disease, as can be seen from his shaky signature and frequent bouts of tiredness.
Blucher certainly did dream of giving birth to an elephant, but that was just a recurrent dream, not a psychological problem. -
Message 19
Posted by TonyG (U1830405) on Saturday, 1st April 2006
Alfred the Great suffered from some mystery illness. I'm not sure that anyone has ever diagnosed what it was.
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Message 20
Posted by U1969296 (U1969296) on Saturday, 1st April 2006
Hi
It might have been Bakers Cramps owing to the dodgy cakes Alfred the Great suffered from some mystery illness. I'm not sure that anyone has ever diagnosed what it was.Β
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