He was a ruthless leader with a gift for politics. In an age of short and often brutal lives, he reigned for over thirty years. And only then did he embark upon the campaign that made him a legend.
He was an experienced commander sent to impose order on a rebellious colony. He soundly defeated the man who would come to be called "the father of the country." Yet in the end, his victory proved fruitless.
Recalling Andrew Jackson's military victories in Florida, where he was sent to stop Seminole Indian attacks. Included: controversial decisions by Jackson are examined.
A profile of Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, who conquered Mexico and the Aztec empire after his arrival in 1519.
A profile of explorer, soldier and statesman John C. Fremont focuses on his exploits in California, which he helped to liberate from Mexico.
A profile of 11th-century Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, known as “El Cid,” separates fact from myth.
A profile of Marshal Georgi K. Zhukov, the Russian World War II commander whose leadership of the Red Army in 1945 brought about the fall of Berlin.
A profile of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman recalls the Civil War leader's infamous “March to the Sea” in 1864, in which he led a destructive trek across Georgia, from Atlanta to Savannah.
A profile of English statesman and military leader Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) focuses on his 1649 campaign to place Ireland under English control. Also: his conquest of the town of Drogheda, where more than 2000 men, including Catholic priests and friars, were killed.
A profile of Israel's King David, who, according to the Bible, killed the giant Goliath when he was a boy, focuses on his conquest of Jerusalem in 995 B.C.
An examination of Napoleon's victory at the 1805 Battle of Austerlitz, in which he defeated a joint Austro-Russian army.
A profile of Julius Caesar focuses on his conquest of Gaul (58-52 B.C.), which extended the Roman Empire to the Atlantic Ocean and was famously recounted in Caesar's “On the Gallic Wars.” Also examined are Caesar's skills as a military tactician.