worst generals in vietnam

Todays list: The top ten reasons Gen. Westmoreland lost the war in Vietnam, Want to read more on this topic or region? 7 Of The Worst Military Leaders In History, That You Didn't Know About When he made public his disagreements with President Truman, Truman rightfully fired 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. His was one of just two French ships of the line to escape the destruction of the French fleet there. Darius was a different sort of game-changer. Grenada (1983) 3. Evening roundup with our editors favorite stories of the day. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. He continued to view attrition as the most effective strategy for defeating Germany; the British lost some 420,000 men at the Somme. The world over, countries are embarking on ambitious projects of industrial policy. Cue the protests from other parts of the globe: A chorus of nations are accusing Washington of fostering unfair competition. The rise of American-made chatbots has kicked off a flurry of Chinese activity. While Hull dithered, Brock captured Fort Michilimackinac, establishing British control of the Straits of Mackinac. Military The Vietnam War Crimes You Never Heard Of | History News Network If pressed to rank the miscreants, I would place Wheeler first, then LBJ, and then McNamara, with all entitled to recognition as important accomplices in dooming the endeavor. Abraham Lincoln. Thus there was little internal capacity for debating or evaluating his chosen course of action. 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. 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. Had Lincoln retained McClellan in command of the Union armies, many former Americans might still be whistling "Dixie.". Yet, Hannibal nevertheless ranks as one of the worlds epic fails. The British gained control of the fort, dozens of cannons, the brig USS Adams (recommissioned the HMS Detroit), and virtually the entire Michigan Territory. Delivered Wednesday. 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. 6. - 4 Worst: 1990 Cleveland Cavaliers. Others would say that it is not victory, but success in fulfilling a mission that counts. 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. Today's list: The top ten reasons Gen. Westmoreland lost the war in Vietnam What myths or misperceptions surround Westmoreland that you would like to clear up, if any? In the autumn of 1804 he was placed in charge of the French fleet at Toulon and tasked with drawing the British fleet under Horatio Nelson to the Caribbean. Is Weiss correct? 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. Grachev played a key role in initiating and leading the First Chechen War. 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. 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. Yes, eminently. Darius family would be captured and even lost the Battle of Gaugamela, where so many factors were in his favor. It's not the first time that someone thought he was smarter than his boss. Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama. Although Westmoreland denied it, he imposed a ceiling on the reported number of enemy by instructing his intelligence officers to adhere to a command position of not more than 300,000, even though newly acquired and more accurate data developed in his own headquarters then indicated a much higher figure. He decided to conduct of a war of attrition, using search and destroy tactics, in which the measure of merit was body count. McClellan truly disappointed president Lincoln at the Battle of Antietam where the North and South would fight the bloodiest battle of the war. 0. Nearly as many men died in captivity during the Civil War as were killed in the whole of the Vietnam War. Again fighting outnumbered Texans, this time Santa Anna would lose the battle stunningly. 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. The Top Ten. But he was overly cautious by nature. Join FPs Ravi Agrawal for a frank discussion about the Biden administrations China policy and alternatives that it ought to consider. But MacArthur's strategy certainly helped unleash 300,000 Chinese "volunteers" who inflicted significant casualties on United Nations forces. Yet Fredendall's solution was to order an Army engineer company to build a giant bunker a hundred miles from the front lines. Alexander, Napoleon, Rommel. They kept it as a war trophy, exhibiting the leg at county fairs. See the vast swaths of land to the north and south that arent Paraguay? He was also supremely gifted at overestimating the size of his opponents armies to a degree that beggared belief. Men and material the Union could provide its armies. There appeared to be little serious planning for what would happen the day after Saddam was gone. Instead of holding a natural defense line around Pyongyang, which would have given the United Nations control of most of the peninsula, the UN troops retreated all the way back into South Korea in a humiliating reverse for U.S. power after the crushing victory of World War II. In a war that saw more than its share of unskilled politically appointed generals, Pillow was arguably the worst on either side. The General Who Lost Vietnam | TIME.com 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 Germanic fighters demolished the three Roman legions. 1. Somalia (1992-1994) 2. Thuong, 52, is the youngest member of the party's Politburo, the country's top decision-making body, and is widely regarded as being close to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam's most . Read More. Michael Ray oversees coverage of European history and military affairs for Britannica. 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. 7. In 1847, U.S. troops once again surprised Santa Anna and captured his prosthetic leg. Yet backstabbing your commander-in-chief in the middle of a war is taking ambition a little too far. When it came to military command, Westmoreland was everybody's all-Americanuntil he met his Waterloo. Despite the Union outnumbering the Confederates, McClellan was unable to crush Robert E. Lee after failing to pursue him into Virginia. Defining that is like defining a bad meal. Yes, Westmoreland was the general who lost Vietnam. (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. Varus himself, seeing all hope was lost, committed suicide. Fortunately, along came Reaganif not for that, Westmorelands military reversals could well have signaled the beginning of our end. Percival was off mistreating Irish Republican Army (IRA) leaders during the Anglo-Irish War before commanding British Malaya in World War II. Santa Anna would lose Texas at the Battle of San Jacinto. The Soviets saw the American humiliation in Vietnam as a turning point. 