Westmorelands strategy throughout the war was to win through Attrition Warfare (pounding the enemy through greater numbers and resources) which military strategists including Sun Tzu caution against using. Then, in an ill-advised comeback, he met his Waterloo. Weekly update on developments in India and its neighbors. Relations between the United States and China seem to be getting frostier by the day. Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent. The curation of this content is at the discretion of the author, and not necessarily reflective of the views of Encyclopaedia Britannica or its editorial staff. Gamelin also chose not to disperse Frances vast number of superior tanks. HANOI, VIETNAMForty years ago, on April 30, 1975, Nguyen Dang Phat experienced the happiest day of his life . That may have been true in the east (the worst of the Union generals in that theater rates his own entry on this list), but in the west it was a much different affair. A final humiliation came during Mexican-American War. General Westmorelands close associate, General William DePuy, later admitted the futility of the Westmoreland way of war. After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts. Sun Wu Sun Zi, or Sun Tzu, was a prominent military general during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) who is always regarded as one of the greatest military strategists in China and even the World. Hull had served with distinction in the Revolutionary War and was appointed governor of the Michigan Territory in 1805. A final humiliation came during Mexican-American War. These two instances are illustrative of many, many more, ranging from his actions or lack of action in combat situations to his determination to take over the war and win it with U.S. forces to his resultant failure to build up South Vietnamese forces to the validity of body count to the decision to close Khe Sanh to his actions when Lang Vei was overrun to denying predictions he had made of an early end to the war to claims of not being surprised at Tet 1968 to denying a post-Tet request for many additional U.S. forces. After only 10 weeks into the Pacific War, Percival became responsible for the largest surrender of British-led forces in history. Test yourself on the week of Feb. 25: Nigeria votes, Finland builds a border wall, and Israel escalates repression. Even a string of bad days does not guarantee entry. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consult individual encyclopedia entries about the topics. Thus, almost by default, Westmoreland was left to go his own way, year after bloody year. What a Lovely War and then in the 1989 television comedy series Blackadder Goes Forth. Michael Ray oversees coverage of European history and military affairs for Britannica. Who was the worst US general during the Vietnam War? The British gained control of the fort, dozens of cannons, the brig USS Adams (recommissioned the HMS Detroit), and virtually the entire Michigan Territory. Westmoreland is often described as a Boy Scout, usually implying, it appears, that he was well-intentioned but nave. Military greatness can most easily be defined by comparison. Yes, Westmoreland was the general who lost Vietnam. Francisco Solano Lpez managed to stumble into a war with pretty much all of that. In stereotypically McClellan fashion, he was promptly checked by a vastly inferior force under John Bankhead Magruder. Defining that is like defining a bad meal. At this point, things somehow got worse for Hull. Thuong, 52, is the youngest member of the party's Politburo, the country's top decision-making body, and is widely regarded as being close to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam's most . The problem begins with the fact that nobody in the chain of command was really competent to critique Westmorelands performance. The 5 Worst Generals in U.S. History. And how might that be impacting the world? Create an FP account to save articles to read later and in the FP mobile app. He thought he could take over the war from the South Vietnamese, bring it to a successful conclusion, and then hand their country back to them and go home in triumph. He ran as a Democrat against Lincoln in the 1864 presidential election. Seared into all who fought it and many who merely lived through it that conflict remains a bitter stew of second-guessing and recriminations. On September 2, 1945, hours after the Japanese signed their unconditional surrender in World War II, communist leader Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam, hoping. Mexican general Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna probably wished that everyone really did remember the Alamo, because: (1) he actually did win that battle (he outnumbered his opponents between 10- and 30-to-1); and (2) during the 13-day siege, he somehow resisted the urge to betray all his allegiances and change sides. This might have ended okay for Germany, provided they didnt do something like provoke a previously neutral country with Allied sympathies and an effectively bottomless war chest. Nelsons victory at the Battle of Trafalgar was so complete that it established British supremacy on the high seas for more than a century. It is probably not a coincidence that corruption in the military appears to have escalated since 2006, when the number of military generals started to jump sharply. His bad luck didnt end at San Jacinto. How might Vietnam or Iraq have turned out if a George Washington, a Ulysses Grant or a George Patton had been in command? His prestige restored by his conduct during the Pastry War with France, Santa Anna once again claimed dictatorial powers. Others were experienced military men who should have known better than to take the risks they took - or not take the risks they should have. 5. While Maximus was conducting negotiations with the Cimbri, a Germanic tribe that had invaded the Roman province of Transalpine Gaul, Caepio rashly attacked the Cimbri army on October 6, 105 BCE. The 1970s were scary times. FPs Ravi Agrawal spoke with two of the very best Russia experts:Angela Stent, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the author ofPutins World: Russia Against the West and With the Rest, and Michael Kofman, the research program director of the Russia studies program at the Center for