Who's
Who - Commanders
Updated - Saturday, 17 July, 2004
This area of the Who's Who category of the site contains biographies of the many and varied men who provided military leadership during the four years of war on all fronts. Some remain well-known household names to this day; others, though their star shone at the time, have faded into obscurity.
For example, Douglas Haig's name is known to most - but how many remember one of the more successful British commanders of the war, Sir Hubert 'Daddy' Plumer?
In addition to the biographies presented below, click here to view contemporary photographs of commanders within the Vintage Photographs section of the site.
 Duke
of the Abruzzi, Admiral (Italy) |
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Arthur
Edward Aitken, General (UK) |
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Duke
Albrecht, General (Germany) |
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Sir
Edwin Alderson, General (UK) |
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Mikhail
Alexeev, Commander-in-Chief
(Russia) |
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Sir
Edmund Allenby, Commander-in-Chief,
Palestine (UK) |
|
Duke
Aosta, General (Italy) |
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Francois
Anthoine, General (France) |
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Edward
Ashmore, London Air Defence
Commander (UK) |
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Moritz
von Auffenberg-Komarow, General
(Austria-Hungary) |
|
Alexandru
Averescu, Commander (Romania) |
|
Gustav
Bachmann, Chief of Admiralty
Staff (Germany) |
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Sir
Reginald Bacon, Commander,
Dover Patrol (UK) |
|
Prince
Louis of Battenberg, First Sea Lord
(UK) |
|
Max
Bauer, Artillery Commander
(Germany) |
|
Sir
David Beatty, Commander-in-Chief,
Grand Fleet (UK) |
|
Fritz
von Below, General (Germany) |
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Otto
von Below, General (Germany) |
|
William
Shepherd Benson, Chief of Naval
Operations (US) |
|
Henri
Berthelot, Chief of Staff (France) |
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Hans
von Beseler, Military Governor, Poland (Germany) |
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Edward
Bingham, Naval Commander (UK) |
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Sir
Noel Birch, Chief Naval Adviser
(UK) |
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Sir William Birdwood, General (UK) |
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Tasker
Bliss, Chief of Staff (US) |
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Eduard
Freiherr von Bohm-Ermolli,
Field Marshal (Austria) |
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Svetozar
Boroevic von Bojna, Field
Marshal (Austria) |
|
Sir
Louis Jean Bols, General (UK) |
|
Louis
Botha, General (South Africa) |
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Felix
von Bothmer, General (Germany) |
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Karl
Boy-Ed, Naval Attaché to U.S.
(Germany) |
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Walter
Braithwaite, General (UK) |
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Sir
William Bridges, General
(Australia) |
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Georg
Bruchmuller, Artillery Colonel
(Germany) |
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Alexei
Brusilov, Commander-in-Chief
(Russia) |
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Edward
Bulfin, General (UK) |
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Robert
Lee Bullard, General (US) |
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Karl
von Bulow, General (Germany) |
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Sir
Julian Byng, General (UK) |
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Luigi
Cadorna, Chief of Staff (Italy) |
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Sir
George Callaghan, C-in-C, Home
Fleet (UK) |
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Luigi
Capello, General (Italy) |
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Sir
Sackville Carden, Admiral (UK) |
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Alfred
Carpenter, Captain (UK) |
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Noel
de Castelnau, General (France) |
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Earl
of Cavan, Commander-in-Chief, Italy
(UK) |
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John
Charteris, General (UK) |
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Edward
Chaytor, General (New Zealand) |
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Sir
Philip Chetwode, Field Marshal (UK) |
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Sir
Winston Churchill, First Lord of
the Admiralty (UK) |
|
Sir
Alexander Cobbe, General (UK) |
|
Sir
John Cowans,
Quartermaster-General (UK) |
|
Sir
Christopher Cradock, Rear-Admiral
(UK) |
|
Sir
Arthur Currie, Commander,
Canadian Forces (Canada) |
|
Yuri
