worst generals in vietnam

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. This is one of the more controversial ones, but Douglas MacArthur is incredibly overrated in the annals of the US military, in my . 3. Opportunistic firms in Asia and Europe have already begun to relocate investments to the United States. Applications for the Gettysburg College-Gilder Lehrman MA program are open and considered on a rolling basis. The Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Memorial LectureThomas E. Ricks is a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). How does an admiral make a list of the worst generals? 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.. 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. in history from Michigan State University in 1995. 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. 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 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. He continued to view attrition as the most effective strategy for defeating Germany; the British lost some 420,000 men at the Somme. James K. Polk. In considering who should receive such a dubious honor, Ive consciously excluded bad leaders. When two able and progressive Nationalist generals, Pai Chunghsi and Li Tsung-jen, begged the generalissimo to adopt similar methods, Chiang rejected them outright. Watchthe conversation onFP Live, the magazines forum for live journalism, orreada condensed transcript. While this century witnessed many great leaders, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dr. Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi . Caepio reportedly lived out the remainder of his life in luxury, however. Westmorelands first resort in claiming progress in the war was always body count, but in fact this was meaningless. The initial assault resulted in very high casualties for the Russians and an almost complete breakdown of morale in the Russian forces. The resulting Peninsular Campaign (AprilJuly 1862) was a marvel of planning but something of a farce in execution. 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. Nearly as many men died in captivity during the Civil War as were killed in the whole of the Vietnam War. Pierre de Villeneuve had his first brush with history when he bravely ran away at the Battle of the Nile. Think about how history would have been different if Hannibal had a military plan to outlast Roman might. 3. 1. Even if Moscow holds onto territory, the war has wrecked its future. Nelsons victory at the Battle of Trafalgar was so complete that it established British supremacy on the high seas for more than a century. General Westmorelands close associate, General William DePuy, later admitted the futility of the Westmoreland way of war. George Custer at the Little Big Horn and Lord Chelmsford at the Battle of Isandlwana leap to mind. The pandemics outbreak brought rare reporting freedoms. 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. Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. What will another year of war look like? The Cimbri destroyed Caepios force and, emboldened by their success, marched on Maximuss camp. This week marks exactly one year since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine. A very influential visitor, Senator "Fritz" Hollings from Westmoreland's home state of South Carolina, had warned him about reliance on such ratios. 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 enemy did not lose heart, did not cease aggression. Lebanon (1982-1984) 240. Rommel is by far the greatest military general of the . (You May Also Like: The Five Best Generals in U.S. History). Percival was off mistreating Irish Republican Army (IRA) leaders during the Anglo-Irish War before commanding British Malaya in World War II. Nor is being a bad battlefield commander, by itself, sufficient to make the cut. After the Germans attacked, Gamelin was eventually removed from his post, but by then it was too late. By Lewis Sorley Best Defense Saigon bureau chief. 10 Redvers Buller After only 10 weeks into the Pacific War, Percival became responsible for the largest surrender of British-led forces in history. Then, in an ill-advised comeback, he met his Waterloo. Years later, when Marine Corps historians were at work on their history of the war, Westmoreland met with them. The inept Luigi Cadorna of Italy fought a dozen battles on the Isonzo before his army completely collapsed at Caporetto. Explore the benefits of your FP subscription. 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. If Gates had been in command, we might be paying for our groceries with shillings and pence. He still had his defenders, but they were in the last trench, barely holding on. Thus it was under Darius rule that the Persian Empire fell and was conquered. The Vietnam War body count controversy centers on the counting of enemy dead by the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). Seared into all who fought it and many who merely lived through it that conflict remains a bitter stew of second-guessing and recriminations. These operations were designed to seek out enemy forces and engage them in decisive battle. But the worst of all was McClellan, the so-called "Young Napoleon" from whom Lincoln and the Union expected great things. Best Defense: Answer (1 of 4): The former Cham general/leader Che Bong Nga was killed in the battle against the enemy Dai Viet (old Vietnam) but Che Bong Nga was LUCKY to be mentioned by the enemy Dai Viet historians to allow people to remember him. Over time Westmoreland asked for and received large numbers of U.S. troops, eventually totaling well over half a million. 