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. He earned a B.A. By signing up, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to occasionally receive special offers from Foreign Policy. 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. What can we glean from the current state of play on the battlefield? Watchthe conversation onFP Live, the magazines forum for live journalism, orreada condensed transcript. Westmorelands devotion to advancing his own interests, even when necessary by misrepresentation, was fundamentally at odds with what Scouting is all about. History is not a fixed set of facts. 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. Was My Lai just one of many massacres in Vietnam War? 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. Westmorelands strategy throughout the war was to win through Attrition Warfare (pounding the enemy through greater numbers and resources) which military strategists including Sun Tzu caution against using. Even now, the easiest way to get into an argument at a V.F.W. He bears a lot of responsibility for one the greatest reversals of military fortune ever experienced by a super power. Not that Fredendall didn't have real issues that would have tried any commander. Ulysses S. Grant, who replaced McClellan, understood this. Implementing the attrition strategy, Westmoreland typically employed a series of large unit sweeps conducted in the deep jungle regions along South Vietnams western borders. Lincoln relieved McClellan but reinstated him after the devastating Union defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run. Wrote Kevin Buckley in a scathing review, From the beginning Westmoreland probably expected to write a memoir of victory similar to Crusade in Europeand the defeat in Vietnam has not deterred him from this.. Lpez, possibly in a fit of madness, ordered the execution of hundreds of people, including some of his own family members. 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. Marine Corps Casualties 1775-2016 - Marine Corps University 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. Ulysses S. Grant made his Civil War debut at the Battle of Belmont against Confederate Gen. Gideon Pillow. This did not, however, achieve the postulated outcome. 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. Delivered Monday-Saturday. However, Ludendorff and German General Staff chief Helmuth von Moltke had altered the Schlieffen PlanGermanys overall battle plan for fighting a two-front warin a way that had weakened the attacking army on the Western Front. You may opt out at any time. . The alternative was to split the United States asunder. My daughter thinks 2018 was the worst year ever. I'd nominate 1968 Find Paraguay on a map of South America. Vietnam War. George Custer at the Little Big Horn and Lord Chelmsford at the Battle of Isandlwana leap to mind. Ludendorff is one of historys greatest examples of a general who can win battles but still loses the war. 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. 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. How do you measure military leaders? 10. Examining the Leaders of North and South Vietnam - dummies One-stop digest of politics, economics, and culture. LBJ's tragic "addiction" to Vietnam: The mistake that still - Salon Thus, almost by default, Westmoreland was left to go his own way, year after bloody year. The heavily forested, swampy terrain made the Legions maneuvers impossible. Still, he choked in the big game. But the inducements encourage U.S. companies to invest only at homenot elsewhere. 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. These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. 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. Who were the most feared soldiers in Vietnam? - 2023 Hull, convinced that he was hopelessly outnumbered (he wasnt), surrendered Fort Detroit and its 2,000-man garrison without firing a shot. Rommel is by far the greatest military general of the . But the worst of all was McClellan, the so-called "Young Napoleon" from whom Lincoln. Some would say that failure on the battlefield warrants censure. A final humiliation came during Mexican-American War. There were available better concepts of how to prosecute the war. In fifteen thought-provoking essays, each written by a professional military historian, readers are introduced . Grachev has also been linked to corruption among the higher ranks of the military, specifically the assassination of journalist Dmitry Kholodov. 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. - 1 Best: 1996 Chicago Bulls. The Worst Military Leaders in History is meant to be thought-provoking, and it surely is that." ARMY Magazine "Few subjects get military historians and history buffs talking like a debate over the best military leaders in history. Although he outnumbered Magruders Army of the Peninsula 10-to-1, McClellan settled in for a monthlong siege. standing, Ukrainians are determined to keep fighting, and the West has so far stayed resolute in its support of Ukraine. This strategy inevitably failed as the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong maintained control over how the war was fought which was through guerilla warfare. Darius III. But the rash advance into North Korea was a blunder of strategic proportions. Opportunistic firms in Asia and Europe have already begun to relocate investments to the United States. There are a number of contenders for the top places on such a roster. Haig was cruelly mocked, first in the satirical musical Oh! 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. Considering some militants as instruments of regional influence while fighting others has had disastrous consequences. Youre on the list! He spoke up in Honolulu, during an important U.S. planning conference in February 1966, observing that we can beat up North Vietnamese regiments in the high plateau for the next twenty years and it will not end the war. Westmorelands later dismissive comment was that Ambassador Lodge does not have a deep feel of military tactics and strategy.. Cornwallis later did redeem himself militarily. Jacob Zuma is a cherry on the top of the world's worst leader cake. To that Hollings responded, "Westy, the American people don't care about the ten. He was called the inevitable general. A West Point graduate, he served in World War II and Korea. In 1941, Graziani resigned his commission after the British counterattacked and the Tenth Army was completely defeated during Operation Compass. 