Danilov, Deputy Chief of Staff
(Russia) |
|
Count
Viktor Dankl von Krasnik,
General (Austria-Hungary) |
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Gabriele
D'Annunzio, Politician/Soldier
(Italy) |
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Marie-Eugene
Debeney, General (France) |
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Victor
Deguise, General (Belgium) |
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Berthold
von Deimling, Field Marshall
(Germany) |
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Augustin
Boue de Lapeyrere, Naval C-in-C
(France) |
|
Sir
Henry de Beauvoir de Lisle,
General (UK) |
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Anton
Denikin, General (Russia) |
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Franz
Baron Rohr von Denta, Field
Marshal (Austria-Hungary) |
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Sir
John de Robeck, Admiral (UK) |
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Franchet
d'Esperey, Marshal (France) |
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Ahmed
Djemal Pasha, Military Governor
of Syria (Turkey) |
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Armando
Diaz, Chief of Staff (Italy) |
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Sir
Charles Dobell, General |
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Vladimir
Dragomirov, General (Russia) |
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Auguste
Dubail, General (France) |
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Pierre
Dubois, General (France) |
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Denis
Auguste Duchene, General
(France) |
|
Nikolai
Dukhonin, Commander-in-Chief
(Russia) |
|
Lionel
Dunsterville, General (UK) |
|
Andrei
Eberhardt, Commander, Black Sea
Fleet (Russia) |
|
Hermann
von Eichhorn, General (Germany) |
|
Karl
von Einem, General (Germany) |
|
Pompey
Elliott, General (Australia) |
|
Enver
Pasha, Commander-in-Chief
(Turkey) |
|
Nikolai
von Essen, Supreme Cmdr,
Baltic Fleet (Russia) |
|
Archduke
Eugen, Field Marshal
(Austria-Hungary) |
|
Edward
Evans, Captain (UK) |
|
Alexei
Evert, General (Russia) |
|
Erich
von Falkenhayn, Chief of
General Staff (Germany) |
|
Marie
Fayolle, General (France) |
|
Admiral
John Fisher, First Sea Lord (UK) |
|
Bradley
Allen Fiske, Admiral (US) |
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Ferdinand
Foch, Supreme Allied Commander
(France) |
|
Hermann
von Francois, General (Germany) |
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Sir
John French, Commander-in-Chief,
BEF (UK) |
|
Bernard
Freyberg, General (UK) |
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A.
von Freytag-Loringhoven, Dep
Chf of Gen Stf (Germany) |
|
Archduke
Friedrich, Commander-in-Chief
(Austria-Hungary) |
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John
Fuller, Tank Strategist |
|
Joseph
Gallieni, General (France) |
|
Max
von Gallwitz, General (Germany) |
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Dominique-Marie
Gauchet, C-in-C, Mediterranean
(France) |
|
Sir
Eric Geddes, First Lord of the
Admiralty (UK) |
|
Sir
John Gellibrand, General
(Australia) |
|
Cyriaque
Gillain, Army Chief of Staff
(Belgium) |
|
Sir
William Glasgow, General
(Australia) |
|
Sir
Alexander Godley, General
(UK) |
|
Baron
von der Goltz, Field Marshal,
Turkish Army (Germany) |
|
William
Goodenough, Admiral (UK) |
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George
Gorringe, General (UK) |
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Sir
Hubert Gough, General (Ireland) |
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Henri
Gouraud, General (France) |
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Rodolfo
Graziani, Colonel (Italy) |
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Wilhelm
Groener, General (Germany) |
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Vasily
Gurko, Commander-in-Chief (Russia) |
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Adolphe
Guillaumat, General (France) |
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Sir
Douglas Haig, Commander-in-Chief,
BEF (UK) |
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Richard
Haking, General (UK) |
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Sir
William Hall, Director of Naval
Intelligence (UK) |
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Sir
Lionel Halsey, Fourth Sea Lord
(UK) |
|
Sir
Ian Hamilton, Commander-in-Chief,
Mediterran. (UK) |
|
Sir
Alexander Hamilton Gordon, General
(UK) |
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James
Harbord, AEF Chief of Staff
(US) |
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Charles
Harington, Dep. Chief of Imperial
General Staff (UK) |
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Admiral
Haus, Naval Commander-in-Chief
(Austria-Hungary) |
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Max
Klemens von Hausen, General
(Germany) |
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Josias
von Heeringen, General
(Germany) |
