He was good at building up his supplies, and organizing.
So was George B. McClellan. They also shared the same ego, up to a point. I don't see Monty disrespecting Winston Churchill. And Monty wasn't one to freeze up when things turned to pooh.
Slim gets my vote as well. Monty was good at logistics (which is nothing to sniff at), but to win El Alamein he waited until the supply situation was overwhelmingly in his favour and then attacked. A good planner, yes, but not someone who could take a terrible situation and turn it into victory (like Rommel, who I don't think was overrated).
Actually (and people are free to disagree here of course), while El Alamein was a great example of a mastery of logistics, Monty's tactics were pretty deplorable. Definitely NOT Monty at his best, or showing the masterful tactics he would display for the rest of the war (Save MKT-GDN). Far too many casualties generated. It wasn't a pyrrhic victory by any means, but it wasn't anything to shout about either. I wonder if that didn't have some effect on his later combat decisions, when (except in the grueling bloodbaths in Normandy, like Goodwood, where he had no choice) he showed more restraint. Like General Howe post-Bunker Hill.
slim wins hands down.
monty had all the toys and intelligence and slim got the leftovers.
Monty was also against the varsity squad, while Slim was operating against one Japanese army that was at an even worse logistical breaking point than his own 14th Army's was after the Fall of Burma.
Slim worked with supply leftovers delivered at the far end of the logistical train.
The real generalship was knitting together a formidable cohesive fighting force composed of a wide variety of units from every corner of the Empire. Some were green units, some had been driven out of Burma by the Japanese, but he got them believing they could beat the Japanese. I don't think he ever let his ego get in the way of winning.
Indeed. Slim was a man who actually got along very well with the well-nicknamed "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell himself. Monty's skill set and brains with Eisenhower's personality?
Driftless said:
Monty was a great general. He was a great organizer and leader, but did not always play so well with others, which wasn't helpful to the larger goal.
That's putting it mildly. Even Alanbrooke, his greatest champion, bemoaned Monty's antics when it came to dealing with his American colleagues.
Slim would have worked better as part of the command team in Europe, but whether he could have retained the confidence of his superiors during the attritional phase of Normandy is unknowable.
I can't think of anyone in WWII who had more support and confidence from his immediate military superior on any side than Monty enjoyed from Alanbrooke. Said confidence was unshakeable. Slim? IDK.
The best General? The above is a good point. Do you mean the best:
3) General (Army) Ritchie!? WTF!?WTF!?WTF!? Did I mention WTF!?
johnboy
I hold your opinions in the highest regard, but I have to ask: Was this the result of a typo or a brain freeze?
They were thousands of miles apart and were facing vastly different terrain and adversaries with vastly different responsibilities. I'm not sure how you can compare Slim and Monty except that one got too much credit and the other got forgotten for fighting in a relatively unimportant theatre.
Agreed. Totally apples and oranges here. I wonder how much personal popularity might be coming into play here.
I admit personal prejudice against Monty due to his attitudes towards his American colleagues. Though I believe him to be not only the best British general (and I voted YES on the survey) but the best Allied general of WWII (Soviets aren't comparable-apples and oranges again).
But his bullying mentality (you DID NOT want to be stuck in his headquarters), his inability to admit error no matter how egregious (Market-Garden), an overbearing ego that was actually worse than Patton's (who had his moments of humility, or being humiliated) and only Dougout Dougie surpassed, his headline hunting, taking bows for other people's efforts....all go a long way for people
wanting there to be a British general that you could truly argue was Monty's better as a military commander.
And Slim certainly fits that bill. If you aren't too picky about the differences in their circumstances.
Also, Slim could totally take Monty in a fight.
