with all my respect and admiration it is he whom I consider the most honorable man that ever existed because thanks to him we are free he gave us our liberty and refused to be a tyrant himself eventhough the militia and the civilians wanted him to be one

Because of his determination, courage and motivation under pretty harsh conditions with sometimes limited artillery he was still able to conquer the powerfull British and free America.  Washington RULES hands down!!

Considering that the US was the result,his leadership may have produced the greatest David vs.Goliath longshot win,ever.

he was a good military leader he was a very honorable person. He did a pretty good job being our first president. He set a great example for many many years to come.

Great leader of men? Without a doubt. Great Statesman? Definitely. Military genius? Nope.

He definitely was a morale booster for the fledgling Colonists in the Revolution, but I question his decision making in the War.

As other comments have noted, George Washington left much to be desired as a military man. While considerations must be made for the handicaps imposed by the circumstances, Washington essentially fought a holding pattern, failing to have any major victories or many strategic defeats that were actually advantageous in the long-term. Also as others have noted, the war was eventually won by other commanders in upstate New York, the Carolinas, and eventually Virginia with the help of the French. Moreover, if my readings are correct, Washington's campaigns in the French and Indian Wars were not all that successful either. In the end, Washington's strengths were in administration and the political aspects of the war which was no small feat.

Gimme a break. George Washington was not that great a military hereo. The only reason that he is getting high votes is because he was American (I looked at the top 32 leaders on this board and half of them were American leaders, and the list didn't even include Scipio Afrianus). George Washington was small fry as a military leader. The American victory over the British was pretty easy (Brits fighting 1000's of miles away from home, with no modern transport). Ho Chi Minh was far better in that he defeated the superpower of the day (America) even when there was a greater technological disparity.

He won a total of two battle trenton and yorktown. The french "as much as I hate to say it", One the war for us when they put the blockade on yorktown. He was A great pres, but an average general at best.

He may not have been the best at military strategy, but he was the first US president and he was great at it.

he was first in war, first in peace, and first in the heart of his countrymen!

Read your history, this man left much to be desired on the battle field. His achievements in the French and Indian War may have been good, however he lost every battle he fought in during the American Revolution.The real reason we have America is Benedict Arnold. George just happened to be a better politician and show up for the credit.

He kept the army together through everything... and spent two winters in my hometown.

Without this man there would be no United States.End of discussion.

Based on what I've read, Washington wasn't especially gifted in military tactics. But he was an amazing leader whose bravery, selflessness, and general decency earned him the admiration and respect of his men. He also understood, at a time when few others did, that in the early stages of the Revolutionary War the key was less about winning big battles than it was about AVOIDING defeat. Based on that insight, Washington's handling of the continental troops was brilliant. The more you learn about Washington, the more you realize how incredibly fortunate the U.S. was to have him as our first general as well as our first president.