Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama. But Gates could have doomed the American Revolution. In stereotypically McClellan fashion, he was promptly checked by a vastly inferior force under John Bankhead Magruder. 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. Even now, the easiest way to get into an argument at a V.F.W. Diem's family was one of the earliest to convert to Catholicism, a religion he took . Its quite exclusive: combat leaders who had the fate of their people in their hands and squandered it all. 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. 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. But the award for the biggest Persian loser goes to Darius III. The man who appealed for Varus help was Arminius, a Romanized Germanic prince. General William Childs Westmoreland (1914- 2005) with President Johnson in South Vietnam #1. There was no warmth, no apparent interest in his associates as people. Westmoreland told him, "We're killing these people at a ratio of 10 to 1.". Hull withdrew after a series of harassing attacks by Tecumsehs highly mobile raiding parties. Gamelin also chose not to disperse Frances vast number of superior tanks. The problem begins with the fact that nobody in the chain of command was really competent to critique Westmorelands performance. Vice President, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute. And how might that be impacting the world? On the night of August 15, 1812, Tecumseh led his forces across the Detroit River, and Brock followed the next morning. 5. So what is the standard of shame for induction? The Top-10 Most Evil Leaders of the 20th Century - LinkedIn He earned a B.A. 88,594. He was uninterested in other viewpoints on how the war might be prosecuted, dismissing the PROVN Study sponsored by Army Chief of Staff General Harold K. Johnson (which concluded that Westmorelands way of war was not working and could not work) and basic disagreements with Westmorelands organization and approach voiced by his brilliant classmate General Bruce Palmer Jr. 7. The Texans only suffered 2 casualties, as opposed to hundreds of Mexican casualties. Germanic tribes sacrificed Roman officers on altars to their gods. And how might that be impacting the world? A very significant instance was his determination to arbitrarily hold down the estimate of enemy strength during a 1967 order of battle controversy. Corruption is the Worst Enemy of the Vietnamese Army History: Military History. T he Civil War was America's bloodiest conflict. Not only is Sorley a third-generation graduate of West Point a Vietnam veteran and a historian, but he worked for Westmoreland as well. 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. Santa Anna, a lifetime gambler, was known for his risk taking in battle, but also his brutality. The Summer 2023 term begins June 1, 2023 and ends August 24, 2023. After gaining ground trying to cut an escape path for the Confederates during the February 1862 siege of Fort Donelson by Union forces led Brig. 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. 7 Of The Worst Military Leaders In History, That You Didn't Know About His senior staff lacked diversity of experience and professional outlook, consisting mostly of people with backgrounds similar to his own, especially airborne. Napoleon. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig: World War I's Worst General - HistoryNet Casey was an Army insidera four-star general and the son of the highest-ranking American casualty of the Vietnam War, a division commander who was killed in a July 1970 helicopter crash. Despite fresh salvos of Western sanctions, Tehran and Moscow are buddying up on defense ties. Brock, sensing an opportunity, advised an immediate march on Fort Detroit. 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. Who are the famous national heroes or generals in Vietnam? The elder Lpez had bequeathed to his son a relatively powerful military by regional standards but had cautioned Francisco against using it to settle diplomatic issues. Nor is being a bad battlefield commander, by itself, sufficient to make the cut. Like it or not, the U.S. military would become the governing authority. He couldnt. He still had his defenders, but they were in the last trench, barely holding on. Pillow suffered slightly more casualties than Grant in the engagement, which possibly makes the Battle of Belmont the high point of Pillows military career. The world over, countries are embarking on ambitious projects of industrial policy. Finally, when it comes to bad generals, let us remember Truman's immortal words about firing MacArthur: I fired him because he wouldn't respect the authority of the President. To accomplish this goal, Vietnam employs repressive policies that often contravene international human rights law. Yes, the landing at Inchon unhinged the initial North Korean offensive. America, the Middle East and the rest of the world are still reaping the consequences of those omissions. Many have described his activities as "possibly the worst intelligence disaster in US history." 3 Nidal Malik Hasan Nidal Malik Hasan was a U.S. Army Major, and the sole suspect in a shooting at the Fort Hood military base, only weeks before he would have deployed to Afghanistan. Washington also suffered his share of defeats. The latest news, analysis, and data from the country each week. Although Nelson was killed in combat at Trafalgar, Villeneuve outlived him only by six months. See the vast swaths of land to the north and south that arent Paraguay? With a few relatively minor changes, thats just about where they stayed for the next four years. 