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. 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. A dull, unfeeling, unimaginative, smug "Colonel Blimp" of the worst sort. When all is said and done, it doesnt matter how nice, brave, courageous, gutsy, loyal, or brilliant commanders theyve been. He worked under Adolf Hitler's Third Reich as a leading general and gained fame from his battles in North Africa. At the height of the Cold War, he dealt decisively with neither. Tom Ricks, on his "Best Defense" blog has discussed the top 10 worst generals in U.S. history. McClellan was a proto-Douglas MacArthur who bad-mouthed his president and commander-in-chief. Little Mac would prove himself to be a superb organizer who kept his army well supplied, efficiently run, and happy. Like it or not, the U.S. military would become the governing authority. Instead he simply sent more and more replacements to make up his losses. 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. In 1847, U.S. troops once again surprised Santa Anna and captured his prosthetic leg. Advancing to the North Korean border with China also was a red flag for Mao-Tse Tung, who feared that American troops on his border were a prelude to U.S. invasion. In order, from most culpable down. Although he managed to escape the battle unharmed, Caepio was stripped of his Roman citizenship and exiled. Who was the worst US general during the Vietnam War? A monthly digest of the top articles read by FP subscribers. 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 gritted his teeth and wore down the Confederacy with incessant attacks until the South could take no more. But with that kind of advantage in troops and firepower, who wouldnt? As a military commander, Napoleon may have thebest batting averageof all time. A more positive example is George Washington. James Jay Carafano is a leading expert in national security and foreign policy challenges. Some 15,000 talents of gold (the so-called Gold of Tolosa) had vanished under his watch, never to be recovered. The world over, countries are embarking on ambitious projects of industrial policy. As for the British, they had lost the most valuable jewel of the Imperial crown. James K. Polk. 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. After only an eight-day siege, he surrendered his entire armya third of all British forces in America. How do you measure military leaders? The suppression of drug consumption and trade is high on the Government of Vietnam's agenda. From Kaiser Wilhelm to Hitler and Saddam Hussein and Gadhafi, there is no end of national leaders who squandered their nations blood and treasure in futile conflicts. Test yourself on the week of Feb. 25: Nigeria votes, Finland builds a border wall, and Israel escalates repression. Marcus Licinius Crassus was a self-aggrandizing opportunist who started a pointless war with the Parthians, and Publius Quinctilius Varus lost three legions at Teutoburg Forest, but Proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio manages to top them both with his actions at the Battle of Arausio. 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. Where is Carthage you ask? Santa Anna would lose Texas at the Battle of San Jacinto. The last king of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia, Darius was not quite as qualified to rule a mighty empire as his predecessors were. 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. 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. Sure, they ganged up on the Spartans at the Pass of Thermopylae. Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon Baines Johnson announced his fateful decision to double the number of U.S. troops in Vietnam. In the end, the Romans leveled Carthage and salted the earth. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. On the other side of the trenches in World War I was Erich Ludendorff, commanding the armies of Germany. Fortunately, along came Reaganif not for that, Westmorelands military reversals could well have signaled the beginning of our end. 2. 1. James Madison spared him from execution. When major U.S. ground force deployments were under consideration in July 1965, for example, LBJ worried that North Vietnam would respond by pouring in more men of its own. Without question, many lives would be saved if their tactical professionalism were enhanced.. 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. Hull was taken prisoner by the British and was court-martialed upon his return to the United States. Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama. What a Lovely War and then in the 1989 television comedy series Blackadder Goes Forth. Many historians credit Benedict Arnold and others with being the real victors of Saratoga. Its quite exclusive: combat leaders who had the fate of their people in their hands and squandered it all. Delivered Thursday. The rise of American-made chatbots has kicked off a flurry of Chinese activity. It would be nice if all American generals were great. Driven into exile in 1845, he contacted U.S. Pres. There are a number of contenders for the top places on such a roster. 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. 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. Delivered Monday-Saturday. This piece originally appeared in The National Interest https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/6-worst-military-leaders-ever-167526. They kept it as a war trophy, exhibiting the leg at. 