Worst General in History???

[ConHog]

Talk about exaggeration. Try 620,000 men total killed in the Civil War.

I live on the Little Bull Run, about a stones throw from my back door, so I get to go all these places. If you've ever been to Fredricksburg and saw what Burnside attempted, it would send icy shivers up your spine. As a former Infantryman, I just can't imagine what callous disregard for both mission success and his men, his actions displayed.

I lived in Alexandria and have been to Fredericksburg. I would not have attempted what Burnside did. IMO, he should have been court martialed. That was murder.

I have been there, and I studied that fool's "tactics" in various military classes. he was a glory hound, no doubt. But I still think Custer was the worst tactician to ever wear a US Army star.

 

[Tech_Esq]

Talk about exaggeration. Try 620,000 men total killed in the Civil War.

I live on the Little Bull Run, about a stones throw from my back door, so I get to go all these places. If you've ever been to Fredricksburg and saw what Burnside attempted, it would send icy shivers up your spine. As a former Infantryman, I just can't imagine what callous disregard for both mission success and his men, his actions displayed.

I lived in Alexandria and have been to Fredericksburg. I would not have attempted what Burnside did. IMO, he should have been court martialed. That was murder.

Then we might have a winner. Burnside for worst after Arnold (Benedict not Hap).

MacArthur, generally won his engagements with the enemy. That makes him a damned good general in the field. This author sounds like he wants to down-grade him because he wasn't as deferential to politcos as Ike was. Meh. I think the policos should have had better people skills to know how to handle a very successful commander in the field. I view it more as their short-coming than his.

 

[Tech_Esq]

I live on the Little Bull Run, about a stones throw from my back door, so I get to go all these places. If you've ever been to Fredricksburg and saw what Burnside attempted, it would send icy shivers up your spine. As a former Infantryman, I just can't imagine what callous disregard for both mission success and his men, his actions displayed.

I lived in Alexandria and have been to Fredericksburg. I would not have attempted what Burnside did. IMO, he should have been court martialed. That was murder.

I have been there, and I studied that fool's "tactics" in various military classes. he was a glory hound, no doubt. But I still think Custer was the worst tactician to ever wear a US Army star.

Custer was a Brevet Brigadier when he served in the Union Army, but a LTC at Little Big Horn.

There are enough "real" generals around to criticize, I don't know that we need dig up brevets to review.

 

[ConHog]

I lived in Alexandria and have been to Fredericksburg. I would not have attempted what Burnside did. IMO, he should have been court martialed. That was murder.

I have been there, and I studied that fool's "tactics" in various military classes. he was a glory hound, no doubt. But I still think Custer was the worst tactician to ever wear a US Army star.

Custer was a Brevet Brigadier when he served in the Union Army, but a LTC at Little Big Horn.

There are enough "real" generals around to criticize, I don't know that we need dig up brevets to review.

I didn't realize we could only judge based on the actions while they were actually a General, I thought they're whole career was important.

 

[bodecea]

Who was the worst general in American history? -

Who was the worst general in American history?



Pulitzer prize-winning reporter Thomas Ricks, writing in Foreign Policy, picks Gen. Douglas MacArthur as the worst general in American history, just ahead of traitor Benedict Arnold.

Ricks, who covered military affairs for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, fingers MacArthur for "being insubordinate to three presidents (Hoover, Roosevelt and Truman) as well as screwing up the Korean War."

He also knocks MacArthur for gassing and suppressing Bonus Marchers in 1932.



I would have picked George McClellan whose timidity in battle cost millions of lives in the Civil War

Not very good at this history stuff, are you?

MacArthur hardly is the reason Korea got screwed up. Truman would be the reason Korea got screwed up. He's the one that started this fighting with one hand tied behind our backs and he didn't have the balls to stand up to China.

