worst generals in vietnam

One-stop digest of politics, economics, and culture. James K. Polk. What does that mean for trade and globalization? The enemy did not lose heart, did not cease aggression. 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. As a military commander, Napoleon may have thebest batting averageof all time. After the war, the phrase lions led by donkeys came to be associated with the British army for what should be obvious reasons. 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. 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. But he was overly cautious by nature. Thus, on July 1, 1916, Haig ordered his men to go over the top at the First Battle of the Somme, and 20,000 of them had the audacity to die almost immediately (there were 60,000 total British casualties on the first day of the attack). But its not just the United States. George Custer at the Little Big Horn and Lord Chelmsford at the Battle of Isandlwana leap to mind. 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. 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. 92. To that Hollings responded, "Westy, the American people don't care about the ten. In 1941, Graziani resigned his commission after the British counterattacked and the Tenth Army was completely defeated during Operation Compass. Many of these generals had their worst defeats when their countries were least prepared for conflict, such as the hapless Soviet generals who faced the German infiltration of Russia in 1941. See the vast swaths of land to the north and south that arent Paraguay? The problem begins with the fact that nobody in the chain of command was really competent to critique Westmorelands performance. With high hopes set upon his shoulders at the beginning of the American Civil war, quickly becoming General-in-Chief of the Union Army, McClellan would earn the distinction as a general of little action. His bad luck didnt end at San Jacinto. 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. 1. Thus, almost by default, Westmoreland was left to go his own way, year after bloody year. Not one to let his own failings stand in the way of personal glory, Pillow submitted fanciful accounts of his actions at the Battles of Contreras and Churubusco to various newspapers, incurring the wrath of overall American commander Winfield Scott. His battlefield losses marked the end of the Persian Empire. Would he be upset if he were alive to read this book today? This infuriated the Marines, who viewed it as evidence that Westmoreland lacked confidence in them. - 2 Worst: 2007 Washington Wizards. Still, he choked in the big game. How might Vietnam or Iraq have turned out if a George Washington, a Ulysses Grant or a George Patton had been in command? Antonio de Padua Mara Severino Lpez de Santa Anna. 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. All rights reserved. Some would say that failure on the battlefield warrants censure. Battle of Dak To in the Vietnam War - ThoughtCo 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. Download the FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. In other words, this book is a "how-not-to" guide to leadership. Thus it was under Darius rule that the Persian Empire fell and was conquered. Is the Biden administrations China policy too hawkish? The premise was that, if he could kill enough of the enemy, they would lose heart and cease their aggression against the South Vietnamese. T he Civil War was America's bloodiest conflict. I flew into Vietnam in June 1968 as a young . Where is Carthage you ask? 2. Lpez was the son of Carlos Antonio Lpez, a dictator who had done much to modernize Paraguay in the mid-19th century. 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. 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. Feel free to mention any others you may know of in the comments. Click + to receive email alerts when new stories are published on Gamelin also chose not to disperse Frances vast number of superior tanks. Pillow suffered slightly more casualties than Grant in the engagement, which possibly makes the Battle of Belmont the high point of Pillows military career. 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. 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. 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. Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. Military. But the award for the biggest Persian loser goes to Darius III. And if they not only fail to deliver, but wind up sinking their own side in the process, and change history, they earn a spot in the Hall of Military Shame. 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. 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. 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. 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. After only 10 weeks into the Pacific War, Percival became responsible for the largest surrender of British-led forces in history. How do you measure military leaders? A dull, unfeeling, unimaginative, smug "Colonel Blimp" of the worst sort. What does that mean for trade and globalization? Top 10 Worst World Leaders - Wonderslist General Earle Wheeler was essentially a staff officer with virtually no troop leading experience, much less combat acumen. 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. Arminius cut off his head and sent it to another Germanic leader as a present. He denied senior civilian officials accurate data on enemy strength and composition, during development of a 1967 Special National Intelligence Estimate imposing a ceiling on the number of enemy forces his intelligence officers could report or agree to and personally removing from the order of battle entire categories that had long been included, thus falsely portraying progress in reducing enemy strength. - 3 Best: 1987 Los Angeles Lakers. James Madison spared him from execution. After his defeat by the Texans at the Battle of San Jacinto, Santa Anna was captured. A more positive example is George Washington. Had Lincoln retained McClellan in command of the Union armies, many former Americans might still be whistling "Dixie.". What will another year of war look like? That may have been true in the east (the worst of the Union generals in that theater rates his own entry on this list), but in the west it was a much different affair. But all that remains of his would-be empire today is a flaky French pastry. Luckily for the colonists, the Empire also had Cornwallis, a peer of the realm and truly pitiful commander. Instead he simply sent more and more replacements to make up his losses. Seared into all who fought it and many who merely lived through it that conflict remains a bitter stew of second-guessing and recriminations. Tom Ricks, on his "Best Defense" blog has discussed the top 10 worst generals in U.S. history. Brock, sensing an opportunity, advised an immediate march on Fort Detroit. James K. Polk upon the outbreak of war between Mexico and the U.S. and offered to become an agent for the U.S. (again). When it came to military command, Westmoreland was everybodys all-Americanuntil he met his Waterloo. Darius III. Hull, convinced that he was hopelessly outnumbered (he wasnt), surrendered Fort Detroit and its 2,000-man garrison without firing a shot. 10. And he was able to inflict massive casualties on the enemy. Top 10 Greatest Generals of Chinese History | ChinaWhisper Westmoreland: the General Who Lost Vietnam Worst US General of all time? | O-T Lounge - TigerDroppings When the Germans shattered his troops and his reputation at Kasserine Pass in Tunisia in early 1943, Fredendall was only a major general and a corps commander. Here are five of America's worst generals: Great generals have great talents, and usually egos and ambitions to match. