David Petraeus

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Gen. David Petraeus briefing reporters at the Pentagon on his view of the military situation in Iraq, 2007.

Sen. Robert Byrd meeting with David Petraeus, Jan. 23, 2007, after Petraeus was appointed to command multinational forces in Iraq.

Stanley McChrystal (left), commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and David Petraeus, commander in chief of Central Command, 2009.

Read Next

The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.

14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered

Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.

U.S. Death Toll During Major Events

The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.

26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History

Groups of depositors in front of the closed American Union Bank, New York City. April 26, 1932. Great Depression run on bank crowd

Causes of the Great Depression

President's bingo. Guess and select to correct president based on images.

Britannica’s U.S. Presidents Bingo

Discover

Town of Sisimiut located on the coast of the Davis Strait on Kangerluarsunnguaq Bay, Greenland

The Largest Islands in the World

Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution

The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution

Time zone map with standard time zones and International Date Line

Why Are Some Time Zones 30 Minutes Off Instead of an Hour?

Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)

All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

Shadow of a man holding large knife in his hand inside of some dark, spooky buiding

7 of History's Most Notorious Serial Killers

Law legal system crime concept with gavel and scales of justice with books in the background. (mallet, judicial system).

What Are the Differences Between First-, Second-, and Third-Degree Murder?

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

David Petraeus

United States commander in chief of Central Command

Also known as: David Howell Petraeus

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 13, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

In full:: David Howell Petraeus

Born:: November 7, 1952, Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, U.S. (age 72)

Role In:: Afghanistan War; Iraq War

On the Web:: George W. Bush Presidential Center - General David Petraeus — Conflict, Leadership, and Military Service (Dec. 13, 2024)

See all related content

David Petraeus (born November 7, 1952, Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, U.S.) is a U.S. army general who was appointed by Pres. George W. Bush to head multinational forces in Iraq (2007–08) and who later served as commander in chief of Central Command (Centcom; 2008–10) and as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan (2010–11). He later was director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; 2011–12). Petraeus was the son of Dutch American parents. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1974, he was commissioned into the infantry as a second lieutenant. Later, as a ...(100 of 777 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.