Its quite exclusive: combat leaders who had the fate of their people in their hands and squandered it all. What myths or misperceptions surround Westmoreland that you would like to clear up, if any? And how might that be impacting the world? 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. The Worst Military Leaders in History - University Of Chicago Press His prestige restored by his conduct during the Pastry War with France, Santa Anna once again claimed dictatorial powers. Darius III. On the other hand, there was that bad day at the Battle of Salamis when most of the Persian fleet went to the bottom. 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. Top 10 Worst Military Leaders in History - Toptenz.net The Summer 2023 term begins June 1, 2023 and ends August 24, 2023. He is the dumb ass who gave the order to exfoliate the jungles with agent orange. At Yorktown, he allowed himself to be taken by surprise and outmaneuvered by Washington and the French fleet. bar is to mention Vietnam. Vietnam War - Encyclopedia Britannica | Britannica 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. In fifteen thought-provoking essays, each written by a professional military historian, readers are introduced . In 334 BC, Alexander the Great invaded the Persian Empire. On the night of August 15, 1812, Tecumseh led his forces across the Detroit River, and Brock followed the next morning. Ukraines economy and infrastructure have been dealt blows that will take decades to recover from. In the summer of 1967, the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) initiated a series of attacks in western Kontum Province. How theyve practiced the art of war is immaterial, too. And what then? 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. Grachev played a key role in initiating and leading the First Chechen War. 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. Still, he choked in the big game. 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. Despite the Union outnumbering the Confederates, McClellan was unable to crush Robert E. Lee after failing to pursue him into Virginia. And how might that be impacting the world? What was your impression of the man when you were working for him? 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. 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. Varus was stationed with three of his legions, the 17th, 18th and 19th when news arrived of a revolt growing in the Rhine area. To counter these, Major General William R. Peers commenced Operation Greeley using elements of the 4th Infantry Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. A U.S. ship conveyed him to Mexico, and upon his arrivalto the surprise of virtually no onehe executed a volte-face and took charge of the Mexican troops. His senior staff lacked diversity of experience and professional outlook, consisting mostly of people with backgrounds similar to his own, especially airborne. As a result, American military power and prestige took a dramatic downturn. Yes, eminently. When it came to military command, Westmoreland was everybody's all-Americanuntil he met his Waterloo. Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam, by Lewis Sorley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. . Judging GOFOs The Decisive Point Feel free to mention any others you may know of in the comments. The Battle of Khe Sanh (21 January - 9 July 1968) was conducted in the Khe Sanh area of northwestern Qung Tr Province, Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), during the Vietnam War. Watchthe conversation onFP Live, the magazines forum for live journalism, orreada condensed transcript. He gritted his teeth and wore down the Confederacy with incessant attacks until the South could take no more. Horacio Gates of the American Revolution was pretty bad. Persian Gulf (1988) (Oil Platforms) 2. Quintus Servilius Caepio takes the cake amongst the worst Roman generals ever to take command of a legion though. Hull had served with distinction in the Revolutionary War and was appointed governor of the Michigan Territory in 1805. All the enemys losses were quickly made up. War is an extension of politics, and if commanders dont help secure the desired political ends, they get a failing grade. 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. 10. A common view holds that 138,708 Allied personnel surrendered or were killed by fewer than 30,000 Japanese. 9 Worst Generals in History | Britannica He continued to view attrition as the most effective strategy for defeating Germany; the British lost some 420,000 men at the Somme. Delivered Monday-Friday. These Vietnam War photos taken by U.S. Army photographers reveal a side of the conflict that few people have ever seen. 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. 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. He would eventually be betrayed and killed by a friend. While there is much to criticize LBJ for in his conduct of the war, one cannot help having some sympathy for the dilemma posed by the often wildly conflicting advice he was getting from his senior aides and advisors, including those in uniform. Leaders of the Vietnam War - Wikipedia He still had his defenders, but they were in the last trench, barely holding on. He was responsible for coming up with the idea of using force to restore constitutional order in Chechnya. Todays list: The top ten reasons Gen. Westmoreland lost the war in Vietnam. Gods and Generals (2003) Loss $61 million These are actually Civil War reenactors and probably the only people who paid to see the movie. He need not be concerned, soothed Wheeler, because the weight of judgment was that the enemy cant match us on a buildup. That turned out to be one of the classic misjudgments of the war, comparable in magnitude and consequence to General MacArthurs assurances to President Truman that Chinese forces would not enter the Korean War. Explore the benefits of your FP subscription. 