His bad luck didnt end at San Jacinto. Battle of Dak To in the Vietnam War - ThoughtCo He was soon released, however, and, as more capable French admirals either died or somehow incurred Napoleons disfavor, a path to the top echelons of command was opened for Villeneuve. 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. Informed that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor and were certain to attack the Philippines next, MacArthur failed to disperse his aircraftthe only force that could disrupt the Japanese offensive in the absence of the American fleetand to attack Japanese airfields before the enemy wiped out his air force. Applications for the Gettysburg College-Gilder Lehrman MA program are open and considered on a rolling basis. World War I provided a forum for any number of truly horrible commanders to assert themselves. By the end of the conflict, America had unleashed the equivalent of 640 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs on Vietnam. When the War of 1812 began, Hull was commissioned a brigadier general and tasked with defending Michigan and invading Upper Canada. That dubious distinction falls to William Hull, the only general officer in American history to be ordered before a firing squad for cowardice and dereliction of duty. Westmoreland was on a treadmill. 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. 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. This would be known as the Tet Offensive and would become a major turning point in the war. Heres the inaugural class: 6. He graduated second in his class at West Point (well ahead of classmates Stonewall Jackson, George H. Gordon, and George Pickett). 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. Worst US General of all time? | O-T Lounge - TigerDroppings 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. But his persistence and inspiration kept the Continental Army in the field through the worst of times, which is why his face is on the one-dollar bill. The Worst American Civil War Generals and Commanders It is probably not a coincidence that corruption in the military appears to have escalated since 2006, when the number of military generals started to jump sharply. How does an admiral make a list of the worst generals? Fortunately, along came Reaganif not for that, Westmorelands military reversals could well have signaled the beginning of our end. His was one of just two French ships of the line to escape the destruction of the French fleet there. 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. Their orientation, indeed the core of Scoutings values, is selflessness and service to others. Santa Anna, a lifetime gambler, was known for his risk taking in battle, but also his brutality. Having several decades of duplicity to draw on at this point, everyone had a pretty good idea of how any such deal would turn out, and the aging general was rebuffed by both parties. 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. The problem begins with the fact that nobody in the chain of command was really competent to critique Westmorelands performance. Westmorelands own book about himself gives some indication of how he would react to this more recent one. But the worst of all was McClellan, the so-called "Young Napoleon" from whom Lincoln and the Union expected great things. A monthly digest of the top articles read by FP subscribers. How might Vietnam or Iraq have turned out if a George Washington, a Ulysses Grant or a George Patton had been in command? 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. 10. General Westmoreland had complete freedom of action in deciding how to prosecute the war within South Vietnam. 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. At the height of the Cold War, he dealt decisively with neither. By signing up, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to occasionally receive special offers from Foreign Policy. bar is to mention Vietnam. 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. One-stop digest of politics, economics, and culture. When all is said and done, it doesnt matter how nice, brave, courageous, gutsy, loyal, or brilliant commanders theyve been. McClellan truly disappointed president Lincoln at the Battle of Antietam where the North and South would fight the bloodiest battle of the war. To that Hollings responded, "Westy, the American people don't care about the ten. 92. He served as a National Socialist member of the German parliament before authoring a book about how humanity exists in a state of perpetual war and why that is a good thing. But then MacArthur thrived on controversy like bread thrives on yeast. Westmoreland was on a treadmill. 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. 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. So unused to being challenged, the United States has become so filled with anxiety over China that sober responses are becoming nearly impossible. He would eventually be betrayed and killed by a friend. 