He decided to conduct of a war of attrition, using search and destroy tactics, in which the measure of merit was body count. Many historians have said Bragg was one of the worst generals of the Civil War, having lost most of his battles. The Americans lacked sufficient troops, supplies and air cover (when was the last time an American general had to fight a battle while being pounded by enemy bombers?). Marine Corps Casualties 1775-2016 - Marine Corps University Hull withdrew after a series of harassing attacks by Tecumsehs highly mobile raiding parties. LBJ's tragic "addiction" to Vietnam: The mistake that still - Salon Westmoreland is often described as a Boy Scout, usually implying, it appears, that he was well-intentioned but nave. Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security. 7 Of The Worst Military Leaders In History, That You Didn't Know About Ludendorff is one of historys greatest examples of a general who can win battles but still loses the war. Your guide to the most important world stories of the day. Military greatness can most easily be defined by comparison. Michael Ray oversees coverage of European history and military affairs for Britannica. On a visit to Vietnam Senator Hollings from Westmorelands home state of South Carolina was told by Westmoreland: Were killing these people, the enemy, at a ratio of 10 to 1. Said Hollings, Westy, the American people dont care about the ten. Caepio was born into a noble family and became consul in 106 BC. Alas, as a historian, he passed on the opportunity to answer Battlelands questions about what Vietnam should teach us about Afghanistan, and who, if anyone, is todays Westmoreland, during our email chat earlier this week: Whats the most important thing you learned writing Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam? Keep up with the world without stopping yours. The Top Ten. He was called the inevitable general. A West Point graduate, he served in World War II and Korea. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Woefully inexperienced U.S. soldiers found themselves against Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps veterans. His invasion of Canada came to an abrupt halt when he failed to capture Fort Malden, a British position that was a laughably short distance from Hulls headquarters at Fort Detroit. The 1970s were scary times. The Vietnam War Crimes You Never Heard Of | History News Network Westmorelands general mistake: severely underestimating the Communists. When all is said and done, it doesnt matter how nice, brave, courageous, gutsy, loyal, or brilliant commanders theyve been. A dull, unfeeling, unimaginative, smug "Colonel Blimp" of the worst sort. These Vietnam War photos taken by U.S. Army photographers reveal a side of the conflict that few people have ever seen. The Romans marched right into the ambush that Arminius laid thus leading to the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Think about how history would have been different if Hannibal had a military plan to outlast Roman might. Darius never showed up for the first battle and defeat (Battle of Granicus) because he didnt see Alexander as much of a threat to his empire. Who are the famous national heroes or generals in Vietnam? up as tough on Beijing, even seeking to contain the rise of the worlds second-biggest economy. To counter these, Major General William R. Peers commenced Operation Greeley using elements of the 4th Infantry Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. FPsRavi Agrawalsat down with U.S. Trade RepresentativeKatherine Tai, the Biden administrations top official tasked with mapping out and implementing the White Houses trade policy. Because he never wanted to face a superior force, he refused to fight. His 1812 campaign against Russia ended in complete disaster. As the commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, he faced a two-front war, an insurgency in the South and an invading army from the North. The Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Memorial LectureThomas E. Ricks is a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). His work as an observer during the Crimean War gave him insight into the importance of logistics for an industrialized army, and years spent as the chief of engineering for the Illinois Central Railroad made him aware of the transformative nature of rail transport. 4. The problem begins with the fact that nobody in the chain of command was really competent to critique Westmorelands performance. Fighter Aircraft of All Time). NEW FOR SUBSCRIBERS: What myths or misperceptions surround Westmoreland that you would like to clear up, if any? These are the incompetents, the idiots, the bumblers who have represented armies or nations at war only to lead them to defeat or shame. Ulysses S. Grant made his Civil War debut at the Battle of Belmont against Confederate Gen. Gideon Pillow. While Muammer Al-Gaddafi isn't into the funny business in his politician reign, he most certainly is one of a highly egotistical leader and a member who represents more of the "self" rather than all else. T he Civil War was America's bloodiest conflict. On the other hand, there was that bad