Pope, McDowell, Burnside and Hooker were FAR more inept Generals than McClellan. The North lost a total of 212M in combat during the entire war. Burnside lost 12K plus at Fredericksburg, repeatedly attempting frontal assaults on a firmly entrenched enemy holding the high ground. Hooker lost 17k at Chancellorville.

Saying McClellan cost millions of lives is exaggerating more than just a tad.

Fremont was pretty bad.

 

[bodecea]

Talk about exaggeration. Try 620,000 men total killed in the Civil War.

I live on the Little Bull Run, about a stones throw from my back door, so I get to go all these places. If you've ever been to Fredricksburg and saw what Burnside attempted, it would send icy shivers up your spine. As a former Infantryman, I just can't imagine what callous disregard for both mission success and his men, his actions displayed.

I lived in Alexandria and have been to Fredericksburg. I would not have attempted what Burnside did. IMO, he should have been court martialed. That was murder.

Then I would classify Pickett's Charge as murder as well.

 

[Tech_Esq]

I have been there, and I studied that fool's "tactics" in various military classes. he was a glory hound, no doubt. But I still think Custer was the worst tactician to ever wear a US Army star.

Custer was a Brevet Brigadier when he served in the Union Army, but a LTC at Little Big Horn.

There are enough "real" generals around to criticize, I don't know that we need dig up brevets to review.

I didn't realize we could only judge based on the actions while they were actually a General, I thought they're whole career was important.

The OP was about the worst General not the worst officer. One can make the argument that Custer was never a real General, therefore, he's out of the running. I say that notwithstanding the fact the MacArthur was also a brevet Brigadier (acting-jack) General in WW I.

I'd say that if the AJ General ever eventually earned the rank, then it's fair to also judge his actions as an AJ General along with his actions after he attained the rank for real.

How's that? Of do you have a real hard-on for Custer and just have to get after him to the exclusion of all the other terrible generals?

 

[Baruch Menachem]

We can criticize McCarthur for being duplicitous at Inchon. It seems to have been the right decision for the wrong reasons. Had he followed procedure, the news would have gone to the brits via Kim Philby. And the Norks would have known about it before our troops did.

The drive north really should have been better coordinated. They just moved too fast. It kept the Norks guessing, but when the Chinese came in, it would have a far worse disaster.

War is politics by other means. War is the tool of politics, rather than the other way around. I think it would have been better if Ridgeway had got the front line within artillery range of Pyongyang before they began talking. Make them worry.

 

[Tech_Esq]

We can criticize McCarthur for being duplicitous at Inchon. It seems to have been the right decision for the wrong reasons. Had he followed procedure, the news would have gone to the brits via Kim Philby. And the Norks would have known about it before our troops did.

The drive north really should have been better coordinated. They just moved too fast. It kept the Norks guessing, but when the Chinese came in, it would have a far worse disaster.

War is politics by other means. War is the tool of politics, rather than the other way around. I think it would have been better if Ridgeway had got the front line within artillery range of Pyongyang before they began talking. Make them worry.

You got me on that one. MacArthur was duplicitous at Inchon? How is that? He was just leading the American relief forces in to relieve the Pusan Perimeter. My recollection of Inchon (and I had to learn it because my division was a participant) was that Inchon with 21 foot tides (on of the largest in the world) was improbably invaded by MacArthur surprising the North and the drive in from Inchon gouged a huge hole in the North's flank. This forced them to abandon their positions far in the South to avoid being cut off and chopped up piecemeal. It's generally considered to be one of MacArthur's master strokes. A metaphor for audacity of action.

But it was duplicitous? Please, fill in the gap for me.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

He didn't tell Marshall what he was doing until the troops were already ashore.

As a piece of Military art, it was a marvel. But you don't leave your boss in the dark like that.

It was the reason the Jt Cheif's didn't say a word when truman fired him. As far as they were concerned, it was time for him to fade away.