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. 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. 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. To say that he failed in both regards is to dramatically understate the case. Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent. General Failure - The Atlantic 2. Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) 24. These two instances are illustrative of many, many more, ranging from his actions or lack of action in combat situations to his determination to take over the war and win it with U.S. forces to his resultant failure to build up South Vietnamese forces to the validity of body count to the decision to close Khe Sanh to his actions when Lang Vei was overrun to denying predictions he had made of an early end to the war to claims of not being surprised at Tet 1968 to denying a post-Tet request for many additional U.S. forces. The pandemics outbreak brought rare reporting freedoms. bar is to mention Vietnam. 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. On the night of August 15, 1812, Tecumseh led his forces across the Detroit River, and Brock followed the next morning. Courses: Summer 2023 | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Many historians have said Bragg was one of the worst generals of the Civil War, having lost most of his battles. For one thing, we wouldnt haveSpartacuson Netflix. Westmoreland held a press conference in which he categorically denied any such loss of confidence. Tortured in notorious 'Hanoi Hilton,' 11 GIs were unbreakable 3. Fort Bragg was named in 1918 during the Jim Crow era. Villeneuve lost 20 ships, while Nelson lost none. Judging GOFOs The Decisive Point HANOI, VIETNAMForty years ago, on April 30, 1975, Nguyen Dang Phat experienced the happiest day of his life . 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. Westmoreland was on a treadmill. Follow him on Twitter:@Mipeck1. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig: World War I's Worst General - HistoryNet Varus placed his legions in a position where their fighting strengths would be minimized and that of the Germanic Cherusci tribesman maximized. Bombs away! Here are the 13 worst military movies in Hollywood history 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. 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. 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. Is the Biden administrations China policy too hawkish? All the enemys losses were quickly made up. Major General Sir Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend The idiot who, seeking self aggrandisement, led his army, Force D, to disaster at Kut in WW1. Following on from our list of the greatest and most successful military commanders, we are presenting this list of the worst. His 1812 campaign against Russia ended in complete disaster. Download the FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. Francisco Solano Lpez managed to stumble into a war with pretty much all of that. But the award for the biggest Persian loser goes to Darius III. 10 Redvers Buller What is the standard of shame for induction? Who was the worst US general during the Vietnam War? - Quora These American commanders have lost the battle for history. Explore the benefits included in your subscription. 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. 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. Even a string of bad days does not guarantee entry. T he Civil War was America's bloodiest conflict. 151. What was the worst battle of Vietnam? The Worst Military Leaders in History - University Of Chicago Press The Persians had a mixed record against the Greeks. The Russian president got many things wrong about invading Ukrainebut not everything. Instead of sweeping around the French defenses in a massive flanking movement, the Germans were checked at the First Battle of the Marne. Despite reports of the build-up of German forces and even knowing the date of the Germans attack, Gamelin did nothing, stating that he would await events. He called for bombing China, as if liberating Korea was worth risking 550 million Chinese and possibly war with Russia as well. Santa Anna, a lifetime gambler, was known for his risk taking in battle, but also his brutality. They care about the one. Westmoreland didnt get it. In the end, the Romans leveled Carthage and salted the earth. When all is said and done, it doesnt matter how nice, brave, courageous, gutsy, loyal, or brilliant commanders theyve been. Test yourself on the week of Feb. 25: Nigeria votes, Finland builds a border wall, and Israel escalates repression. Caepio may have been a terrible general, but he was apparently an exceptional thief. The 5 Worst Generals in U.S. History | RealClearHistory Allied with Brock was the Shawnee chief Tecumseh, who was head of the most formidable pan-Indian military force the continent had ever seen. He overestimated the American peoples patience and tolerance of friendly losses. Not good, Hannibal. But his crowning achievement was bad generalship in Korea. Delivered Monday-Friday. Muammar Al-Gaddafi. Panama (1989) 2. Registration for summer courses begins March 18, 2023 and ends June 7, 2023. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 1. Officially labelled a defector by the Pentagon, many suspected Nolan, an African American, changed sides after suffering a lifetime of racial discrimination. With a few relatively minor changes, thats just about where they stayed for the next four years. Westmorelands general mistake: severely underestimating the Communists. They dramatically upped their game, pressing the U.S. worldwide. As military professionals, we should think about more . At Yorktown, he allowed himself to be taken by surprise and outmaneuvered by Washington and the French fleet. Born in 1901 in Quang Binh Province (part of North Vietnam), Diem was the son of a well-educated mandarin (Vietnamese civil servant who took part in running the country) who served as the Minister of Rites and Grand Chamberlain to Emperor Thanh-Thai (1889-1907). 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. 3. But beyond the goals of one leader in Moscow, it is also clear that Ukraine has suffered horrors of a historic nature.