Which leader had the best war speeches?
Answer:
The answer to this question is entirely subjective, and it is impossible to know who had the best war speeches of antiquity as sources are often scarce and always biased. In modern history, one of the most famous speakers was Adolf Hitler, who’s speeches regularly brought the crowd into an intense frenzy of nationalist pride and patriotic honor. First hand accounts of these events describe individuals crying and passionately screaming at his speeches, and it was common for individuals to faint during these events. Other speakers, such as Winston Churchill and Benito Mussolini are also well known for their rhetorical skill.
As for speeches of antiquity, it is difficult to say. Many speeches of generals and leaders have been recorded by historians, but they are often paraphrased and their quality relies entirely on the talent of the historian rather than the speaker. The generals of Ancient Greece and Rome were well known for the public speaking skills, and it was a talent that every noble was taught from a very young age. In all, the best war speech ever uttered is probably unknown to us due to it being unrecorded, but the speeches recorded by Plutarch, Livy, and Tacitus all give a sense of the style and skill of the speeches of the time.