worst generals in vietnam

Exactly. Lincoln relieved McClellan but reinstated him after the devastating Union defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run. But beyond the goals of one leader in Moscow, it is also clear that Ukraine has suffered horrors of a historic nature. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, Pillow pulled the troops back to the fort to resupply them. If there was a saving grace for America, it was that he wasn't commanding an army. Alexander, Napoleon, Rommel. After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts. He still had his defenders, but they were in the last trench, barely holding on. Johnston was wounded on the first day of the Battle of Seven Pines, six miles east of Richmond, and he was replaced by Robert E. Lee. Quintus Servilius Caepio takes the cake amongst the worst Roman generals ever to take command of a legion though. 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. The Worst Military Leaders in History review from Ancient Rome to Vietnam One-stop digest of politics, economics, and culture. The initial assault resulted in very high casualties for the Russians and an almost complete breakdown of morale in the Russian forces. 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. Woefully inexperienced U.S. soldiers found themselves against Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps veterans. 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. This proved possible only with enemy cooperation, since they could break contact and limit casualties as they wished by withdrawing into sanctuaries across the border. 2. Darius did not take the field against Alexander until a year and a half after Granicus, at the Battle of Issus. The loss of Fort Donelson opened the door to Kentucky and Tennessee to Union forces and marked the beginning of the end of Confederate resistance in the west. Cornwallis later did redeem himself militarily. Soon after declaring himself dictator of Mexico, rebels who opposed the Mexican dictatorship created three new republics, one of them being the Republic of Texas. The heavily forested, swampy terrain made the Legions maneuvers impossible. Vietnam Communist Party Nominates Vo Van Thuong as New President - Sources The Vietnam War Crimes You Never Heard Of | History News Network 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. Varus trust in Arminius was an obvious and terrible misjudgment. Many historians have said Bragg was one of the worst generals of the Civil War, having lost most of his battles. By signing up, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to occasionally receive special offers from Foreign Policy. Percival surrendered Malaya to Japanese forces in early 1942, defying Winston Churchills own instructions for prolonged resistance. Seared into all who fought it and many who merely lived through it that conflict remains a bitter stew of second-guessing and recriminations. Thus, almost by default, Westmoreland was left to go his own way, year after bloody year. He couldnt. Lewis Sorleys new book, Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam, is being published today by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. As a result, American military power and prestige took a dramatic downturn. Villeneuve lost 20 ships, while Nelson lost none. 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 lacked the schooling and relevant experience to understand the war and devise a viable approach to prosecuting it. Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) 24. 10. But the worst of all was McClellan, the so-called "Young Napoleon" from whom Lincoln and the Union expected great things. 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. As military professionals, we should think about more . Think about how history would have been different if Hannibal had a military plan to outlast Roman might. Darius again was the first to flee the battle, abandoning all of his soldiers and his property to be taken by Alexander. Lpez was the son of Carlos Antonio Lpez, a dictator who had done much to modernize Paraguay in the mid-19th century. I didn't fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was, but that's not against the law for generals. In 1847, U.S. troops once again surprised Santa Anna and captured his prosthetic leg. Muammar Al-Gaddafi. 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. 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. This piece originally appeared in The National Interest https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/6-worst-military-leaders-ever-167526. Watch the conversation or read the condensed transcript. 88,594. The inept Luigi Cadorna of Italy fought a dozen battles on the Isonzo before his army completely collapsed at Caporetto. And he was able to inflict massive casualties on the enemy. 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. Napoleon. 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. Ukraines economy and infrastructure have been dealt blows that will take decades to recover from. The resulting Peninsular Campaign (AprilJuly 1862) was a marvel of planning but something of a farce in execution. He ran as a Democrat against Lincoln in the 1864 presidential election. Like it or not, the U.S. military would become the governing authority. The most important, and also the saddest, is that in Vietnam and thereafter Westmoreland was willing to shade or misremember or deny or invent the record when his perceived interests were at stake. Create an FP account to save articles to read later and in the FP mobile app. I flew into Vietnam in June 1968 as a young . 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. What a Lovely War and then in the 1989 television comedy series Blackadder Goes Forth. The American Civil War was a factory for producing bad generals such as Braxton Bragg and Ambrose Burnside. The Germanic fighters demolished the three Roman legions. Villeneuve was then to return in secret and help establish naval dominance of the English Channel in preparation for a land invasion of Britain. Among the most detrimental and problematic policies are the incarceration of drug users in compulsory treatment centers, and the stigmatization and abuse of consumers by the police. 