| Let's see, in my opinion, the true test of a truly great World War II general is to have beaten the odds and/or pulled off something brilliant. Montgomery continually got his ass handed to him by a numerically inferior force, but managed to come out victorious in the long run. He had all the advantages that Rommel didn't in terms of numbers and supplies. Much like General Meade in the Civil War, he was an able defender but lacked the ability to take decisive action when it was necessary. Turning a defensive victory into an offensive route is something that he didn't do very well.
Much the same can be said of nearly all of the Allied commanders, they were never truly put to the test against overwhelming odds. We remember them as great because the Allies were the victors, but we aren't talking greatness of the caliber of Hannibal or Alexander the Great or Napoleon (all of whom won repeatedly against all odds). Often, they are brilliant like General Ulysses S Grant; they have the numbers, they know it, and they win by sheer overwhelming forces and by just not backing down. |