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Prince
Heinrich of Prussia, Admiral
(Germany) |
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Paul
von Hindenburg, Chief of
General Staff (Germany) |
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Hesketh
Hesketh-Prichard, Sniping
Expert (UK) |
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Admiral
Franz von Hipper, Cmdr,
High Seas Fleet (Germany) |
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Sir Talbot
Hobbs, General (Australia) |
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Max
Hoffmann, General (Germany) |
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Norman
Holbrook, Naval Commander (UK) |
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Henning
von Holtzendorff, Chf of
Naval Gen Staff (Germany) |
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Sir
Horace Hood, Admiral (UK) |
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Sir
Henry Horne, General (UK) |
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Miklos
Horthy de Nagybanya,
Cmdr-in-Chief (Hungary) |
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Conrad
von Hotzendorf, Commander-in-Chief
(Austria) |
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Georges
Humbert, General (France) |
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Archibald
Hunter, General
(UK) |
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Sir
Aylmer Hunter-Weston, General
(UK) |
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Oskar
von Hutier, General (Germany) |
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Frederich
von Ingenohl, Cmdr, High
Seas Fleet (Germany) |
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Godfrey
Irving, Temp. Commander, 5th
Division (Australia) |
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Nikolai
Ivanov, General (Russia) |
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Ahmed
Izzet Pasha, General (Turkey) |
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Albert
Jacka, First AIF Winner of the
VC |
|
Sir
Henry Jackson, First Sea Lord
(UK) |
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Sir
John Jellicoe, First Sea Lord (UK) |
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Hugh
Jeudwine, General (UK) |
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Joseph
Joffre, Commander-in-Chief
(France) |
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Archduke
Josef Augustin, Field Marshal
(Austria-Hungary) |
|
Archduke
Josef Ferdinand, General
(Austria-Hungary) |
|
Alexei
Kaledin, General (Russia) |
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Mitsuomi
Kamio, General (Japan) |
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Franz
von Keil, Admiral (Austria-Hungary) |
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Mustafa
Kemal Pasha, General (Turkey) |
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Sir
Roger Keyes, Admiral (UK) |
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Khalil
Pasha, General (Turkey) |
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Sir
Launcelot Kiggell, General (UK) |
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Alexander
von Kluck, General (Germany) |
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Alexander
Kolchak, Admiral (Russia) |
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Lavr
Kornilov, Commander-in-Chief
(Russia) |
|
Hermann
Kovess,
Cmdr-in-Chief (Austria-Hungary) |
|
Kress
von Kressenstein, General
(Germany) |
|
Alexander
von Krobatin, Field Marshal
(Austria-Hungary) |
|
Alexei
Kuropatkin, General (Russia) |
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Marie-Jean-Lucien
Lacaze, Admiral (France) |
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Sir
Percival Lake, General (UK) |
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Frederick
Lambart, General (UK) |
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Fernand
de Langle de Cary, General
(France) |
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Charles
Lanrezac, General (France) |
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T.E.
Lawrence, 'Lawrence of Arabia' (UK) |
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Gerard
Leman, General (Belgium) |
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Prince
Leopold of Bavaria, General
(Germany) |
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Paul
von Lettow-Vorbeck, Colonel
(Germany) |
|
Otto
Liman von Sanders, General
(Germany) |
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Alexander
von Linsingen, General
(Germany) |
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Louis
James Lipsett, General (Ireland) |
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Erich
Ludendorff, Quartermaster
General (Germany) |
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Sir
Henry Lukin, General (South
Africa) |
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Sir
George MacDonogh, Director of
Military Intelligence (UK) |
|
August
von Mackensen, Field Marshal
(Germany) |
|
Paul
