Their orientation, indeed the core of Scoutings values, is selflessness and service to others. 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. On the night of August 15, 1812, Tecumseh led his forces across the Detroit River, and Brock followed the next morning. Westmoreland was on a treadmill. Watchthe conversation onFP Live, the magazines forum for live journalism, orreada condensed transcript. Only recently have those in the defense and military complex begun to look at how we rate generals. In 1975, when the Vietnam War ended, the Vietnamese army had only 36 generals, but by 2018, peace-time Vietnam had 415 military officers holding general ranks. How the North Vietnamese remember the conflict 40 years after the fall of Saigon. 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. By the way, here is the first review I have seen of Sorleys new biography of Westmoreland, which I read in galleys last summer, and enjoyed. Contrarily, I would not so stigmatize another important player often criticized by others, Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge. After his performance at Belmonta spectacular success by Pillow standardshe was tasked with the defense of Fort Donelson, a key strongpoint on the Mississippi River. In 1847, U.S. troops once again surprised Santa Anna and captured his prosthetic leg. These are the incompetents, the idiots, the bumblers who have represented armies or nations at war only to lead them to defeat or shame. The Germanic fighters demolished the three Roman legions. Seared into all who fought it and many who merely lived through it that conflict remains a bitter stew of second-guessing and recriminations. 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. Allied with Brock was the Shawnee chief Tecumseh, who was head of the most formidable pan-Indian military force the continent had ever seen. Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam, Chinas Censors Are Afraid of What Chatbots Might Say, The U.S. When all is said and done, it doesnt matter how nice, brave, courageous, gutsy, loyal, or brilliant commanders theyve been. Is Weiss correct? Join FPs Ravi Agrawal for a frank discussion about the Biden administrations China policy and alternatives that it ought to consider. To say that he failed in both regards is to dramatically understate the case. After the war, the phrase lions led by donkeys came to be associated with the British army for what should be obvious reasons. Quintus Servilius Caepio takes the cake amongst the worst Roman generals ever to take command of a legion though. standing, Ukrainians are determined to keep fighting, and the West has so far stayed resolute in its support of Ukraine. Follow him on Twitter:@Mipeck1. 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. Elmo Zumwalt was a U.S. admiral and commander of American naval forces in Vietnam. Feel free to mention any others you may know of in the comments. So unused to being challenged, the United States has become so filled with anxiety over China that sober responses are becoming nearly impossible. A Texan with the U.S. Army's 1 st Infantry Division, Nolan reportedly slipped away from his basecamp in Tay Ninh Province on Nov. 22, 1967 and turned himself over to the Viet Cong. 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. He ran as a Democrat against Lincoln in the 1864 presidential election. Perhaps Mao would have intervened anyway. You start by being the only thing that can frustrate Napoleon more than a Russian winter. Thus the progress Westmoreland claimed in racking up huge body counts did nothing to win the war. But there was something that not even the factories of New York and Chicago could produce, and that was time. Major General Sir Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend The idiot who, seeking self aggrandisement, led his army, Force D, to disaster at Kut in WW1. This piece originally appeared in The National Interest https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/6-worst-military-leaders-ever-167526. French defeated at Dien Bien Phu - HISTORY But MacArthur's strategy certainly helped unleash 300,000 Chinese "volunteers" who inflicted significant casualties on United Nations forces. The American Civil War was a factory for producing bad generals such as Braxton Bragg and Ambrose Burnside. But the rash advance into North Korea was a blunder of strategic proportions. Top 10 Most Underrated Military Generals - TheTopTens You worked for GEN Westmoreland when he was Army Chief of Staff. Lincoln relieved McClellan but reinstated him after the devastating Union defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run. How theyve practiced the art of war is immaterial, too. Arminius cut off his head and sent it to another Germanic leader as a present. His work as an observer during the Crimean War gave him insight into the importance of logistics for an industrialized army, and years spent as the chief of engineering for the Illinois Central Railroad made him aware of the transformative nature of rail transport. As the commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, he faced a two-front war, an insurgency in the South and an invading army from the North. Evening roundup with our editors favorite stories of the day. 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 decided to conduct of a war of attrition, using search and destroy tactics, in which the measure of merit was body count. Top 10 Most Underrated Military Generals. It would be nice if all American generals were great. 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. The South Vietnamese thus went for years equipped with castoff WWII-vintage U.S. equipment while outgunned by the communists, who were armed with the AK-47 assault rifle and other top of the line equipment. War is an extension of politics, and if commanders dont help secure the desired political ends, they get a failing grade. How well that would have worked can be seen when Gates was sent to command American troops in the South. Tom Ricks, on his "Best Defense" blog has discussed the top 10 worst generals in U.S. history. In 1941, Graziani resigned his commission after the British counterattacked and the Tenth Army was completely defeated during Operation Compass. These American commanders have lost the battle for history. As for the British, they had lost the most valuable jewel of the Imperial crown. Had Lincoln retained McClellan in command of the Union armies, many former Americans might still be whistling "Dixie.". The United States entered the war, forcing Ludendorff to accelerate his time line for a conclusive battle against the Allies on the Western Front. What was the worst battle of Vietnam? 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. Sure, he was the greatest commander of the Second Punic War, a titanic contest between Carthage and Rome. 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. These operations were designed to seek out enemy forces and engage them in decisive battle. Yes, eminently. And once again, at the Battle of Antietam, McClellans terminal case of the slows (as Lincoln called it) prevented the exploitation of a possible war-ending vulnerability in Confederate defenses. 