4. Percival was off mistreating Irish Republican Army (IRA) leaders during the Anglo-Irish War before commanding British Malaya in World War II. Cornwallis later did redeem himself militarily. Warfare: Who was the worst General/military commander in history Have your boss report to the French gentleman whose name begins with J at a place which begins with D which is five grid squares to the left of M. The Kasserine disaster had repercussions. General Westmorelands close associate, General William DePuy, later admitted the futility of the Westmoreland way of war. Grachev played a key role in initiating and leading the First Chechen War. Even now, the easiest way to get into an argument at a V.F.W. The 5 Worst Generals in U.S. History. In the end, the Romans leveled Carthage and salted the earth. But the argument is unbalanced. He still had his defenders, but they were in the last trench, barely holding on. Military (You May Also Like: The Five Best Generals in U.S. History). Explore the benefits included in your subscription. These operations were designed to seek out enemy forces and engage them in decisive battle. Click + to receive email alerts when new stories are published on Delivered Monday-Friday. General William Childs Westmoreland (1914- 2005) with President Johnson in South Vietnam #1. 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. He earned a B.A. In order, from most culpable down. 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. When it came to military command, Westmoreland was everybody's all-Americanuntil he met his Waterloo. 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. Exactly. But Franks, who commanded the invasion, made a bad situation worse. 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. The alternative was to split the United States asunder. On March 24, 1976, Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1 st Viscount of Alamein, hero of World War II, died at home in England. Advancing in dispersed columns across the northern half of the peninsula was an invitation to be destroyed piecemeal. How theyve practiced the art of war is immaterial, too. 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. It would be nice if all American generals were great. It would be nice if all American generals were great. 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. But its not just the United States. But there was something that not even the factories of New York and Chicago could produce, and that was time. 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. 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. Westmoreland: the General Who Lost Vietnam Download the new FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. Nearly as many men died in captivity during the Civil War as were killed in the whole of the Vietnam War. He couldnt. While Muammer Al-Gaddafi isn't into the funny business in his politician reign, he most certainly is one of a highly egotistical leader and a member who represents more of the "self" rather than all else. Instead of sweeping around the French defenses in a massive flanking movement, the Germans were checked at the First Battle of the Marne. General William Westmoreland. He was certainly nave, but the Boy Scouts need to be defended here. Top 10 Traitors In US History - Listverse Thats the point. Cue the protests from other parts of the globe: A chorus of nations are accusing Washington of fostering unfair competition. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, Pillow pulled the troops back to the fort to resupply them. I flew into Vietnam in June 1968 as a young . 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. The heavily forested, swampy terrain made the Legions maneuvers impossible. After the war, the phrase lions led by donkeys came to be associated with the British army for what should be obvious reasons. Its prewar population was reduced by more than half, and perhaps 90 percent of Paraguays fighting-age men perished. You may opt out at any time. Was My Lai just one of many massacres in Vietnam War? 10 Redvers Buller But the inducements encourage U.S. companies to invest only at homenot elsewhere. Feel free to mention any others you may know of in the comments. 1968 takes the cake for me. Simultaneously, he contacted Maximilian to offer the young emperor his services. And what then? To accomplish this goal, Vietnam employs repressive policies that often contravene international human rights law. In considering who should receive such a dubious honor, Ive consciously excluded bad leaders. 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. Top 10 Worst Military Leaders in History - Toptenz.net How well that would have worked can be seen when Gates was sent to command American troops in the South. But all that remains of his would-be empire today is a flaky French pastry. 1 Erwin Rommel Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel, popularly known as the Desert Fox, was a German field marshal of World War II. Scilit | Article - A Slow March from Social Evil to Harm Reduction 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. 15. Scott claimed that Pillow was ''the only person I have ever known who was wholly indifferent in the choice between truth and falsehood. When talk of secession reached Pillows home state of Tennessee, he helped organize the state militia and was appointed a brigadier general in the Confederate army. Hull was thoroughly outclassed. 