I personally think that it is the Vikings, they settled Eastern Russia, were some of the best warriors for around 400 years, and still respected their old gods which most people had forgotten. I think my number 2 would have to be the Legionnaires because of their immense training and how they always could be depended apon in battle and they also doubled to build roads. I think my third would have to be the Spartans because they were trained from seven years old to fight for honor and courage and they did just that and more while still maintaining the greek tradition that home and family are the most important.
What is the best unit in military history and why?
Please don't reply with half-wit comments: ex: I totally love the Spartans because they have nice pecs in 300! xD That is a non-example!
Posted by CenturionTaz on
Personally I think it would be the Batavians, The skilled Auxilia cavalry and Infantry of the roman empire, also Batavians made up most of Augustus's Bodyguard.
when they revolted against the romans they managed to destroy 2 legions, also thier skills for swimming in full armour would make them the most skilled warriors in History,
My number two would be The Greek Hoplites, they were the most skilled warriors for centuries, Thanks to thier training and formations the beated almost everyone. A good example of this would be the Spartans(NO NOT THE 300.....) The real spartans wore bronze breastplates and were just the most skilled hoplites.
I think it's quite difficult to choose a best one, maybe if we break the wheel of time into smaller pieces:
-my first "best unit of thier time" is the ancient assyrian war-chairots
- second: (=later): the Doric soldiers in ancient Greece.
They used iron instead of copper weapons
- third (= even later/this will go on): Macedonian phalangites and companion cavarly - pike wall and unstopabble horsemen in good armour
- 4th: Roman legionaries - best soldiers for a very long time, disciplined, could build almost anything, could swim, could ride horse, etc
- 5th: Hunnic horse archers: new tactics, new bows, handled with deadly accuracy
- 6th: Frankish knights: first western-type elite heavy cavarly
+ viking raiders- feared sailors and warriors
- next: Magyar cavarly: the same way of fighting as the huns, but in a later era, with new tactics - they and the viking looted Europe from Byzantium up to Cordoba
- western-type knights (french, english, spanish, german, italian, polish, hungarian, normann,danish etc) - unstopabble unit in their own time, in the best armours
- next (around the 15th century):
western gunpowder units + the teutonic order's army (later beaten by the polish-lithuanian-tatar forces) + the hungarian "Black Army" (choosen mercenaries from Middle-Eu) + the turkish army in Eu., Samurais in the East (until the 19th century)
- 16th century:
definitly the fist: turkish janissary infantry (well trained and equipped, with the newest techs) + the hungarian "végvári" soldiers, who stooped them several times alongside with the new, hungarian form of cavarly: the Hussars
-17th century: French musketeers, English sailors, Polish-Lithuanian Hussars, and still Turkish Janissaries, Swiss Guard
-18th century: English and Spanish sailors, english grenadiers, later (napoleonic era): french grenadiers - who fought until the last moment
and never gave up
- 19th century (first half):
french grenadiers, english sailors, hungarian hussars, polish dragoons,
austrian reiters
- time of rebellions (from 1848):
polish legion, hungarian "honvéd" infantry + hussars, and Garibaldi's redshirts
- second half of the 19th century:
northern american army (including lots of irish rifleman, hungarian and polish cavarlymen)
still english sailors
french legion in Africa
- WWI:
prussian infantry, english pilots
-WWI:
Waffen SS, german U-boat-sailors, english pilots + the brave polish horsemen and legion, US navy (and of course the atom bomb, the biggest terrorist attack ever...)
- nowadays:
US army, (???)
Thank you for your input and for the U.S. army i think it is the Navy Seals of the U.S. navy because they have amazing training and over 4 years of extensive training.
The Samurais are my personal favourite for their discipline and skill with sword,bow and spear. most samurais were also skilled horsemen.
I would say the Spetsnaz, because of the fear they are able to project in both real life and fiction.
My friend say the English longbow man during the Hundred Years War, because they were able to mow down forces several times their numbers.
i do think the spetsnaz are good but I still think the Navy Seals are better
It is very difficult to define the "best" unit in history, because at some point,another unit or nation surpasses the strongest of its time. Ivanhoe95 posted a pretty good system for each time period of history, I think. As for me, I will choose only one unit, the Feudal Knights. There are better units by the time of 15th century, the knights met their match in the early firearms. But I chose them, because they dominated the fields of Europe during all the middle ages(circa 10th to early 15th century) and during that time, they were the best equipped units(since they could afford it and maintained their equipment themselves), they had the best training of the time(they trained from childern till they became knights and then they continue gaining experience in wars and tournaments-yes, tournaments were a form of training and a very dangerous one). They were unstoppable and because of them, infantry, ranged troops and the whole warfare of the time had to adjust to a knight's fighting style, to support them or fight them. Knights were capable of fighting on horseback as well as on foot. So, even though firearms eventually gained the best of the knight, I believe due to their contribution in military history, they deserve a place amongst the best units.
P.S.: Shock cavalry(an essential part of any army for a couple of centuries later on) was based on the knight.
I think that that is a good choice and after a few months while i let more people comment, i will decide who the best one is and give them some sort of prize (not monetary!)
That is a very good idea. That way, people wll be encouraged to participate and write interesting comments. Good thinking!
Thanks! I do like the interactive news sections more than the random ones that you dont get any input on.
in my humble opinion it was the Macedonian army in the time of Philip the second and Alexander the great because there is a reason why Alexander wasn't defeated and its not all to do with his charm ........ and many mercinarys ...... and the sarissa which I like to call the big pointy stick of death
I like that " big pointy stick of death", it fits the description well! I do think they were dominant in the Hellenic world but then again after Alexanders death his generals ripped his empire apart and were warring with each other constantly, but i do agree that in the Hellenic time period they were dominant.
Yes, the Macedonians are a good choice(being a Macedonian myself :D), but the fact that they lost their unity and were very easily surpassed after their leader's death, points out that it was mostly Alexander's ingenuity and spirit that kept them together. Also, a major factor in Macedonian army's victories was the Heavy Cavalry(Companions and Thessalians).
True true I do believe that the Macedonians after Alexander still did fare better than most of the other factions considering the Selicueds got killed easily and the Egyptians were overthrown, and obviously the Greeks also did not fare to well either.
1.Armenian heavy horse-archerers.
2.Eastern Catarfacts.
3.The Byzantine Varangian guard.
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Wll thank you for your input on the subject that is very interesting. You do seem to know alot about the subject and alot about history, you can friend me if you would like, if you have an account.
The best unit in the world?SPARTANS!!!They would crush to pieces your puny -****** hunic-asian(true, your are coming from ASIA)units,Ivanhoe95:)
Yes, they truly were amazing. I do think that the Hunnic calvary archers would be able to pester them with arrows but ultimantly they would surely win!
Thanks,for your support,men:)
welcome