day at the Battle of Salamis when most of the Persian fleet went to the bottom. Ultimately, he was denied his final showdown with the Allies by German political leaders who realized that the Americans could produce soldiers faster than Germany could produce bullets. Who Were the Worst Generals in History? Registration for summer courses begins March 18, 2023 and ends June 7, 2023. Tom Ricks, on his "Best Defense" blog has discussed the top 10 worst generals in U.S. history. The Worst Military Leaders in History - University Of Chicago Press Would he be upset if he were alive to read this book today? In All U.S. Military History, These Are the 5 Worst Generals There appeared to be little serious planning for what would happen the day after Saddam was gone. Grachev once said that only an incompetent commander would order tanks into the streets of central Grozny, where they would be vulnerable. Yet near the end of the war he did exactly that. Gamelin was commander of the French forces in World War II and is largely responsible for the fall of France into German control during the Battle of France. According to formerly classified Army documents, an investigation disclosed that from at least March 1968 through October 1969, "Vietnamese [civilian] detainees were subjected to maltreatment" by. General Failure - The Atlantic Join FPs Ravi Agrawal for a frank discussion about the Biden administrations China policy and alternatives that it ought to consider. Unfortunately the fates of the former Republic Vietnam (Sout. 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. Defining that is like defining a bad meal. James K. Polk upon the outbreak of war between Mexico and the U.S. and offered to become an agent for the U.S. (again). Little Mac would prove himself to be a superb organizer who kept his army well supplied, efficiently run, and happy. Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama. The Romans lost an estimated 80,000 infantry and perhaps 40,000 auxiliaries and cavalry, numbers that dwarf the staggering totals at Cannae. Pierre de Villeneuve had his first brush with history when he bravely ran away at the Battle of the Nile. The Germanic fighters demolished the three Roman legions. Arminius cut off his head and sent it to another Germanic leader as a present. If Putin had hoped to weaken NATO, the very opposite has happened, with Finland and Sweden on the cusp of joining the transatlantic military alliance. After months of inactivity, McClellan was finally spurred to action by Pres. standing, Ukrainians are determined to keep fighting, and the West has so far stayed resolute in its support of Ukraine. - 2 Worst: 2007 Washington Wizards. Westmoreland established a headquarters known as MACV Forward in the northern provinces of South Vietnam and put his deputy, General Creighton Abrams, in charge, placing him over the Marines and also the Army forces in that region. His senior staff lacked diversity of experience and professional outlook, consisting mostly of people with backgrounds similar to his own, especially airborne. Hannibal. 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. Its prewar population was reduced by more than half, and perhaps 90 percent of Paraguays fighting-age men perished. Create an FP account to save articles to read later and in the FP mobile app. Here's What You Need To Remember:The Soviets saw the American humiliation in Vietnam as a turning point. Corruption is the Worst Enemy of the Vietnamese Army 10. Sure, they ganged up on the Spartans at the Pass of Thermopylae. He deprived the South Vietnamese of modern weaponry, giving U.S. and other allied forces priority for issue of the new M-16 rifle and other advanced military wherewithal. Sure, he was the greatest commander of the Second Punic War, a titanic contest between Carthage and Rome. The 20th century is the most violent century in history. Nearly as many men died in captivity during the Civil War as were killed in the whole of the Vietnam War. Necessarily, more is lost to time than is remembered. He was a teacher in the Chicago suburbs and Seoul, Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Thus there was little internal capacity for debating or evaluating his chosen course of action. To say that he failed in both regards is to dramatically understate the case. Still, it is his world-changing defeat at Yorktown that merits memorializing. Lebanon (1982-1984) 240. The man who appealed for Varus help was Arminius, a Romanized Germanic prince. Critics say that Franks and senior officials, such as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, concocted an invasion plan that used too few troops. What defines Santa Anna is his utter failure to subdue the Texican rebels and block American expansion. And how might that be impacting the world? Yes, eminently. Want to read more on this topic or region? By Lewis Sorley Best Defense Saigon bureau chief. Not only is Sorley a third-generation graduate of West Point a Vietnam veteran and a historian, but he worked for Westmoreland as well. Alexander went on to march halfway across Asia, creating an empire, albeit short-lived, that changed the history of three continentsnot bad for an ancient millennial. 