Lee demonstrated an immediate grasp of McClellans demeanor, and, during the Seven Days Battles (June 25July 1, 1862), Lee drove back the Union armies from Richmonds doorstep. Darius quickly lost everything and became nothing but a fugitive. General William Childs Westmoreland (1914- 2005) with President Johnson in South Vietnam #1. It was anotherhistory-changingevent, the birth of a truly exceptional nation. The Worst Military Leaders in History - University Of Chicago Press Battle of Dak To in the Vietnam War - ThoughtCo 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. But the worst of all was McClellan, the so-called "Young Napoleon" from whom Lincoln. That dubious distinction falls to William Hull, the only general officer in American history to be ordered before a firing squad for cowardice and dereliction of duty. The 1970s were scary times. Leaders of the Vietnam War - Wikipedia Critics say that Franks and senior officials, such as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, concocted an invasion plan that used too few troops. Courses: Summer 2023 | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Arminius cut off his head and sent it to another Germanic leader as a present. Top 10 Utterly Useless Military Commanders - Listverse What defines Santa Anna is his utter failure to subdue the Texican rebels and block American expansion. 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. HANOI, VIETNAMForty years ago, on April 30, 1975, Nguyen Dang Phat experienced the happiest day of his life . 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. And, to further demonstrate progress in reducing enemy strength, Westmoreland arbitrarily and entirely on his own removed from the order of battle several categories of enemy forces that had long been carried there, including during the three years Westmoreland had already been in command of U.S. forces in Vietnam. The General Who Lost Vietnam | TIME.com Delivered Thursday. Explore the benefits of your FP subscription. 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. Little Mac would prove himself to be a superb organizer who kept his army well supplied, efficiently run, and happy. Antonio de Padua Mara Severino Lpez de Santa Anna. 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. Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam, by Lewis Sorley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. . And if they not only fail to deliver, but wind up sinking their own side in the process, and change history, they earn a spot in the Hall of Military Shame. Its prewar population was reduced by more than half, and perhaps 90 percent of Paraguays fighting-age men perished. How theyve practiced the art of war is immaterial, too. To counter these, Major General William R. Peers commenced Operation Greeley using elements of the 4th Infantry Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Lpez was the son of Carlos Antonio Lpez, a dictator who had done much to modernize Paraguay in the mid-19th century. 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. 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). Some historians are a little more sympathetic towards Percivals legacy nowadays arguing that Percival had been dealt an unusually bad hand. Two years later, he lost a leg fighting the French. Turncoats and Traitors - Seven Americans Who Defected to the Enemy in But with that kind of advantage in troops and firepower, who wouldnt? Had Lincoln retained McClellan in command of the Union armies, many former Americans might still be whistling "Dixie.". Sure, he won big at the Alamo. My generation would likely vote for the year exactly one-half century ago as the absolutely worst year in our lifetimes. Not until 1995 did Vietnam release its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. 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. Perhaps Mao would have intervened anyway. James Bond Stockdale was flying his A-4 Skyhawk on a mission over North Vietnam, just days after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, when his plane took fire and hurtled d They dramatically upped their game, pressing the U.S. worldwide. 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?). Grachev has also been linked to corruption among the higher ranks of the military, specifically the assassination of journalist Dmitry Kholodov. 7. There are a number of contenders for the top places on such a roster. But he also displayed remarkably bad judgment, as when he was commander in the Philippines in 1941. The Top-10 Most Evil Leaders of the 20th Century - LinkedIn James K. Polk. He would eventually be betrayed and killed by a friend. (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. Is the Biden administrations China policy too hawkish? 9 Noteworthy Bog Bodies (And What They Tell Us), 12 Novels Considered the Greatest Book Ever Written, Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution, https://www.britannica.com/list/9-worst-generals-in-history. It would be nice if all American generals were great. Feel free to mention any others you may know of in the comments. These Are the Five Worst Generals of All Time Haig was cruelly mocked, first in the satirical musical Oh! For one thing, we wouldnt haveSpartacuson Netflix. He is the dumb ass who gave the order to exfoliate the jungles with agent orange. What myths or misperceptions surround Westmoreland that you would like to clear up, if any? Fighter Aircraft of All Time, his army being routed by a smaller force of Redcoats and Loyalists at the Battle of Camden in South Carolina in 1780, When the Germans shattered his troops and his reputation at Kasserine Pass in Tunisia in early 1943, Fredendall was only a major general and a corps commander, Listing MacArthur as one of America's worst generals will be controversial, 5 Israeli Weapons of War ISIS Should Fear, But MacArthur's strategy certainly helped unleash 300,000 Chinese "volunteers" who inflicted significant casualties on United Nations forces, But Franks, who commanded the invasion, made a bad situation worse, Critics say that Franks and senior officials, such as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, concocted an invasion plan that used too few troops. British Gen. Isaac Brock possessed a remarkable ability to anticipate his opponents moves and reactions, and it was not long before he had taken full measure of Hull. Instead he simply sent more and more replacements to make up his losses. 