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. Is Weiss correct? But the rash advance into North Korea was a blunder of strategic proportions. Considering some militants as instruments of regional influence while fighting others has had disastrous consequences. Critics say that Franks and senior officials, such as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, concocted an invasion plan that used too few troops. Among them are, of course, Lyndon Johnson himself, Robert McNamara, and General Earle Wheeler. But the worst of all was McClellan, the so-called "Young Napoleon" from whom Lincoln. And what then? 3. 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. Concurrently with hi. Michael Peck is a contributing writer at Foreign Policy and a writer for War Is Boring. Woefully inexperienced U.S. soldiers found themselves against Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps veterans. The latest news, analysis, and data from the country each week. To that Hollings responded, "Westy, the American people don't care about the ten. 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. Ulysses S. Grant, who replaced McClellan, understood this. 13,091. For one thing, we wouldnt haveSpartacuson Netflix. George McClellan is one of those generals who really looks great on paper. These battlefield bumblers serve to provide that contrast. It doesnt matter if theyve won more often than theyve lost. Instead of sweeping around the French defenses in a massive flanking movement, the Germans were checked at the First Battle of the Marne. I flew into Vietnam in June 1968 as a young . He first demonstrated his ineptitude during the Mexican-American War, where he had received an appointment to the rank of major general from his friend Pres. Watchthe conversation onFP Live, the magazines forum for live journalism, orreada condensed transcript. But he also displayed remarkably bad judgment, as when he was commander in the Philippines in 1941. Is the Biden administrations China policy too hawkish? There appeared to be little serious planning for what would happen the day after Saddam was gone. Haste risked casualties and defeats at the hands of a formidable opponent like Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. The American Civil War was a factory for producing bad generals such as Braxton Bragg and Ambrose Burnside. 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. Quintus Servilius Caepio takes the cake amongst the worst Roman generals ever to take command of a legion though. By the end of May 1862, Confederate commanding Gen. Joseph E. Johnston had withdrawn his forces to Richmond, and McClellan was close enough to the Confederate capital to hear its church bells ringing. Starting with the battle of Long Island, he lost way more fights than he wonyet he managed to win the war. 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. Elmo Zumwalt was a U.S. admiral and commander of American naval forces in Vietnam. His forces outnumbered Alexanders men by at least a 2 to 1 ratio, but Darius was still outflanked, defeated and forced to flee. 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. 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. 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. Westmoreland is often described as a Boy Scout, usually implying, it appears, that he was well-intentioned but nave. Loyalty to himself and himself alone would be something of a running theme in the narrative of Santa Annas life, and his rise to power in Mexico was characterized by near-constant vacillation and betrayal of his allies. In 1941, Graziani resigned his commission after the British counterattacked and the Tenth Army was completely defeated during Operation Compass. He was called the "inevitable general." A West Point graduate, he served in World War II and Korea. But he was overly cautious by nature. 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. Varus placed his legions in a position where their fighting strengths would be minimized and that of the Germanic Cherusci tribesman maximized. Along with Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Montgomery is the most celebrated of British generals and had the ego to match, or even exceed, his reputation. Thats an automatic disqualification from Hall membership. The 5 Worst Generals in U.S. History. Westmoreland was on a treadmill. Military Todays list: The top ten reasons Gen. Westmoreland lost the war in Vietnam, Want to read more on this topic or region? 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. A final humiliation came during Mexican-American War. 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. 4. Again fighting outnumbered Texans, this time Santa Anna would lose the battle stunningly. Create an FP account to save articles to read later and in the FP mobile app. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he theoretically had some influence there, at least to the extent he could shape the collective viewpoint, but even then LBJ and McNamara were famously impervious to advice from the Joint Chiefs. Sure, he won big at the Alamo. Hull had served with distinction in the Revolutionary War and was appointed governor of the Michigan Territory in 1805. 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. The deplorable conduct of Charles Lee at the Battle of Monmouth has been immortalized by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Benedict Arnolds name is synonymous with traitorous behavior. But its not just the United States. As a result, American military power and prestige took a dramatic downturn. Despite the Union outnumbering the Confederates, McClellan was unable to crush Robert E. Lee after failing to pursue him into Virginia. Two years later, he lost a leg fighting the French. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved, as Continental Army commander during the momentous American defeat of a British army at Saratoga in 1777, The Five Best U.S. A former British officer, Gates rose to fame as Continental Army commander during the momentous American defeat of a British army at Saratoga in 1777. Only recently have those in the defense and military complex begun to look at how we rate generals. In the famous Battle of the Alamo, Santa Anna struggled to defeat about 250 Texans with 2,400 Mexicans and subsequently lost nearly 600 men. He earned a B.A. 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. This was true in matters both great and small. The Roman Empire has a long, proud tradition of producing some of the finest generals in human history- and just as many of the worst. 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 In his single-minded pursuit of that objective, Westmoreland (despite his repeated claims to the contrary) essentially ignored two other crucial aspects of the war, improvement of South Vietnams armed forces and pacification. In a war that saw more than its share of unskilled politically appointed generals, Pillow was arguably the worst on either side. They care about the one. Westmoreland didnt get it. On September 9, 1965, Navy Cmdr. What can we glean from the current state of play on the battlefield? Yes, the landing at Inchon unhinged the initial North Korean offensive. 336 pages | 16 halftones | 6 1/4 x 9 1/4. Some staff officers who briefed him one-on-one at deskside were dismayed when Westmoreland occupied himself by signing photographs of himself, one after another, during their presentations. Xi Jinpings signature foreign policy is a shadow of its former self.. Maximus managed to form up his men but to no avail. Youre on the list! Fortunately, along came Reaganif not for that, Westmorelands military reversals could well have signaled the beginning of our end. Varus was stationed with three of his legions, the 17th, 18th and 19th when news arrived of a revolt growing in the Rhine area. Major General Sir Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend The idiot who, seeking self aggrandisement, led his army, Force D, to disaster at Kut in WW1. Consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus was Caepios superior officer, but Caepio refused to obey Maximus or even put his forces into a shared camp with him. You start by being the only thing that can frustrate Napoleon more than a Russian winter. (You May Also Like: 5 Israeli Weapons of War ISIS Should Fear). He called for bombing China, as if liberating Korea was worth risking 550 million Chinese and possibly war with Russia as well. When all is said and done, it doesnt matter how nice, brave, courageous, gutsy, loyal, or brilliant commanders theyve been. Dispatched to India, he led campaigns to help subdue the subcontinent, replacing the crown jewel he had lost. The British gained control of the fort, dozens of cannons, the brig USS Adams (recommissioned the HMS Detroit), and virtually the entire Michigan Territory. 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. So unused to being challenged, the United States has become so filled with anxiety over China that sober responses are becoming nearly impossible. Top 10 Most Underrated Military Generals. How theyve practiced the art of war is immaterial, too. 6. 10. With the Little Corporal running everything, Europe might have become a very different place. Caepio may have been a terrible general, but he was apparently an exceptional thief. Vast areas dotted with villages were blasted with artillery, bombed from the air. On March 24, 1976, Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1 st Viscount of Alamein, hero of World War II, died at home in England. Ulysses S. Grant made his Civil War debut at the Battle of Belmont against Confederate Gen. Gideon Pillow. Read More. Muammar Al-Gaddafi. Thus the progress Westmoreland claimed in racking up huge body counts did nothing to win the war. The enemy simply kept sending more and more replacements to make up his losses. His was one of just two French ships of the line to escape the destruction of the French fleet there. Lpez was the son of Carlos Antonio Lpez, a dictator who had done much to modernize Paraguay in the mid-19th century. Watch the conversation or read the condensed transcript. These American commanders have lost the battle for history. Brock, sensing an opportunity, advised an immediate march on Fort Detroit. So what is the standard of shame for induction? Necessarily, more is lost to time than is remembered. The heavily forested, swampy terrain made the Legions maneuvers impossible. Pillow suffered slightly more casualties than Grant in the engagement, which possibly makes the Battle of Belmont the high point of Pillows military career. Grant left politics to the politicians and did what had to be done. The problem begins with the fact that nobody in the chain of command was really competent to critique Westmorelands performance. Yet, Hannibal nevertheless ranks as one of the worlds epic fails. In 1847, U.S. troops once again surprised Santa Anna and captured his prosthetic leg. How might Vietnam or Iraq have turned out if a George Washington, a Ulysses Grant or a George Patton had been in command? Napoleon. 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.

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