10. Ulysses S. Grant made his Civil War debut at the Battle of Belmont against Confederate Gen. Gideon Pillow. Sure, he won big at the Alamo. 92. Little Mac would prove himself to be a superb organizer who kept his army well supplied, efficiently run, and happy. A monthly digest of the top articles read by FP subscribers. Instead the enemy proved willing to absorb horrifying losses and keep fighting. He was indeed a capable warrior, as shown by the South Pacific campaign and the Inchon landing in Korea. They care about the one. Westmoreland didnt get it. When two able and progressive Nationalist generals, Pai Chunghsi and Li Tsung-jen, begged the generalissimo to adopt similar methods, Chiang rejected them outright. Implementing the attrition strategy, Westmoreland typically employed a series of large unit sweeps conducted in the deep jungle regions along South Vietnams western borders. Sure, they ganged up on the Spartans at the Pass of Thermopylae. The curation of this content is at the discretion of the author, and not necessarily reflective of the views of Encyclopaedia Britannica or its editorial staff. 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. They dramatically upped their game, pressing the U.S. worldwide. Westmoreland told him, "We're killing these people at a ratio of 10 to 1.". What he did not divulge publicly was that the United States. As a result, American military power and prestige took a dramatic downturn. What myths or misperceptions surround Westmoreland that you would like to clear up, if any? 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. Nor is being a bad battlefield commander, by itself, sufficient to make the cut. Your guide to the most important world stories of the day. 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. Ludendorff is one of historys greatest examples of a general who can win battles but still loses the war. The Top-10 Most Evil Leaders of the 20th Century - LinkedIn When it came to military command, Westmoreland was everybody's all-Americanuntil he met his Waterloo. George McClellan is one of those generals who really looks great on paper. And how might that be impacting the world? The Cimbri destroyed Caepios force and, emboldened by their success, marched on Maximuss camp. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. The 20th century is the most violent century in history. But the argument is unbalanced. Considering some militants as instruments of regional influence while fighting others has had disastrous consequences. The alternative was to split the United States asunder. To counter these, Major General William R. Peers commenced Operation Greeley using elements of the 4th Infantry Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Feel free to mention any others you may know of in the comments. 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. Hull had served with distinction in the Revolutionary War and was appointed governor of the Michigan Territory in 1805. He was killed in combat on March 1, 1870. Was My Lai just one of many massacres in Vietnam War? The 20 Worst World War II Generals - Ranker In other words, this book is a "how-not-to" guide to leadership. When all is said and done, it doesnt matter how nice, brave, courageous, gutsy, loyal, or brilliant commanders theyve been. 0. If there was a saving grace for America, it was that he wasn't commanding an army. Darius again was the first to flee the battle, abandoning all of his soldiers and his property to be taken by Alexander. As a military commander, Napoleon may have thebest batting averageof all time. By one estimate from Harvard University, more than 130,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or severely wounded, in addition to the deaths of more than 7,000 Ukrainian civilians. Where is Carthage you ask? Lyndon Johnson had no understanding of military affairs whatever, nor did Robert McNamara. General Westmorelands close associate, General William DePuy, later admitted the futility of the Westmoreland way of war. Vast areas dotted with villages were blasted with artillery, bombed from the air. With the Little Corporal running everything, Europe might have become a very different place. Westmorelands devotion to advancing his own interests, even when necessary by misrepresentation, was fundamentally at odds with what Scouting is all about. General Harold K. Johnson was an authentic battlefield hero, and as noted above was fundamentally at odds with Westmorelands approach, but he was not in the chain of command. At the height of the Cold War, he dealt decisively with neither. Lpez was the son of Carlos Antonio Lpez, a dictator who had done much to modernize Paraguay in the mid-19th century. Argentina, Brazil, and the Brazilian puppet government in Uruguay formed an alliance, and on May 1, 1865, they declared war on Paraguay. What does that mean for trade and globalization? He retreated to Malta but was captured when that island fell to the British. (The leg did get a state funeral). 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. But the inducements encourage U.S. companies to invest only at homenot elsewhere. On the other side of the trenches in World War I was Erich Ludendorff, commanding the armies of Germany. 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. 7. Hull withdrew after a series of harassing attacks by Tecumsehs highly mobile raiding parties. 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. What defines Santa Anna is his utter failure to subdue the Texican rebels and block American expansion. Grachev played a key role in initiating and leading the First Chechen War. McClellan truly disappointed president Lincoln at the Battle of Antietam where the North and South would fight the bloodiest battle of the war. It would be nice if all American generals were great. The American Civil War was a factory for producing bad generals such as Braxton Bragg and Ambrose Burnside. My daughter thinks 2018 was the worst year ever. I'd nominate 1968 Caepio was born into a noble family and became consul in 106 BC. He gritted his teeth and wore down the Confederacy with incessant attacks until the South could take no more. 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. 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?). 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.. But beyond the goals of one leader in Moscow, it is also clear that Ukraine has suffered horrors of a historic nature. 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. 2. 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. His war of attrition, search and destroy tactics, and emphasis on body count did nothing to affect the war in the hamlets and villages of South Vietnam, where the enemys covert infrastructure was left free to continue using coercion and terror to dominate the rural populace. In All U.S. Military History, These Are the 5 Worst Generals McClellan was a proto-Douglas MacArthur who bad-mouthed his president and commander-in-chief. So long Fort Bragg, welcome Fort Liberty: The Pentagon's naming Delivered Monday-Friday. He effectively pledged to become an agent for the U.S. but found that he had been deposed upon his return to Mexico. Santa Anna would lose Texas at the Battle of San Jacinto. Is your subtitle The General Who Lost Vietnam fair? How do you measure military leaders?