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. Vietnam Communist Party Nominates Vo Van Thuong as New President - Sources But its not just the United States. Westmoreland was on a treadmill. If Putin had hoped to weaken NATO, the very opposite has happened, with Finland and Sweden on the cusp of joining the transatlantic military alliance. In 334 BC, Alexander the Great invaded the Persian Empire. 9 Worst Generals in History | Britannica He effectively pledged to become an agent for the U.S. but found that he had been deposed upon his return to Mexico. . He underestimated the enemys staying power, maintaining that if he could inflict enough casualties the communists would lose heart and cease their aggression against South Vietnam. He was called the "inevitable general." A West Point graduate, he served in World War II and Korea. History: Military History. In a war that saw more than its share of unskilled politically appointed generals, Pillow was arguably the worst on either side. He gritted his teeth and wore down the Confederacy with incessant attacks until the South could take no more. Weekly update on whats driving U.S. national security policy. As the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles crippled Germany, Ludendorff effectively sabotaged the Weimar Republic by propagating the belief that he and his armies had been undefeated on the battlefield. General Westmoreland had complete freedom of action in deciding how to prosecute the war within South Vietnam. Not good, Hannibal. In the end, Chiang sacrificed more than a million Chinese soldiers and well over ten million Chinese civilians in his bid to stay in power. After his performance at Belmonta spectacular success by Pillow standardshe was tasked with the defense of Fort Donelson, a key strongpoint on the Mississippi River. 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. But the worst of all was McClellan, the so-called "Young Napoleon" from whom Lincoln. 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. Simultaneously, he contacted Maximilian to offer the young emperor his services. Who was the worst US general during the Vietnam War? - Quora Varus placed his legions in a position where their fighting strengths would be minimized and that of the Germanic Cherusci tribesman maximized. Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon Baines Johnson announced his fateful decision to double the number of U.S. troops in Vietnam. Needs to Talk About the Risk of War With China, Putin Has Assembled an Axis of Autocrats Against Ukraine, The Conversation About Ukraine Is Cracking Apart. My generation would likely vote for the year exactly one-half century ago as the absolutely worst year in our lifetimes. 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. Varus trust in Arminius was an obvious and terrible misjudgment. Grant had encircled the fort. And the number one reason why Westmoreland lost the war in Vietnam: With his unavailing approach to conduct of the war he squandered four years of support by much of the American people, the Congress, and even the media. General Harold K. Johnson was an authentic battlefield hero, and as noted above was fundamentally at odds with Westmorelands approach, but he was not in the chain of command. The United States entered the war, forcing Ludendorff to accelerate his time line for a conclusive battle against the Allies on the Western Front. 10 Redvers Buller Grenada (1983) 3. The South Vietnamese thus went for years equipped with castoff WWII-vintage U.S. equipment while outgunned by the communists, who were armed with the AK-47 assault rifle and other top of the line equipment. Years later, when Marine Corps historians were at work on their history of the war, Westmoreland met with them. 1968 takes the cake for me. Sorley skillfully uses Westmoreland's own words to show time and again his duplicity at worst and his lack of touch with reality at best. After an initial attack drove back Grants troops, Pillow snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by retreating to the fort rather than breaking through Union lines to Nashville. Although he eventually disavowed Hitler, by that point Ludendorff had become so deeply involved with mysticism that few took him seriously. Hull, convinced that he was hopelessly outnumbered (he wasnt), surrendered Fort Detroit and its 2,000-man garrison without firing a shot. By the way, here is the first review I have seen of Sorleys new biography of Westmoreland, which I read in galleys last summer, and enjoyed. Despite the Union outnumbering the Confederates, McClellan was unable to crush Robert E. Lee after failing to pursue him into Virginia. French defeated at Dien Bien Phu - HISTORY You start by being the only thing that can frustrate Napoleon more than a Russian winter. With the Little Corporal running everything, Europe might have become a very different place. There are a number of contenders for the top places on such a roster. As for the British, they had lost the most valuable jewel of the Imperial crown. 