Naval Analyses. Santa Anna was found wearing a privates uniform, hiding in a marsh. Armchair historians often generalize that during the American Civil War, while the Union held a clear advantage in material, the Confederacy could field superior commanders. Hundreds of thousands died of disease. By signing up, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to occasionally receive special offers from Foreign Policy. Others would say that it is not victory, but success in fulfilling a mission that counts. Not only is Sorley a third-generation graduate of West Point a Vietnam veteran and a historian, but he worked for Westmoreland as well. Although he managed to escape the battle unharmed, Caepio was stripped of his Roman citizenship and exiled. McClellan and Burnside in particular. Fighter Aircraft of All Time). Jessica Chen Weiss, formerly a senior advisor for policy planning at the State Department under the Biden administration, makes the case that the United States is becoming consumed by competition with China, a strategy that could lead to dangerous conflict. 1 Erwin Rommel Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel, popularly known as the Desert Fox, was a German field marshal of World War II. Consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus was Caepios superior officer, but Caepio refused to obey Maximus or even put his forces into a shared camp with him. Pillow faced a court-martial for stealing a Mexican cannon and attempting to spirit it home in his personal baggage, but Polk intervened to clear Pillows record. The initial assault resulted in very high casualties for the Russians and an almost complete breakdown of morale in the Russian forces. Darius again was the first to flee the battle, abandoning all of his soldiers and his property to be taken by Alexander. Although he eventually disavowed Hitler, by that point Ludendorff had become so deeply involved with mysticism that few took him seriously. He was an artilleryman who missed out on the Army's great schools system, never attending the Command & General Staff College or the Army War College. After occupying Jerusalem and crucifying 2,000 Jewish rebels in Judaea, Varus went off to govern Germania and tame barbarian tribes. Gods and Generals (2003) Loss $61 million These are actually Civil War reenactors and probably the only people who paid to see the movie. This would be known as the Tet Offensive and would become a major turning point in the war. This week marks exactly one year since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine. While there were a host of bad generals serving on both sides during the American Civil Warmostly on the Union side unfortunatelythe one that usually gets the most credit for dragging out the war as long as he did is Union General George McClellan. Although Nelson was killed in combat at Trafalgar, Villeneuve outlived him only by six months. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail. in history from Michigan State University in 1995. Two of the more prominent of these mistakes, both with wide and sweeping results, were the June 22, 1941 invasion of the USSROperation Barbarossaand the December 11, 1941 unprovoked and unwarranted declaration of war on the United Statesagainst the advice of Hitler's Foreign Minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop. Again fighting outnumbered Texans, this time Santa Anna would lose the battle stunningly. Under Westmorelands command, the Vietnam war began smoothly as the U.S. won every battle. But in 1968, when Westmoreland became Army Chief of Staff, Communist forces baited Westmoreland into committing nearly 40% of his strength to the military outpost at Khe Sanh, then attacked cities and towns throughout South Vietnam. Today's list: The top ten reasons Gen. Westmoreland lost the war in Vietnam By the way, here is the first review I have seen of Sorley's new biography of Westmoreland, which I read in galleys. Simultaneously, he contacted Maximilian to offer the young emperor his services. Varus trust in Arminius was an obvious and terrible misjudgment. When the French deposed Benito Jurez and installed Maximilian as emperor of Mexico, Santa Anna, now 70, reached out to the U.S. for support in deposing the emperor. He was also supremely gifted at overestimating the size of his opponents armies to a degree that beggared belief. With a few relatively minor changes, thats just about where they stayed for the next four years. And how might that be impacting the world? Your guide to the most important world stories of the day. Applications for the Gettysburg College-Gilder Lehrman MA program are open and considered on a rolling basis. 15. As a result, American military power and prestige took a dramatic downturn. Ulysses S. Grant, who replaced McClellan, understood this. Watch the conversation or read the condensed transcript. In fifteen thought-provoking essays, each written by a professional military historian, readers are introduced . This was true in matters both great and small. The War of the Triple Alliance devastated Paraguay. The suppression of drug consumption and trade is high on the Government of Vietnam's agenda. Starting with the battle of Long Island, he lost way more fights than he wonyet he managed to win the war. Publication of the PROVN Study, whose precepts were later implemented with great success by Westmorelands successor, illustrated a matter of fundamental importance. Still, it is his world-changing defeat at Yorktown that merits memorializing. The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files contains records of 58,220 U.S. military fatal casualties of the Vietnam War. The Roman Empire has a long, proud tradition of producing some of the finest generals in human history- and just as many of the worst. Follow him on Twitter:@Mipeck1. Dispatched to India, he led campaigns to help subdue the subcontinent, replacing the crown jewel he had lost. Download the new FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. To accomplish this goal, Vietnam employs repressive policies that often contravene international human rights law. We ended up, he said, with no operational plan that had the slightest chance of ending the war favorably. Westmoreland could not or would not ever bring himself to acknowledge that reality. In the famous Battle of the Alamo, Santa Anna struggled to defeat about 250 Texans with 2,400 Mexicans and subsequently lost nearly 600 men. Rommel is by far the greatest military general of the . In other words, this book is a "how-not-to" guide to leadership. Westmoreland held a press conference in which he categorically denied any such loss of confidence. General Wheeler was often just flat wrong in what he told the President. 