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. The worst military leaders since Napoleon | History 101 But the rash advance into North Korea was a blunder of strategic proportions. But the worst of all was McClellan, the so-called "Young Napoleon" from whom Lincoln and the Union expected great things. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war. World War I provided a forum for any number of truly horrible commanders to assert themselves. Varus placed his legions in a position where their fighting strengths would be minimized and that of the Germanic Cherusci tribesman maximized. Top 10 Most Underrated Military Generals. The Western Front was a much bigger stage upon which to fail, however, and British commander Douglas Haig made the most of the opportunity. What does that mean for trade and globalization? 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. Years later, when Marine Corps historians were at work on their history of the war, Westmoreland met with them. 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. 3. (The leg did get a state funeral). Ukraines economy and infrastructure have been dealt blows that will take decades to recover from. Without question, many lives would be saved if their tactical professionalism were enhanced.. 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. Villeneuve was then to return in secret and help establish naval dominance of the English Channel in preparation for a land invasion of Britain. But its not just the United States. The Worst Civil War Generals on the Confederacy Confederate Maj. Gen. Gideon Pillow. Some captured Romans were placed in wicker cages and burned alive, others were enslaved or ransomed. 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. How well that would have worked can be seen when Gates was sent to command American troops in the South. The Second Battle of the Somme was the first of a series of successful German offensives, but Ludendorff had failed to integrate these tactical victories into a broader strategic plan. 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. The result of his manic commitment to the war of attrition was that Westmoreland squandered four years of his troops bravery and support by the public, the Congress, and even much of the news media for American involvement in the war. Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam, This Photo Of A 94-Year-Old Widow Receiving Her Husbands Remains Will Break Your Heart, From Messiah to Hitler, What You Can and Cannot Name Your Child. 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. Battle of Dak To in the Vietnam War - ThoughtCo Top 10 Worst World Leaders - Wonderslist But the worst of all was McClellan, the so-called "Young Napoleon" from whom Lincoln and the Union expected great things. Tortured in notorious 'Hanoi Hilton,' 11 GIs were unbreakable 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 . The War of the Triple Alliance devastated Paraguay. These Vietnam War photos taken by U.S. Army photographers reveal a side of the conflict that few people have ever seen. This was the most fearsome army in the Vietnam War Weekly update on developments in India and its neighbors. Dispatched to India, he led campaigns to help subdue the subcontinent, replacing the crown jewel he had lost. James K. Polk. What can we glean from the current state of play on the battlefield? In the summer of 1967, the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) initiated a series of attacks in western Kontum Province. These operations were designed to seek out enemy forces and engage them in decisive battle. Delivered Wednesday. But then MacArthur thrived on controversy like bread thrives on yeast. Somalia (1992-1994) 2. Haig was cruelly mocked, first in the satirical musical Oh! Known as Reverse Buller by his troops during the Second Boer War, the Englishman was first defeated at the Battle of Colenso and subsequently lost his position as overall commander. By Lewis Sorley Best Defense Saigon bureau chief. Outstanding commanders such as George H. Thomas, Phil Sheridan, and William Tecumseh Sherman routinely bested their Confederate opponents. On September 9, 1965, Navy Cmdr. The United States entered the war, forcing Ludendorff to accelerate his time line for a conclusive battle against the Allies on the Western Front. This did not, however, achieve the postulated outcome. Feel free to mention any others you may know of in the comments. The Persians had a mixed record against the Greeks. Darius quickly lost everything and became nothing but a fugitive. DE AGOSTINI PICTURE LIBRARY/Contributor/Getty Images, Biden Proposal Puts Climate Agenda Above Americas Defense, Russias New START Breach Means U.S. Nuclear Weapons Modernization Is a Must. 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. 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. It's not the first time that someone thought he was smarter than his boss. 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. The Russian president got many things wrong about invading Ukrainebut not everything. (You May Also Like: The Five Best U.S. While there are plenty of books that analyze the keys to success, The Worst Military Leaders in History offers lessons of failure to avoid. 1. Santa Anna liked to call himself the Napoleon of the West. And, like Napoleon, he squandered it all in one grand campaign. 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. Bombs away! Here are the 13 worst military movies in Hollywood history
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