History's Greatest Army?

[OldSolduer]

Thank you for your support, Lard of the Dance!!
I stand by my comments....the Canadian Army is the greatest Army. It is not has not ever been a conquering army (ie the Hun, Alexander the Great etc) but an army of Liberation.....surely there is not a nobler calling than being a member of such an army?
The Spartans would have adamired 2PPCLI at Kapyong, Korea. The Romans would have admired Juno Beach.
And now the Taliban fear the Canadian Army!

 

[Red 6]

A lot of interesting and thought proovking comment5s here. On the other hand, quite a few are out in left field. Here are my thoughts:

What makes a "great army?" Is it an independent field army that fights under its own command? Is it a coalition partner that is part of a larger force? What lens are you looking through when you decide? Is it the army that is most copied in terms of tactics and standards? This is all very subjective. Most folks look back into popular memory when they formulate their own answer. Certainly in the United States, World War II is the "standard" when we as a nation think about this. Looking through that lens, the US Army of that period was unmatched in its operational art, and tactical skill. Add the strategic level with multiple theaters with very different demands and conditions, and it's clear that there are very strong arguments for this line of reasoning.

However, (and this is a BIG however) in the long perspective of western military history, I believe the Frederick the Great's Prussian army ranks as the most influential. Frederick was a military giant. German officers of World War II had an ironical nickname for Hitler - GröFaZ (Größer Feldherr aller Zeiten) Translated into english, it means "Greatest military commander of all times." In reality, Frederick the Great may well be the true bearer of this title.

cheers, Mark