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. Hull withdrew after a series of harassing attacks by Tecumsehs highly mobile raiding parties. Pillow faced a court-martial for stealing a Mexican cannon and attempting to spirit it home in his personal baggage, but Polk intervened to clear Pillows record. A dull, unfeeling, unimaginative, smug "Colonel Blimp" of the worst sort. After gaining ground trying to cut an escape path for the Confederates during the February 1862 siege of Fort Donelson by Union forces led Brig. This piece originally appeared in The National Interest https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/6-worst-military-leaders-ever-167526. He worked under Adolf Hitler's Third Reich as a leading general and gained fame from his battles in North Africa. James K. Polk. - 2 Worst: 2007 Washington Wizards. For many soldiers, a major tipping point happened when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968, news of which reaches the soldiers in Da 5 Bloods during one particularly stirring scene . When all is said and done, it doesnt matter how nice, brave, courageous, gutsy, loyal, or brilliant commanders theyve been. Some 15,000 talents of gold (the so-called Gold of Tolosa) had vanished under his watch, never to be recovered. British Gen. Isaac Brock possessed a remarkable ability to anticipate his opponents moves and reactions, and it was not long before he had taken full measure of Hull. Todays list: The top ten reasons Gen. Westmoreland lost the war in Vietnam, Want to read more on this topic or region? Without question, many lives would be saved if their tactical professionalism were enhanced.. Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security. You start by being the only thing that can frustrate Napoleon more than a Russian winter. Finally, there was MacArthur's insubordination. Weekly update on whats driving U.S. national security policy. Unfortunately the fates of the former Republic Vietnam (Sout. 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. Civil War Casualties | American Battlefield Trust However, not even they managed to get themselves court-martialed and sentenced to death for ineptitude on the battlefield. But MacArthur's strategy certainly helped unleash 300,000 Chinese "volunteers" who inflicted significant casualties on United Nations forces. Caepio may have been a terrible general, but he was apparently an exceptional thief. Top 10 Worst World Leaders - Wonderslist He was uninterested in other viewpoints on how the war might be prosecuted, dismissing the PROVN Study sponsored by Army Chief of Staff General Harold K. Johnson (which concluded that Westmorelands way of war was not working and could not work) and basic disagreements with Westmorelands organization and approach voiced by his brilliant classmate General Bruce Palmer Jr. 7. Villeneuve was then to return in secret and help establish naval dominance of the English Channel in preparation for a land invasion of Britain. Its quite exclusive: combat leaders who had the fate of their people in their hands and squandered it all. He effectively pledged to become an agent for the U.S. but found that he had been deposed upon his return to Mexico. Here is a list of the 10 most famous Chinese generals in history. And how might that be impacting the world? My daughter thinks 2018 was the worst year ever. I'd nominate 1968 When the French deposed Benito Jurez and installed Maximilian as emperor of Mexico, Santa Anna, now 70, reached out to the U.S. for support in deposing the emperor. Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. In 1847, U.S. troops once again surprised Santa Anna and captured his prosthetic leg. Yes, the landing at Inchon unhinged the initial North Korean offensive. 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. The Top Ten. Registration for summer courses begins March 18, 2023 and ends June 7, 2023. 3. 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. They kept it as a war trophy, exhibiting the leg at county fairs. Innumerable battlefield commanders have had disastrous days at the office. 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. Had Lincoln retained McClellan in command of the Union armies, many former Americans might still be whistling "Dixie.". Watch the conversation or read the condensed transcript. Delivered Wednesday & Sunday. Top 10 Utterly Useless Military Commanders - Listverse The pandemics outbreak brought rare reporting freedoms. While Hull dithered, Brock captured Fort Michilimackinac, establishing British control of the Straits of Mackinac. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews. General William Westmoreland. . Russias war is receiving critical assistance from authoritarian regimes around the world. Grant left politics to the politicians and did what had to be done. 1. Creighton Abrams was an U.S. Army General who commanded American military operations in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1972. Who was the worst US general during the Vietnam War? Explore the benefits of your FP subscription. 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. Antonio de Padua Mara Severino Lpez de Santa Anna. Vast areas dotted with villages were blasted with artillery, bombed from the air. Fortunately, along came Reaganif not for that, Westmorelands military reversals could well have signaled the beginning of our end. Instead he simply sent more and more replacements to make up his losses. You worked for GEN Westmoreland when he was Army Chief of Staff. Where is Carthage you ask? The British blockaded the port at Cdiz with a numerically inferior force, and Villeneuve, upon learning that he was to be relieved of command, rashly struck out at Nelsons fleet. How might Vietnam or Iraq have turned out if a George Washington, a Ulysses Grant or a George Patton had been in command?