Allied with Brock was the Shawnee chief Tecumseh, who was head of the most formidable pan-Indian military force the continent had ever seen. In 1940, after increasing pressure from dictator Benito Mussolini and facing demotion, Graziani followed orders and invaded Egypt with his Tenth Army. 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. 4. This strategy inevitably failed as the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong maintained control over how the war was fought which was through guerilla warfare. He continued on to suffer defeats at Spion Kop and Vaal Krantz, almost letting the war slip away from the British. He was found guilty of 11 counts, and only the intervention by Pres. Dispatched to India, he led campaigns to help subdue the subcontinent, replacing the crown jewel he had lost. Unfortunately the fates of the former Republic Vietnam (Sout. Create an FP account to save articles to read later and in the FP mobile app. 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. These are the incompetents, the idiots, the bumblers who have represented armies or nations at war only to lead them to defeat or shame. [i] However, the list is subjective, and open to debate, as top 10 lists tend to be. 3. 15. - 3 Best: 1987 Los Angeles Lakers. Exactly. Pillow escaped during the night, leaving Simon B. Buckner to surrender the fort and 15,000 Confederate troops. Percival was off mistreating Irish Republican Army (IRA) leaders during the Anglo-Irish War before commanding British Malaya in World War II. And how might that be impacting the world? It would be nice if all American generals were great. There are issues around killing and counting unarmed civilians (non-combatants) as enemy combatants, as well as inflating the number of actual enemy who were killed in action (KIA).For search and destroy operations, as the objective was not to . His battlefield losses marked the end of the Persian Empire. Routed by U.S. forces under Winfield Scott, Santa Anna was again driven into exile. 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.. Yes, Westmoreland was the general who lost Vietnam. Ulysses S. Grant made his Civil War debut at the Battle of Belmont against Confederate Gen. Gideon Pillow. Is the Biden administrations China policy too hawkish? But all that remains of his would-be empire today is a flaky French pastry. A very significant instance was his determination to arbitrarily hold down the estimate of enemy strength during a 1967 order of battle controversy. But the inducements encourage U.S. companies to invest only at homenot elsewhere. He was an artilleryman who missed out on the Army's great schools system, never attending the Command & General Staff College or the Army War College. 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. Here's What You Need To Remember:The Soviets saw the American humiliation in Vietnam as a turning point. War is an extension of politics, and if commanders dont help secure the desired political ends, they get a failing grade. After the war, the phrase lions led by donkeys came to be associated with the British army for what should be obvious reasons. Lincoln relieved McClellan but reinstated him after the devastating Union defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run. At Brownstown, south of Detroit, two dozen warriors under Tecumseh routed more than 200 American militiamen escorting a supply column intended for Detroit. Yet Fredendall's solution was to order an Army engineer company to build a giant bunker a hundred miles from the front lines. 6. Still, it is his world-changing defeat at Yorktown that merits memorializing. Despite the Union outnumbering the Confederates, McClellan was unable to crush Robert E. Lee after failing to pursue him into Virginia. He lacked the schooling and relevant experience to understand the war and devise a viable approach to prosecuting it. After the Germans attacked, Gamelin was eventually removed from his post, but by then it was too late. 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. But his crowning achievement was bad generalship in Korea. Had Lincoln retained McClellan in command of the Union armies, many former Americans might still be whistling "Dixie.". 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). 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). What does that mean for trade and globalization? On September 9, 1965, Navy Cmdr. 10 Redvers Buller By signing up, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to occasionally receive special offers from Foreign Policy. (You May Also Like: The Five Best U.S. Persian Gulf (1988) (Oil Platforms) 2. Innumerable battlefield commanders have had disastrous days at the office. 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. In stereotypically McClellan fashion, he was promptly checked by a vastly inferior force under John Bankhead Magruder. The most important, and also the saddest, is that in Vietnam and thereafter Westmoreland was willing to shade or misremember or deny or invent the record when his perceived interests were at stake. 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. 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. After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts. This might have ended okay for Germany, provided they didnt do something like provoke a previously neutral country with Allied sympathies and an effectively bottomless war chest. But the inducements encourage U.S. companies to invest only at homenot elsewhere. Would he be upset if he were alive to read this book today? But the worst of all was McClellan, the so-called "Young Napoleon" from whom Lincoln and the Union expected great things. 