Who are the best military leaders who became politicians?

These commanders proved equally formidable in the political arena as on the battlefield — some founding nations, others reshaping empires. Cast your vote!

1. 1
   George Washington

   Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army who became the first President of the United States in 1789.
2. 2
   Dwight D. Eisenhower

   Five-star Supreme Allied Commander who led the D-Day invasion and became the 34th President of the United States.
3. 3
   Ulysses S. Grant

   Union Army general who led the North to victory in the Civil War and became the 18th President of the United States.
4. 4
   Napoleon Bonaparte

   Military genius who conquered much of Europe and became Emperor of the French, reshaping modern law and governance.
5. 5
   Julius Caesar

   Roman military general who conquered Gaul and became dictator of Rome, transforming the Republic toward imperial rule.
6. 6
   Charles de Gaulle

   French WWII resistance hero who became President of France and founded the Fifth Republic in 1958.
7. 7
   Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

   Ottoman military commander who founded the Republic of Turkey in 1923 and became its first president.
8. 8
   Simón Bolívar

   South American military leader who liberated Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia from Spanish rule.
9. 9
   Andrew Jackson

   Hero of the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 who became the 7th President of the United States.
10. 10
    Colin Powell

    Four-star general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who served as the first Black U.S. Secretary of State.
11. 11
    Fidel Castro

    Guerrilla leader who overthrew the Batista regime and ruled Cuba for nearly five decades.
12. 12
    Ariel Sharon

    Celebrated Israeli military general who became Prime Minister of Israel and initiated the Gaza disengagement plan.
13. 13
    Francisco Franco

    Spanish general who led the Nationalists to victory in the Civil War and ruled Spain as head of state until 1975.
14. 14
    Ho Chi Minh

    Revolutionary military leader who led North Vietnam's independence movement and became President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.