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. But Franks, who commanded the invasion, made a bad situation worse. In stereotypically McClellan fashion, he was promptly checked by a vastly inferior force under John Bankhead Magruder. His battlefield losses marked the end of the Persian Empire. This week marks exactly one year since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine. After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts. Ulysses S. Grant, who replaced McClellan, understood this. 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. So what is the standard of shame for induction? Who Were the Worst Generals in History? 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. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews. 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. He effectively pledged to become an agent for the U.S. but found that he had been deposed upon his return to Mexico. standing, Ukrainians are determined to keep fighting, and the West has so far stayed resolute in its support of Ukraine. 2. Caepio may have been a terrible general, but he was apparently an exceptional thief. What can we glean from the current state of play on the battlefield? Watch the conversation or read the condensed transcript. He overestimated the American peoples patience and tolerance of friendly losses. The Germanic fighters demolished the three Roman legions. The Biden administration has passed landmark legislations such as theInflation Reduction Act(IRA) and theCHIPS and Science Act, which provide subsidies in clean energy and semiconductoShow morers worth well over $400 billion. (The leg did get a state funeral). A curated selection of our very best long reads. 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. Black Vietnam Veterans on Injustices They Faced: Da 5 Bloods - Time His 1812 campaign against Russia ended in complete disaster. Following on from our list of the greatest and most successful military commanders, we are presenting this list of the worst. Without question, many lives would be saved if their tactical professionalism were enhanced.. Fortunately, along came Reaganif not for that, Westmorelands military reversals could well have signaled the beginning of our end. 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. 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. Top 10 Most Underrated Military Generals - TheTopTens This was heeded about as well as any piece of parental advice, anywhere ever. 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. 10 Redvers Buller Gen. Charles Cornwallis. General Westmoreland had complete freedom of action in deciding how to prosecute the war within South Vietnam. 1. 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. Who are the famous national heroes or generals in Vietnam? The enemy did not lose heart, did not cease aggression. The heavily forested, swampy terrain made the Legions maneuvers impossible. All rights reserved. Join in-depth conversations and interact with foreign-policy experts with. Villeneuve was then to return in secret and help establish naval dominance of the English Channel in preparation for a land invasion of Britain. He worked under Adolf Hitler's Third Reich as a leading general and gained fame from his battles in North Africa. 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. 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. His forces outnumbered Alexanders men by at least a 2 to 1 ratio, but Darius was still outflanked, defeated and forced to flee. Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) 24. 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. Concurrently with hi. The Romans lost an estimated 80,000 infantry and perhaps 40,000 auxiliaries and cavalry, numbers that dwarf the staggering totals at Cannae. Eschewing a direct overland march to the Confederate capital of Richmond, McClellan orchestrated an impressive amphibious landing of more than 100,000 troops at Fort Monroe, at the southeast end of the peninsula between the James and York rivers. Marine Corps Casualties 1775-2016 - Marine Corps University McClellan was a superb organizer, a West Point-trained engineer who did much to build the Union army almost from scratch. What does that mean for trade and globalization? Battle of Dak To in the Vietnam War - ThoughtCo According to a Time magazine reporter who wrote about the Dak Son massacre, Viet Cong guerrillas shouted "Sons of Americans!" as they launched their assault on the village. The Legion numbers XVII, XVIII and XIX never again appeared in the Roman Armys order of battle due to the shame and ill luck they carried. The war soon ended in a Russian defeat, with hundreds of thousands of military and civilian casualties.

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