2. Grant had encircled the fort. But the worst of all was McClellan, the so-called "Young Napoleon" from whom Lincoln. Germanic tribes sacrificed Roman officers on altars to their gods. Finally, there was MacArthur's insubordination. If there was a saving grace for America, it was that he wasn't commanding an army. Instead he simply sent more and more replacements to make up his losses. While Hull dithered, Brock captured Fort Michilimackinac, establishing British control of the Straits of Mackinac. Gates thought otherwise, and fancied himself a better commander than George Washington. Alexander, Napoleon, Rommel. Perhaps Mao would have intervened anyway. In order, from most culpable down. Hannibal. How do you measure military leaders? Cue the protests from other parts of the globe: A chorus of nations are accusing Washington of fostering unfair competition. 1. Ludendorff is one of historys greatest examples of a general who can win battles but still loses the war. Keep up with the world without stopping yours. Your guide to the most important world stories of the day. 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. Some historians are a little more sympathetic towards Percivals legacy nowadays arguing that Percival had been dealt an unusually bad hand. 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. 4. 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. - 2 Worst: 2007 Washington Wizards. 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. - 4 Worst: 1990 Cleveland Cavaliers. So unused to being challenged, the United States has become so filled with anxiety over China that sober responses are becoming nearly impossible. Cue the protests from other parts of the globe: A chorus of nations are accusing Washington of fostering unfair competition. 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. A key plank in the Democratic platform that year was, appropriately, not fighting, and McClellan lost in a rout. A dull, unfeeling, unimaginative, smug "Colonel Blimp" of the worst sort. 5. 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. Major General Sir Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend The idiot who, seeking self aggrandisement, led his army, Force D, to disaster at Kut in WW1. In 1941, Graziani resigned his commission after the British counterattacked and the Tenth Army was completely defeated during Operation Compass. In fifteen thought-provoking essays, each written by a professional military historian, readers are introduced . These are the incompetents, the idiots, the bumblers who have represented armies or nations at war only to lead them to defeat or shame. Fortunately, along came Reaganif not for that, Westmorelands military reversals could well have signaled the beginning of our end. The suppression of drug consumption and trade is high on the Government of Vietnam's agenda. McClellan was removed from command immediately after. 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. Instead of sweeping around the French defenses in a massive flanking movement, the Germans were checked at the First Battle of the Marne. These operations were designed to seek out enemy forces and engage them in decisive battle. 2. How might Vietnam or Iraq have turned out if a George Washington, a Ulysses Grant or a George Patton had been in command? Delivered Wednesday. 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. 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. At the height of the Cold War, he dealt decisively with neither. 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. Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. The latest news, analysis, and data from the country each week. How theyve practiced the art of war is immaterial, too. Of course, that is what they did when Ludendorff pushed for the use of unrestricted submarine warfare against Allied shipping. In considering who should receive such a dubious honor, Ive consciously excluded bad leaders. 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. General Wheeler was often just flat wrong in what he told the President. With the Little Corporal running everything, Europe might have become a very different place. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consult individual encyclopedia entries about the topics. It was a humiliating baptism of fire for the U.S. Army in Europe, and more important, caused British commanders to dismiss their Yank allies as amateur soldiers for the rest of the war. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. While Maximus was conducting negotiations with the Cimbri, a Germanic tribe that had invaded the Roman province of Transalpine Gaul, Caepio rashly attacked the Cimbri army on October 6, 105 BCE. Not until 1995 did Vietnam release its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Haig had largely dismissed the effect of the machine gun on the battlefield, believing that previous Allied failures owed to something other than an impenetrable wall of lead traveling at ballistic velocity. Ulysses S. Grant, who replaced McClellan, understood this. For one thing, we wouldnt haveSpartacuson Netflix. Who was the worst general in history? But he was overly cautious by nature. Fort Bragg was named in 1918 during the Jim Crow era. Weekly update on whats driving U.S. national security policy. 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. You start by being the only thing that can frustrate Napoleon more than a Russian winter. Thats an automatic disqualification from Hall membership. - 1 Best: 1996 Chicago Bulls. It would be nice if all American generals were great. Download the FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. Is Weiss correct? By December 1864 Paraguay was at war with Brazil, and, when Argentina denied a request for the transit of a Paraguayan army across its territory, Lpez declared war on that country as well. Although he outnumbered Magruders Army of the Peninsula 10-to-1, McClellan settled in for a monthlong siege. Test yourself on the week of Feb. 25: Nigeria votes, Finland builds a border wall, and Israel escalates repression. What will another year of war look like? Many historians have said Bragg was one of the worst generals of the Civil War, having lost most of his battles. Darius was a different sort of game-changer. 