1. A monthly digest of the top articles read by FP subscribers. For its part, Washington has made a series of policy choices over the last few years that can be summed Show moreup as tough on Beijing, even seeking to contain the rise of the worlds second-biggest economy. He continued to view attrition as the most effective strategy for defeating Germany; the British lost some 420,000 men at the Somme. Most younger officers who worked around General Westmoreland, excepting only a very few among his many aides-de-camp or executive officers and the like, had no personal relationship with this difficult and distant man. Assuming you believe the subtitle to be accurate, who were GEN Westmorelands biggest accomplices in the loss? Implementing the attrition strategy, Westmoreland typically employed a series of large unit sweeps conducted in the deep jungle regions along South Vietnams western borders. Starting with the battle of Long Island, he lost way more fights than he wonyet he managed to win the war. Routed by U.S. forces under Winfield Scott, Santa Anna was again driven into exile. Worst US General of all time? | O-T Lounge - TigerDroppings Hull was thoroughly outclassed. Is the Biden administrations China policy too hawkish? 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. Historian Lewis Sorley author of 1999s well-regarded A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and Final Tragedy of Americans Last Years in Vietnam now zeroes in on General William Westmoreland. After being taken prisoner (again) by the British, Villeneuve was released but committed suicide rather than face Napoleons wrath. Join FPs Ravi Agrawal for a frank discussion about the Biden administrations China policy and alternatives that it ought to consider. (Photo: Warner Bros.) Roger Ebert called "Gods and Generals" a film "Trent Lott would enjoy," referring to the Senator's praise of segregationist Strom Thurmond. Not later than the autumn of 1966 the leaders of both services involved in fighting the ground war in VietnamArmy Chief of Staff General Harold K. Johnson and Marine Commandant General Wallace Greeneboth saw Westmorelands approach as fatally flawed and agreed on a viable alternative. While serving in Vietnam . Grachev has also been linked to corruption among the higher ranks of the military, specifically the assassination of journalist Dmitry Kholodov. Operational Culture General Training LREC SME Support Training Course Catalog Cognitive Dimension Training Additional Resources . Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent. The Summer 2023 term begins June 1, 2023 and ends August 24, 2023. Along with Communist China and other Communist movements in the region, who were fighting to reunite the Vietnams under the red banner, there were other belligerent, free countries in the region who had an interest in keeping South Vietnam away from the Commies. 1 Erwin Rommel Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel, popularly known as the Desert Fox, was a German field marshal of World War II. Have your boss report to the French gentleman whose name begins with J at a place which begins with D which is five grid squares to the left of M. The Kasserine disaster had repercussions. There is now little doubt that Putin failed in his initial goals: Kyiv is still Show morestanding, Ukrainians are determined to keep fighting, and the West has so far stayed resolute in its support of Ukraine. But for whatever reason, some American commanders have lost the battle for history. Two years later, he lost a leg fighting the French. Of course they raised this issue, leading Westmoreland to declare vehemently that establishing MACV Forward had not a damned thing to do with my confidence in General Cushman or the Marines, not a damned thing. That again was not only false but, given the existing paper trail, reckless as well. Gen. Charles Cornwallis. Heres the inaugural class: 6. Michael Peck is a contributing writer at Foreign Policy and a writer for War Is Boring. Scilit | Article - A Slow March from Social Evil to Harm Reduction If it couldn't or wouldn't govern the country, who would? Luckily for the colonists, the Empire also had Cornwallis, a peer of the realm and truly pitiful commander. Grachev played a key role in initiating and leading the First Chechen War. 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 self proclaimed Napoleon of the West didnt quite leave the same legacy as his idol. And how might that be impacting the world? By one estimate from Harvard University, more than 130,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or severely wounded, in addition to the deaths of more than 7,000 Ukrainian civilians. His war of attrition, search and destroy tactics, and emphasis on body count did nothing to affect the war in the hamlets and villages of South Vietnam, where the enemys covert infrastructure was left free to continue using coercion and terror to dominate the rural populace. Applications for the Gettysburg College-Gilder Lehrman MA program are open and considered on a rolling basis. However, not even they managed to get themselves court-martialed and sentenced to death for ineptitude on the battlefield. Was My Lai just one of many massacres in Vietnam War?
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