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. Applications for the Gettysburg College-Gilder Lehrman MA program are open and considered on a rolling basis. The problem begins with the fact that nobody in the chain of command was really competent to critique Westmorelands performance. All rights reserved. George McClellan is one of those generals who really looks great on paper. The next major British offensive came at Passchendaele (July 31November 6, 1917), where Haig lost another 275,000 troops in a battle whose name became synonymous with pointless slaughter. Germanic tribes sacrificed Roman officers on altars to their gods. Bombs away! Here are the 13 worst military movies in Hollywood history Watch the conversation or read the condensed transcript. After achieving moderate success in Libya and Ethiopia, the Butcher of Ethiopia became Commander-in-Chief of the Italian Royal Armys General Staff and of Italian North Africa at the start of World War II. Persian Gulf (1988) (Oil Platforms) 2. (You May Also Like: 5 Israeli Weapons of War ISIS Should Fear). Percival was off mistreating Irish Republican Army (IRA) leaders during the Anglo-Irish War before commanding British Malaya in World War II. 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. 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. To accomplish this goal, Vietnam employs repressive policies that often contravene international human rights law. But then MacArthur thrived on controversy like bread thrives on yeast. General Earle Wheeler was essentially a staff officer with virtually no troop leading experience, much less combat acumen. For many soldiers, a major tipping point happened when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968, news of which reaches the soldiers in Da 5 Bloods during one particularly stirring scene . Westmoreland held a press conference in which he categorically denied any such loss of confidence. In a war that saw more than its share of unskilled politically appointed generals, Pillow was arguably the worst on either side. Top 10 Traitors In US History - Listverse Grachev played a key role in initiating and leading the First Chechen War. Although he managed to escape the battle unharmed, Caepio was stripped of his Roman citizenship and exiled. In fifteen thought-provoking essays, each written by a professional military historian, readers are introduced . These are the incompetents, the idiots, the bumblers who have represented armies or nations at war only to lead them to defeat or shame. Having amassed roughly twice as many losses in a single day as Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington, had suffered during the entire Peninsular War, Haig saw no reason to change tactics. Top 10 Worst World Leaders - Wonderslist The United States entered the war, forcing Ludendorff to accelerate his time line for a conclusive battle against the Allies on the Western Front. The Summer 2023 term begins June 1, 2023 and ends August 24, 2023. After only an eight-day siege, he surrendered his entire armya third of all British forces in America. Delivered Thursday. It was a humiliating baptism of fire for the U.S. Army in Europe, and more important, caused British commanders to dismiss their Yank allies as amateur soldiers for the rest of the war. One-stop digest of politics, economics, and culture. 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. Heres the inaugural class: 6. When all is said and done, it doesnt matter how nice, brave, courageous, gutsy, loyal, or brilliant commanders theyve been. Is your subtitle The General Who Lost Vietnam fair? During the darkest days of the rebellion, when Washington's army had been kicked out of New York and King George's star seemed ascendant, the "Conway cabal" of disgruntled officers and politicians unsuccessfully schemed to out Washington and appoint Gates. Grachev publicly promised to swiftly crush the Chechen separatist forces in a couple of hours with a single airborne regiment. He led the disastrous storming of Grozny while drunk after celebrating his birthday on January 1st. Innumerable battlefield commanders have had disastrous days at the office. Napoleon. 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. Not good, Hannibal. The Germanic fighters demolished the three Roman legions. Yes, Westmoreland was the general who lost Vietnam. Download the FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. Abraham Lincoln. James K. Polk. Routed by U.S. forces under Winfield Scott, Santa Anna was again driven into exile. At this point, things somehow got worse for Hull. 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. The Top Ten. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews. in history from Michigan State University in 1995. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, Pillow pulled the troops back to the fort to resupply them. He was killed in combat on March 1, 1870. Delivered Monday-Friday. The self proclaimed Napoleon of the West didnt quite leave the same legacy as his idol. He was found guilty of 11 counts, and only the intervention by Pres. Ulysses S. Grant made his Civil War debut at the Battle of Belmont against Confederate Gen. Gideon Pillow. Hull was thoroughly outclassed. Weekly update on developments in India and its neighbors. Some captured Romans were placed in wicker cages and burned alive, others were enslaved or ransomed. Santa Anna was found wearing a privates uniform, hiding in a marsh. 7 Of The Worst Military Leaders In History, That You Didn't Know About 2023 TIME USA, LLC. In the opening month of World War I, Ludendorff and Paul von Hindenburg scored a crushing victory over the Russians at Tannenberg. Hundreds of thousands died of disease. Although he outnumbered Magruders Army of the Peninsula 10-to-1, McClellan settled in for a monthlong siege. Vietnam War U.S. Military Fatal Casualty Statistics What will another year of war look like? Once again, McClellan worked his organizational magic, restoring the morale of a shattered Union army. Then, in an ill-advised comeback, he met his Waterloo. The Worst Civil War Generals on the Confederacy Confederate Maj. Gen. Gideon Pillow. 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. Of course, that is what they did when Ludendorff pushed for the use of unrestricted submarine warfare against Allied shipping. A very significant instance was his determination to arbitrarily hold down the estimate of enemy strength during a 1967 order of battle controversy. Military Top 10 Most Underrated Military Generals - TheTopTens After early success in the Mexican War for Independence, the rest of his career didnt pan out the way he would have liked. Ludendorff is one of historys greatest examples of a general who can win battles but still loses the war.
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