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. 9. Santa Anna would lose Texas at the Battle of San Jacinto. Top 10 Most Underrated Military Generals. His forces outnumbered Alexanders men by at least a 2 to 1 ratio, but Darius was still outflanked, defeated and forced to flee. To counter these, Major General William R. Peers commenced Operation Greeley using elements of the 4th Infantry Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Varus was stationed with three of his legions, the 17th, 18th and 19th when news arrived of a revolt growing in the Rhine area. Ultimately, he was denied his final showdown with the Allies by German political leaders who realized that the Americans could produce soldiers faster than Germany could produce bullets. McClellan was a proto-Douglas MacArthur who bad-mouthed his president and commander-in-chief. Listing MacArthur as one of America's worst generals will be controversial. 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. General Westmorelands close associate, General William DePuy, later admitted the futility of the Westmoreland way of war. 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. The American Civil War was a factory for producing bad generals such as Braxton Bragg and Ambrose Burnside. Hull, convinced that he was hopelessly outnumbered (he wasnt), surrendered Fort Detroit and its 2,000-man garrison without firing a shot. Is Weiss correct? Even a string of bad days does not guarantee entry. At the Battle of Gaugamela, he helped make Alexander great by losing half his army to the Macedonian upstart. Join FPs Ravi Agrawal for a frank discussion about the Biden administrations China policy and alternatives that it ought to consider. This did not, however, achieve the postulated outcome. See the vast swaths of land to the north and south that arent Paraguay? 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 Persians had a mixed record against the Greeks. A final humiliation came during Mexican-American War. He was a teacher in the Chicago suburbs and Seoul, Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He decided to conduct of a war of attrition, using search and destroy tactics, in which the measure of merit was body count. 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 William Childs Westmoreland (1914- 2005) with President Johnson in South Vietnam #1. Although he eventually disavowed Hitler, by that point Ludendorff had become so deeply involved with mysticism that few took him seriously. 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. What a Lovely War and then in the 1989 television comedy series Blackadder Goes Forth. A more positive example is George Washington. Hulls nerve was shattered. George Custer at the Little Big Horn and Lord Chelmsford at the Battle of Isandlwana leap to mind. 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. What is the standard of shame for induction? Yet, Hannibal nevertheless ranks as one of the worlds epic fails. The Western Front was a much bigger stage upon which to fail, however, and British commander Douglas Haig made the most of the opportunity. You may opt out at any time. Santa Anna, a lifetime gambler, was known for his risk taking in battle, but also his brutality. Francisco Solano Lpez managed to stumble into a war with pretty much all of that. Watchthe conversation onFP Live, the magazines forum for live journalism, orreada condensed transcript. 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. Even now, the easiest way to get into an argument at a V.F.W. While this century witnessed many great leaders, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dr. Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi . Download the new FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. 5. 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. James Jay Carafano is a leading expert in national security and foreign policy challenges. Michael Peck is a contributing writer at Foreign Policy and a writer for War Is Boring. But with that kind of advantage in troops and firepower, who wouldnt? 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. They dramatically upped their game, pressing the U.S. worldwide. 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. 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. Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam, Chinas Censors Are Afraid of What Chatbots Might Say, The U.S. The War of the Triple Alliance devastated Paraguay. A curated selection of our very best long reads. Vice President, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute. Then, in an ill-advised comeback, he met his Waterloo. After making a laughingstock of himself by ordering his men to entrench on the wrong side of fortifications at Camargo, Pillow bungled his role at the Battle of Cerro Gordo, making himself the low point of a resounding American victory. Concurrently with hi. McClellan was a superb organizer, a West Point-trained engineer who did much to build the Union army almost from . 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. 15. This was true in matters both great and small. Yes, the landing at Inchon unhinged the initial North Korean offensive. Antonio de Padua Mara Severino Lpez de Santa Anna. History: Military History. Most younger officers who worked around General Westmoreland, excepting only a very few among his many aides-de-camp or executive officers and the like, had no personal relationship with this difficult and distant man. Thus there was little internal capacity for debating or evaluating his chosen course of action. Driven into exile in 1845, he contacted U.S. Pres. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail. The self proclaimed Napoleon of the West didnt quite leave the same legacy as his idol.