 

[rdean]

Confederate General "Jubilation T Cornpone", the worst general in US History. Single handedly saved the Union Army.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuWRh-lZicg]YouTube - Stubby Kaye "Jubilation T Cornpone"[/ame]

 

[ConHog]

Custer was a Brevet Brigadier when he served in the Union Army, but a LTC at Little Big Horn.

There are enough "real" generals around to criticize, I don't know that we need dig up brevets to review.

I didn't realize we could only judge based on the actions while they were actually a General, I thought they're whole career was important.

The OP was about the worst General not the worst officer. One can make the argument that Custer was never a real General, therefore, he's out of the running. I say that notwithstanding the fact the MacArthur was also a brevet Brigadier (acting-jack) General in WW I.

I'd say that if the AJ General ever eventually earned the rank, then it's fair to also judge his actions as an AJ General along with his actions after he attained the rank for real.

How's that? Of do you have a real hard-on for Custer and just have to get after him to the exclusion of all the other terrible generals?

Nope that's fair enough.....

Then I change my vote to Horatio Gates. Pretty much treasonous to Washington through the entire Revolutionary War.

 

[Againsheila]

I have to say that any general that would go against the American people is the worst. General MacArther did indeed go against the American people.

 

[Tech_Esq]

Marshall would have been Secretary of State by then (you remember -- the Marshall plan). But I take your point.

Again, this is the chiefs fault as much as it is Truman's. They should have brought MacArthur back within two years of the war ending. Remember the history. MacArthur was Chief of Staff of the Army in the 1930s. He had already been to the top of the food chain and then some. He went to the Philipines in the late 1930s (remember his father Arthur had been military commander there after the Spanish-American war and fought the insurgency. He eventually had two aides there Douglas MacArthur and Dwight Eisenhower...small world), to build up the Philipines army ahead of WW II. He was essentially retired when WW II came along. The Army recalled him and gave him command of American forces there just in time for the Japanese invasion.

The point is that by 1950, MacArthur hadn't been in the US in over a decade. If you are having control problems with a general, distance is not your friend. You need to bring him home and let him feel some authority. Now he probably would have retired, but that might have been an OK result.

 

[manifold]

Does Attorney General Janet Reno count?

I think she'd be high on this list.

 

[ConHog]

Does Attorney General Janet Reno count?

I think she'd be high on this list.

In that case I present to you Eric Holder

 

[Tech_Esq]

Does Attorney General Janet Reno count?

I think she'd be high on this list.

In that case I present to you Eric Holder

He's been just quietly bad. Reno actually took the "General" part of her title seriously and commanded military actions against the American people like Ruby Ridge, Waco and the Ellian Gonzolez affair. He has to work to get to that level. Although I will give you that he is more traitorous.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Worst general in US History? I'd have to say General Custer. Why? His arrogance got his entire regiment killed.

Nothing worse than an arrogant officer who thinks they never make mistakes.

Worst general in recent history? General Petraeus. He wanted to sell out the military for the presidency in 2012.

 

[Tech_Esq]

Worst general in US History? I'd have to say General Custer. Why? His arrogance got his entire regiment killed.

Nothing worse than an arrogant officer who thinks they never make mistakes.

Worst general in recent history? General Petraeus. He wanted to sell out the military for the presidency in 2012.

See discussion regarding considering Custer above. He doesn't make the grade.

Petraeus, I didn't see where he sold out the military to fulfil political aspirations. You have something on that?

 

[ABikerSailor]

Worst general in US History? I'd have to say General Custer. Why? His arrogance got his entire regiment killed.

Nothing worse than an arrogant officer who thinks they never make mistakes.

Worst general in recent history? General Petraeus. He wanted to sell out the military for the presidency in 2012.

See discussion regarding considering Custer above. He doesn't make the grade.

Petraeus, I didn't see where he sold out the military to fulfil political aspirations. You have something on that?

It was something that came up a couple of years ago. Gonna have to go looking, but I will get it for you.