War is assumed to be for the physically and mentally fit. At least that's what our manpower classification system tell us. Nevertheless, many generals and admirals of considerable prominence and success possessed handicaps which--would bar them from military service in most contemporary armies and navies. Herewith is a list of some prominent commanders with unusal physical problems. Mental disorders, such as megalomania and Oedipal complexes, have been excluded, as, along with stupidity, they are not necessarily incompatible with success in a military career. Handicaps incurred during an individual's active-service have been indicated by a an asterisk(*).
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-Alexander the Great* (356-323 BC) Macedonia Epilepsy, Alcoholism
-Omar Bradley (1893-1981) US "Football Knee"
-Julius Caesar (110-44 BC) Rome Epilepsy
-Enrico Dandolo (c. 1107-1205) Venice Blind, Winning at 90!
-Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) US "Football Knee"
-Eugenio van Savoy (1663-1736) Austria Hunchback
-Douglas Haig (1861-1928) Britain Color Blind
-William F. Halsey (1882-1959) US Myopia
-Hannibal* (c. 247-183 BC) Carthage Epilepsy, Blind in one eye
-Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) Germany Incontinent Flatulence
-Francois de Luxembourg (1628-1695) France Hunchback
-Jose Millan Astray* (1879-1954) Spain Lacked an eye, arm, and finger
-Daniel Morgan (1736-1802) US Acute Arthritis
-Naaman (fl. c. 850 BC) Syria Leprosy, till cured (cf. 2 kings, 5)
-Napoleon (1769-1821) France Hemorrhoids
-Narses (c. 478-c. 573) Rome Eunuch, started winning at 70!
-Horatio Nelson* (1758-1805) Britain Sea Sickness, missing an eye and arm
-George Patton ;1885-1945) US Dyslexia
-Peter I the Great (1672-1725) Russia Strangury, Epilepsy
-Thomas Picton (1758-1815) Britain Severe Myopia
-Jean de Rochambeau (1725-1807) France Inflammatory Rheumatism
-Maurice de Saxe (1696-1750) France Dropsy, at his best at its worst!
-Alfred van Schlieffen (1733-1813) Germany Severe Myopia
-Nicholas Soult (1769-1851) France Club Foot
-Pierre de Suffren (1729-1788) France Obesity
-Archibald Wavell* (1883-1950) Britain Blind in one eye
-William III (1650-1702) Britain Asthma
-Jan Zizka* (c. 1358-1424) Bohemia;Blind in one eye. later both
-Isoroku Yamamato* (1884-1945) Japan Missing two fingers
-Garnet Wolsely* (1833-1913) Britain Blind in one eye
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