2. Hull, convinced that he was hopelessly outnumbered (he wasnt), surrendered Fort Detroit and its 2,000-man garrison without firing a shot. These battlefield bumblers serve to provide that contrast. Many of these generals had their worst defeats when their countries were least prepared for conflict, such as the hapless Soviet generals who faced the German infiltration of Russia in 1941. There are a number of contenders for the top places on such a roster. Thats an automatic disqualification from Hall membership. Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) 24. His poor tactical decisions resulted in his army being routed by a smaller force of Redcoats and Loyalists at the Battle of Camden in South Carolina in 1780. Delivered Monday-Friday. On the night of August 15, 1812, Tecumseh led his forces across the Detroit River, and Brock followed the next morning. History: Military History. Officially labelled a defector by the Pentagon, many suspected Nolan, an African American, changed sides after suffering a lifetime of racial discrimination. The Persians had a mixed record against the Greeks. Whatever its military wisdom or lack thereof, it was a decision that should not have been made by generals under the American political system. Not good, Hannibal. T he Civil War was America's bloodiest conflict. 13,091. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Delivered Wednesday & Sunday. 15. Not that Fredendall didn't have real issues that would have tried any commander. McClellan truly disappointed president Lincoln at the Battle of Antietam where the North and South would fight the bloodiest battle of the war. A Brief History. McClellan was a proto-Douglas MacArthur who bad-mouthed his president and commander-in-chief. In order, from most culpable down. Opportunistic firms in Asia and Europe have already begun to relocate investments to the United States. How theyve practiced the art of war is immaterial, too. Yes, the landing at Inchon unhinged the initial North Korean offensive. Somalia (1992-1994) 2. In 334 BC, Alexander the Great invaded the Persian Empire. On the other hand, there was that bad day at the Battle of Salamis when most of the Persian fleet went to the bottom. 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Allied with Brock was the Shawnee chief Tecumseh, who was head of the most formidable pan-Indian military force the continent had ever seen. By the end of May 1862, Confederate commanding Gen. Joseph E. Johnston had withdrawn his forces to Richmond, and McClellan was close enough to the Confederate capital to hear its church bells ringing. 1. The American Civil War was a factory for producing bad generals such as Braxton Bragg and Ambrose Burnside. In the autumn of 1804 he was placed in charge of the French fleet at Toulon and tasked with drawing the British fleet under Horatio Nelson to the Caribbean. Sure, he won big at the Alamo. He lacked the schooling and relevant experience to understand the war and devise a viable approach to prosecuting it. Gates thought otherwise, and fancied himself a better commander than George Washington. Is your subtitle The General Who Lost Vietnam fair? Among them are, of course, Lyndon Johnson himself, Robert McNamara, and General Earle Wheeler. Their orientation, indeed the core of Scoutings values, is selflessness and service to others. A more positive example is George Washington. Top 10 Most Underrated Military Generals. The enemy simply kept sending more and more replacements to make up his losses. Instead he simply sent more and more replacements to make up his losses. But beyond the goals of one leader in Moscow, it is also clear that Ukraine has suffered horrors of a historic nature. He also issued orders to his troops in a personal code that no one else understood, such as this gem of command clarity: Move your command, i. e., the walking boys, pop guns, Baker's outfit and the outfit which is the reverse of Baker's outfit and the big fellows to M, which is due north of where you are now, as soon as possible. The American Civil War was a factory for producing bad generals such as Braxton Bragg and Ambrose Burnside. But MacArthur's strategy certainly helped unleash 300,000 Chinese "volunteers" who inflicted significant casualties on United Nations forces. Disobeying orders, he sailed for Cdiz instead of the Channel, allowing Nelsons fleet time to return and effectively scuttling Napoleons plans for a cross-Channel invasion. Thus, on July 1, 1916, Haig ordered his men to go over the top at the First Battle of the Somme, and 20,000 of them had the audacity to die almost immediately (there were 60,000 total British casualties on the first day of the attack). While British cannons shelled the fort from the Canadian side of the river, Tecumseh marched his warriors through a forest clearing in an endless parade. General Westmoreland had complete freedom of action in deciding how to prosecute the war within South Vietnam. Seldom included in. He first demonstrated his ineptitude during the Mexican-American War, where he had received an appointment to the rank of major general from his friend Pres. You may opt out at any time. The self proclaimed Napoleon of the West didnt quite leave the same legacy as his idol. Hull was taken prisoner by the British and was court-martialed upon his return to the United States. Lpez, possibly in a fit of madness, ordered the execution of hundreds of people, including some of his own family members. What was the worst battle of Vietnam? He continued on to suffer defeats at Spion Kop and Vaal Krantz, almost letting the war slip away from the British. More ways to stay updated on global news: By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. Argentina, Brazil, and the Brazilian puppet government in Uruguay formed an alliance, and on May 1, 1865, they declared war on Paraguay.
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