he knew a lot bout war and tatics..... but he was a better politician lol

More of a diplomat and a consensus builder than a military leader in the classic sense. He was, however, a damn fine diplomat, and his role was key in holding a sometimes prickly alliance together.

It is bitterly ironic that the same man who helped the Allies defeat the evil, hateful Nazis was one of the staunchest bigots who sponsored both segregation and racism in America. It would take two presidencies before equal rights for African-Americans and Women could be brought within reach...but it is a struggle that continues to today.

5 stars...but only because he refused to let MacArthur's racist feelings shape the future of the US military organization.

Way way overrated.. never held a field command of any significance.. and was pretty much a military politician, though he was good at that..

Eisenhower probably was better at diplomacy than he was at grand military strategy. He was, however, a good planner, and was, as others have observed, a consummate consensus builder. At least in public he managed to keep his temper and emotions in check, although having to deal with the Brits who thought him incompetent, and the French who thought everyone was incompetent but themselves, is a tribute to his ability to get things done in the face of incredible adversity. I doubt that anyone the Brits had could have pulled it off as well.

Eisenhower knew how to rely on his generals, work with his allies, and work methodically. His strategy may not have been daring, but it was usually succesful. Also you have to give him credit in how he helped to organize D Day.

Good commander... even better president!

I'm rating people on this list based solely on their ability as military leaders, so the three stars I'm giving Eisenhower apply to his U.S. military career, not his time as President. Most WW2 books I've read give Eisenhower a lot of credit for his skills as a politician from 1942-1945, when he had to coordinate the efforts of not just the U.S. military but also the British (and French resistance). He had to deal with some of the biggest egos of the century - Rooosevelt, Churchill, Montgomery, Patton, de Gaulle - and yet he somehow managed to keep the European war running reasonably smoothly. But few people will claim that Eisenhower was a military genius. His strategies were generally safe, predictable, and plodding, especially compared to the bold moves of a general like Patton. And his one truly daring decision - operation Market Garden - was a disaster.