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. Tortured in notorious 'Hanoi Hilton,' 11 GIs were unbreakable We ended up, he said, with no operational plan that had the slightest chance of ending the war favorably. Westmoreland could not or would not ever bring himself to acknowledge that reality. Ludendorff is one of historys greatest examples of a general who can win battles but still loses the war. Delivered Wednesday & Sunday. Napoleon. For one thing, we wouldnt haveSpartacuson Netflix. 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. 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. He continued to view attrition as the most effective strategy for defeating Germany; the British lost some 420,000 men at the Somme. By the way, here is the first review I have seen of Sorley's new biography of Westmoreland, which I read in galleys last summer, and enjoyed. History is not a fixed set of facts. [i] However, the list is subjective, and open to debate, as top 10 lists tend to be. Who is Che in NBA 2k20? - Sport-net He was responsible for coming up with the idea of using force to restore constitutional order in Chechnya. At Brownstown, south of Detroit, two dozen warriors under Tecumseh routed more than 200 American militiamen escorting a supply column intended for Detroit. On September 9, 1965, Navy Cmdr. Weekly update on developments in India and its neighbors. The worst military leaders since Napoleon | History 101 Scilit | Article - A Slow March from Social Evil to Harm Reduction 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. After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts. 4. 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. Nelsons victory at the Battle of Trafalgar was so complete that it established British supremacy on the high seas for more than a century. 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. Despite Lincoln's pleas for aggressive action, his Army of the Potomac moved hesitantly, its commander McClellan convinced himself that the Southern armies vastly outnumbered him when logic should have told him that it was the North that enjoyed an abundance of resources. As the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles crippled Germany, Ludendorff effectively sabotaged the Weimar Republic by propagating the belief that he and his armies had been undefeated on the battlefield. Ukraines economy and infrastructure have been dealt blows that will take decades to recover from. 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. 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. Examining the Leaders of North and South Vietnam - dummies 6. Fighter Aircraft of All Time, his army being routed by a smaller force of Redcoats and Loyalists at the Battle of Camden in South Carolina in 1780, When the Germans shattered his troops and his reputation at Kasserine Pass in Tunisia in early 1943, Fredendall was only a major general and a corps commander, Listing MacArthur as one of America's worst generals will be controversial, 5 Israeli Weapons of War ISIS Should Fear, But MacArthur's strategy certainly helped unleash 300,000 Chinese "volunteers" who inflicted significant casualties on United Nations forces, But Franks, who commanded the invasion, made a bad situation worse, Critics say that Franks and senior officials, such as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, concocted an invasion plan that used too few troops. 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. Thus there was little internal capacity for debating or evaluating his chosen course of action. 9 Worst Generals in History | Britannica General Westmoreland had complete freedom of action in deciding how to prosecute the war within South Vietnam. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, Pillow pulled the troops back to the fort to resupply them. Although he managed to escape the battle unharmed, Caepio was stripped of his Roman citizenship and exiled. Yet, Hannibal nevertheless ranks as one of the worlds epic fails. The Top-10 Most Evil Leaders of the 20th Century - LinkedIn Sorley skillfully uses Westmoreland's own words to show time and again his duplicity at worst and his lack of touch with reality at best. 1 Erwin Rommel Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel, popularly known as the Desert Fox, was a German field marshal of World War II. This was true in matters both great and small. It was anotherhistory-changingevent, the birth of a truly exceptional nation. He decided to conduct of a war of attrition, using search and destroy tactics, in which the measure of merit was body count. 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 unprecedented violence of battles such as Shiloh, Antietam, Stones River, and Gettysburg shocked citizens and international observers alike. The latest news, analysis, and data from the country each week. Who was the worst US general during the Vietnam War? Vietnam War body count controversy - Wikipedia He lacked the schooling and relevant experience to understand the war and devise a viable approach to prosecuting it. 1. 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. Leaders of the Vietnam War - Wikipedia Elmo Zumwalt was a U.S. admiral and commander of American naval forces in Vietnam. A curated selection of our very best long reads. Top 10 Utterly Useless Military Commanders - Listverse At this point, things somehow got worse for Hull. Weekly update on whats driving U.S. national security policy. But the inducements encourage U.S. companies to invest only at homenot elsewhere. Xi Jinpings signature foreign policy is a shadow of its former self.. But he also displayed remarkably bad judgment, as when he was commander in the Philippines in 1941. Westmorelands first resort in claiming progress in the war was always body count, but in fact this was meaningless. 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. Darius again was the first to flee the battle, abandoning all of his soldiers and his property to be taken by Alexander. Here's What You Need To Remember:The Soviets saw the American humiliation in Vietnam as a turning point. Think about how history would have been different if Hannibal had a military plan to outlast Roman might. The Worst Military Leaders in History - University Of Chicago Press Franz Conrad von Htzendorf of Austria couldnt decide which country he wanted to invade, so the German General Staff eventually took his armies away. 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).

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