Explanation:
: He is the founder of the Mongol Empire – the largest contiguous empire in history. He created such a huge empire by uniting many of the nomadic tribes and confederations in northeast Asia while also asserting his dominance with a sword in his hand.He lived from 1162-1227AD. The name Genghis Khan has become synonymous with gruesome and brutal warfare. The Mongul warlord sacked villages and towns across modern day Asia, showing a ruthless hunger for power and expansion while leading by example in the heat of battle. In his lifetime he conquered 4,860,000 square miles, more than any other ruler in history.Alexander the Great : By the age of 30 Alexander had conquered much of the known world through military force. He took down the mighty Persian kingdom and his empire spread from Gibraltar to the Punjab, while he also made Greek the lingua franca of his time. Using the phalanx formation in his armies, the ruler revolutionized the art of war during the period of ancient history and deserves his position near the summit of this exclusive list.Attila : Attila lived in the 5th century. With an empire that stretched from Central Asia right across to modern Germany, he was one of the most fearsome enemies of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. Attila was well known for his cruelty and took no mercy on his enemies, making him an often-vilified military leader, but an exceptional one nonetheless.Julius Caesar : Julius Caesar led the armies of the Roman Republic to victories across Africa and Europe. This respected military and political leader was eventually assassinated by Brutus in 44BC. But in the years before Caesar had used his military nous to extend the reaches of the Roman Empire to territories far and wide.Cyrus the Great : Cyrus conquered the Median Empire and Lydia, becoming Persian king by 546BC. Seven years later, Cyrus defeated the Babylonians and liberated the Jews and by the time of his death in 530BC he was the ruler of the largest kingdom the world had ever seen. Not only was he almost unbeatable on the field of battle, his political leadership is also evidenced by the fact that his empire, which spanned three continents, would live on for a long time after his death because of the infrastructure he put in place.Francisco Pizarro : Francisco Pizarro is a Spanish conquistador who lived from 1471-1541. He led three expeditions across the Atlantic and on the third one he defeated much of the Incan Empire with no more than 160 men on horseback. Taking advantage of more advanced technology but also showing a brutality in the execution of his opposition’s leaders, Pizarro altered the face of history when he conquered modern Peru.Napoleon :Living from 1769 to 1821, he rose to prominence in the European wars which followed the French Revolution. First as a general and later the Emperor of France and the King of Italy, Napoleon spent the best part of two decades leading his armies to war across the continent, recording countless famous victories on the way. At his peak the little man reigned over more than 70 million people.Hannibal : He is widely considered to be the Roman Empire’s greatest adversary, leading the Carthaginian forces against Rome in the Second Punic War.Living 200 years before the birth of Christ, Hannibal is best remembered for marching elephants across the Alps but in military schools throughout history he has been used as a shining example of a master tactician. He fought the Romans with smaller, poorly equipped armies but constantly came out on top.Timur:He is a Turkish ruler from the 14th century. Timur oversaw the restoration of the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan.He was a revered military leader and conquered large parts of West, South and Central Asia to become the most powerful ruler in the Muslim world. As founder of the Timurid dynasty, his army was feared across the continent and historians have estimated that his military campaigns were responsible for the deaths of 17 million people, earning him a barbaric reputation.18.5k Views · View UpvotersUpvote · 11 Comment...RecommendedAllRupert Bates, worked at HistoryAnswered Jul 8, 2014