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. By the way, here is the first review I have seen of Sorley's new biography of Westmoreland, which I read in galleys last summer, and enjoyed. Westmoreland: the General Who Lost Vietnam Hull withdrew after a series of harassing attacks by Tecumsehs highly mobile raiding parties. Black Vietnam Veterans on Injustices They Faced: Da 5 Bloods - Time Judging GOFOs The Decisive Point Varus himself, seeing all hope was lost, committed suicide. In stereotypically McClellan fashion, he was promptly checked by a vastly inferior force under John Bankhead Magruder. The Top Ten. 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. 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. The 20 Worst World War II Generals - Ranker Still, it is his world-changing defeat at Yorktown that merits memorializing. 9. What can we glean from the current state of play on the battlefield? Frederick C. Weyand was a U.S. Army General who was the last commander of American military operations in the Vietnam War from 1972 to 1973. Contrarily, I would not so stigmatize another important player often criticized by others, Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge. Abraham Lincoln. Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. Follow him on Twitter:@Mipeck1. When the War of 1812 began, Hull was commissioned a brigadier general and tasked with defending Michigan and invading Upper Canada. Thus the progress Westmoreland claimed in racking up huge body counts did nothing to win the war. Corruption is the Worst Enemy of the Vietnamese Army Would he be upset if he were alive to read this book today? Todays list: The top ten reasons Gen. Westmoreland lost the war in Vietnam, Want to read more on this topic or region? Informed that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor and were certain to attack the Philippines next, MacArthur failed to disperse his aircraftthe only force that could disrupt the Japanese offensive in the absence of the American fleetand to attack Japanese airfields before the enemy wiped out his air force. Hulls nerve was shattered. Explore the benefits of your FP subscription. In fifteen thought-provoking essays, each written by a professional military historian, readers are introduced . Grant had encircled the fort. He earned a B.A. The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest darkened Emperor Augustus remaining years and he was heard, upon occasion, to moan, Quinctilius Varus, give me back my Legions!, Notable mention: George Custer, Joseph Hooker, Ambrose Burnside, Charles Cornwallis, John II of France, Top 10 Utterly Bizarre Things Banned In China, Top 10 Military Bases Linked To UFOs (That Aren't Area 51), 10 Bizarre Military Inventions That Almost Saw Deployment, 10 Futuristic Sci-Fi Military Technologies That, 10 Awesome French Military Victories You've Never Heard Of, 10 Oddities That Interrupted Military Battles, Top 10 Top-Level Domains That Caused Controversies, 10 Controversial Toys You Might Already Have in Your Home, Ten Absolutely Vicious Fights over Inherited Fortunes, 10 Female Film Pioneers Who Shaped the Movies, Ten True Tales from Americas Toughest Prison, 10 Times Members of Secretive Societies and Organizations Spilled the Beans, 10 Common Idioms with Unexpectedly Dark Origins, 10 North American Animals with Misplaced Reputations, 10 Japanese Weapons Invented Too Late To Win World War II, 10 Ways The History Of Thanksgiving Is Nothing Like You Imagined, 10 Great Buildings That Were Not Built Quite Well Enough. On September 9, 1965, Navy Cmdr. The American Civil War was a factory for producing bad generals such as Braxton Bragg and Ambrose Burnside. Indeed they are brave and proud, but their standards, tactics, and lack of command supervision throughout their ranks requires improvement in the national interest. And, he added, I would be less than frank if I did not say that I feel somewhat insecure with the situation in Quang Tri province, in view of my knowledge of their shortcomings. Tortured in notorious 'Hanoi Hilton,' 11 GIs were unbreakable Westmoreland is often described as a Boy Scout, usually implying, it appears, that he was well-intentioned but nave. And how might that be impacting the world? Santa Anna, a lifetime gambler, was known for his risk taking in battle, but also his brutality. 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. Although he outnumbered Magruders Army of the Peninsula 10-to-1, McClellan settled in for a monthlong siege. Seriously, who represents The British Empire; had the worlds greatest navy, enough cash to hire half the mercenaries of Europe, and the advantage of having a pretty pathetic-looking foe: a rag-tag army of ill-equipped rebels. Allied with Brock was the Shawnee chief Tecumseh, who was head of the most formidable pan-Indian military force the continent had ever seen. 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. But its not just the United States. He was found guilty of 11 counts, and only the intervention by Pres. They care about the one. Westmoreland didnt get it. Lyndon Johnson had no understanding of military affairs whatever, nor did Robert McNamara. If it couldn't or wouldn't govern the country, who would? George Brinton McClellan, a self-proclaimed Young Napoleon, ran dreadful campaigns, but he doesnt make the grade because he was canned before he could lose the entire war. Santa Anna would lose Texas at the Battle of San Jacinto. Argentina, Brazil, and the Brazilian puppet government in Uruguay formed an alliance, and on May 1, 1865, they declared war on Paraguay. The Persians had a mixed record against the Greeks. Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam, by Lewis Sorley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. . A more minor case, but one revealing of Westmorelands character, stemmed from his unwillingness to level with his senior Marine subordinate at the time of the 1968 Tet Offensive. McClellan was a proto-Douglas MacArthur who bad-mouthed his president and commander-in-chief. How the North Vietnamese remember the conflict 40 years after the fall of Saigon. Its prewar population was reduced by more than half, and perhaps 90 percent of Paraguays fighting-age men perished. Military historian Russell Weigley rendered a succinct judgment on LBJ: No capable war President would have allowed an officer of such limited capacities as General William C. Westmoreland to head Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, for so long.. Yes, eminently. Over time Westmoreland asked for and received large numbers of U.S. troops, eventually totaling well over half a million. In reality, it is a collection of ideas, images, and information that enough people have chosen to preserve and disseminate. General Failure - The Atlantic But there was something that not even the factories of New York and Chicago could produce, and that was time. 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. Once again, McClellan worked his organizational magic, restoring the morale of a shattered Union army. Not only is Sorley a third-generation graduate of West Point a Vietnam veteran and a historian, but he worked for Westmoreland as well. There were available better concepts of how to prosecute the war. How does an admiral make a list of the worst generals? Ukraines economy and infrastructure have been dealt blows that will take decades to recover from. Necessarily, more is lost to time than is remembered. But in a contemporaneous cable to General Earle Wheeler, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Westmoreland complained that the military professionalism of the Marines falls far short of the standards that should be demanded by our armed forces. The premise was that, if he could kill enough of the enemy, they would lose heart and cease their aggression against the South Vietnamese. - 3 Best: 1987 Los Angeles Lakers. This strategy inevitably failed as the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong maintained control over how the war was fought which was through guerilla warfare. Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent. These are the incompetents, the idiots, the bumblers who have represented armies or nations at war only to lead them to defeat or shame. If Gates had been in command, we might be paying for our groceries with shillings and pence. The Western Front was a much bigger stage upon which to fail, however, and British commander Douglas Haig made the most of the opportunity. Again fighting outnumbered Texans, this time Santa Anna would lose the battle stunningly. James K. Polk. A very significant instance was his determination to arbitrarily hold down the estimate of enemy strength during a 1967 order of battle controversy. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig: World War I's Worst General - HistoryNet Washington also suffered his share of defeats. Vietnam War - Encyclopedia Britannica | Britannica What defines Santa Anna is his utter failure to subdue the Texican rebels and block American expansion. This was true in matters both great and small. 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. Pillow escaped during the night, leaving Simon B. Buckner to surrender the fort and 15,000 Confederate troops. Still, he choked in the big game. Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama. The Worst Civil War Generals on the Confederacy Confederate Maj. Gen. Gideon Pillow. He continued on to suffer defeats at Spion Kop and Vaal Krantz, almost letting the war slip away from the British. 1. Varus placed his legions in a position where their fighting strengths would be minimized and that of the Germanic Cherusci tribesman maximized. Overseas during World War II he had limited line duty (16 months of battalion command, then 13 months in staff positions) and of 14 months of command during the Korean War and its immediate aftermath he spent eight months in reserve in Japan and only six months in Korea, and that during the mostly static final months of the war. But then MacArthur thrived on controversy like bread thrives on yeast. 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. Westmoreland was on a treadmill. Weekly update on developments in India and its neighbors. After early success in the Mexican War for Independence, the rest of his career didnt pan out the way he would have liked. Want to read more on this topic or region? Creighton Abrams was an U.S. Army General who commanded American military operations in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1972. Who was the worst US general during the Vietnam War? Top Ten Worst Military Commanders - The History Buff's Guide to World General William Westmoreland. Rommel is by far the greatest military general of the . Gamelin made the mistake of viewing the Ardennes as impenetrable and chose to defend it with ten of his weakest, least well equipped and least well trained divisions. standing, Ukrainians are determined to keep fighting, and the West has so far stayed resolute in its support of Ukraine. 8. All related (37) Sort Recommended Doug Szabo Author has 972 answers and 137.7K answer views Nov 27 My vote goes to adm Otto Zumwalt. Opportunistic firms in Asia and Europe have already begun to relocate investments to the United States. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. America, the Middle East and the rest of the world are still reaping the consequences of those omissions. 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. Evening roundup with our editors favorite stories of the day. (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. These Are the Five Worst Generals of All Time But Gates could have doomed the American Revolution. 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. 9 Worst Generals in History | Britannica His forces outnumbered Alexanders men by at least a 2 to 1 ratio, but Darius was still outflanked, defeated and forced to flee. Courses: Summer 2023 | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Maximus managed to form up his men but to no avail. While Hull dithered, Brock captured Fort Michilimackinac, establishing British control of the Straits of Mackinac.

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worst generals in vietnam

worst generals in vietnam