Maistre, General
(France) |
|
Charles
Mangin, General (France) |
|
Peyton
March, Army Chief of Staff (US) |
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Georg
von der Marwitz, General
(Germany) |
|
Sir
William Marshall,
Cmdr-in-Chief, Mesopotamia (UK) |
|
Sir
Frederick Maude,
Cmdr-in-Chief, Mesopotamia (UK) |
|
Louis
Maud'huy, General (France) |
|
Michel-Joseph
Maunoury, General (France) |
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Sir
Frederick Maurice, General (UK) |
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Sir
Ivor Maxse, General (UK) |
|
Sir
John Maxwell, General (UK) |
|
Henry
Thomas Mayo, Commander,
Atlantic Fleet (US) |
|
Joannis
Metaxas, Army Deputy Chief of Staff
(Greece) |
|
Joseph
Alfred Micheler, General
(France) |
|
Sir
Berkeley Milne, Admiral (UK) |
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Sir
George Milne, Field Marshal (UK) |
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Zivojin
Misic, Field Marshal (Serbia) |
|
Helmuth
von Moltke, Chief of General
Staff (Germany) |
|
Sir
John Monash, Cmdr, Australian
Forces (Australia) |
|
Sir
Charles Monro,
Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean (UK) |
|
Georg
von Muller, Chief of Naval
Cabinet (Germany) |
|
Sir
Archibald Murray,
Cmdr-in-Chief, Palestine (UK) |
|
Grand
Duke Nikolai,
Commander-in-Chief (Russia) |
|
Maximilian
Njegovan, Naval Cmdr-in-Chief
(Austria) |
|
Robert
Nivelle, Commander-in-Chief
(France) |
|
Sir
John Nixon, Cmdr-in-Chief,
Mesopotamia (UK) |
|
Sir
John Norton-Griffiths, Mining
Liaison Officer (UK) |
|
Sir
William Pakenham, Admiral (UK) |
|
Franz
von Papen, Military Attaché to
U.S. (Germany) |
|
Paul
Pau, General (France) |
|
John
J. Pershing, Commander-in-Chief
(US) |
|
Henri-Philippe
Petain, Commander-in-Chief
(France) |
|
Karl
von Pflanzer-Baltin, General
(Austria-Hungary) |
|
Josef
Pilsudski, General
(Poland) |
|
Wenzel
von Plehve, General (Russia) |
|
Lord
Plumer, Field Marshal (UK) |
|
Hugo
von Pohl, Cmdr, High Seas
Fleet (Germany) |
|
Oskar
Potiorek, General (Austria-Hungary) |
|
Constantine
Prezan, Commander-in-Chief
(Romania) |
|
Maximilian
von Prittwitz, General
(Germany) |
|
Radomir
Putnik, Chief of General Staff
(Serbia) |
|
Ferdinand
von Quast, General (Germany) |
|
Sir
Henry Rawlinson, General (UK) |
|
George
Windle Read, General (US) |
|
Paul
von Rennenkampf, General
(Russia) |
|
Ludwig
von Reuter, Admiral at Scapa
Flow (Germany) |
|
Sir
William Robertson, Chief of
Imperial Gen. Staff (UK) |
|
Sir
Charles Rosenthal, General
(Australia) |
|
Pierre
Ruffey, General (France) |
|
Crown
Prince Rupprecht, General
(Germany) |
|
Sir
Andrew Russell, General (New
Zealand) |
|
Nikolai
Ruzsky, General (Russia) |
|
Alexander
Samsonov, General (Russia) |
|
Maurice
Sarrail, General (France) |
|
Reinhardt
Scheer, Chief of Admiralty
Staff (Germany) |
|
Alfred
von Schlieffen, Chief
of Gen. Staff (Germany) |
|
Alois
Fürst Schönburg-Hartenstein,
General (Austria-Hungary) |
|
Ludwig
von Schroder, Admiral (Germany) |
|
Hans
von Seeckt, Chief of General
Staff (Germany) |
|
Dmitry
Shcherbachev, General (Russia) |
|
William
Sims, Admiral (US) |
|
Sir
Horace Smith-Dorrien, General (UK) |
|
Jan
Christian Smuts, Prime Minister
(South Africa) |
|
Sir
Nevill Maskelyne Smyth, General (UK) |
|
Admiral
Wilhelm Souchon, Admiral
(Germany) |
|
Maximilian
von Spee, Admiral (Germany) |
|
R.
Stoger-Steiner von Steinstatten,
General (Austria) |
|
Stepa
Stepanovic, General (Serbia) |
|
Sir
Frederick Stopford, General
(UK) |
|
Arz
von Straussenberg,
Cmdr-in-Chief (Austria) |
|
Sir
Frederick Sturdee, Admiral (UK) |
|
Sir
Ernest Swinton, General (UK) |
|
Paolo
Thaon di Revel, Admiral (Italy) |
|
Christopher
Thomson, Military Attaché to
Romania (UK) |
|
Alfred
von Tirpitz, Naval Minister
(Germany) |
|
Sir
Charles Townshend, General (UK) |
|
Hugh
Trenchard, Chief of Air Staff (UK) |
|
Adolf
von Trotha, Admiral (Germany) |
|
Sir
Ernest Troubridge, Admiral (UK) |
|
Sir
Richard Turner, Chief of
Canadian General Staff (Canada) |
|
Sir
Jacob Louis Van Deventer,
General (South Africa) |
|
Peter
Vasic, Colonel (Serbia) |
|
Sir
David Watson, General (Canada) |
|
Otto
Weddigen, U-boat Captain
(Germany) |
|
Rosslyn
Wemyss, First Sea Lord (UK) |
|
Maxime
Weygand, Army Chief of Staff
(France) |
|
Sir
Brudenell White, General
(Australia) |
|
Crown
Prince Wilhelm, General
(Germany) |
|
Henry
Willis-O'Connor, Staff Officer
(Canada) |
|
Sir
Henry Wilson, Chief of Imperial
Gen. Staff (Ireland) |
|
Leonard
Wood, Pre-war Chief of Staff
(US) |
|
Remus
von Woyrsch, Field Marshal
(Germany) |
|
Petr
Wrangel, General (Russia) |
|
Bosa
Yankovich, General (Serbia) |
|
Nikolai
Yanushkevich, Chief of Staff
(Russia) |
|
Alvin
C. York, Corporal (US) |
|
Nikolai
Yudenich, General (Russia) |
|
Andrei
Zayonchkovski, General (Russia) |
|
Nikola
Zhekov, Commander-in-Chief
(Bulgaria) |
|
Yakov
Zhilinski, General (Russia) |
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A "Dixie" (from the Hindi degci) was an army cooking pot. |
Original Material © Michael Duffy 2000-09, SafeSurf Rated
