My favourite subject: the blunders and the blunderers …. littering the annals of military history.
I know there was a similar thread titled: Biggest Blunders in Military History started by The Other Guy. As the thread developed the focus of the discussion changed from ‘blunders’ to ‘history, as I know’ or that was my understanding. Therefore, I want to resurrect this thread with due recognition to The Other Guy and all participating members in that thread.
I understand this is a subject, which is very flexible to personal understanding and knowledge. As some of the members have pointed out the blunders can be categorized at different levels- Strategic, Operational, Tactical levels. While strategic blunders are attributed to politicians (like Stalin refusing to accept the intelligence against German buildup or Hitler declaring war on the US to honour the Axis pact with Japan), operational and tactical blunders are mostly credited to military commanders. Not all the mistakes and defeats can’t bedubbed as blunders or disasters. Often then not, they are associated with the blatant disregard to lives of under command, poor planning, faulty intelligence, unfit, inapt or ambitious commanders, and most alarmingly political muddling in the operational level. I intend to classify and present a few such events which/who according to my perspective, deserves to be in the Military Hall of Shame. Few known and successful generals/ commanders may deserve place here also for individual event/battle (Monty of Arnhem) but not necessarily for the whole tenure of the engagement. While the causes for a particular debacle may be endless, the root is limited to only a few such causes. Of course, individual view on the matter will set the stage for deciding the sublime cause behind.
I am sure there will be differences in opinion. I encourage that and hope to refine my understanding and knowledge from that. I would also request the informed members to contribute spontaneously with their view with some elaboration.
I have made following broad categories and will try to discuss one by one. You are welcome to chip in.
Ø Underestimating Enemy
Ø Unfit Leaders
Ø Planning Disasters
Ø Intelligence Blunders
Ø Political Influence
Underestimating Enemy - Coming up soon
Unfit Leaders...
I know there was a similar thread titled: Biggest Blunders in Military History started by The Other Guy. As the thread developed the focus of the discussion changed from ‘blunders’ to ‘history, as I know’ or that was my understanding. Therefore, I want to resurrect this thread with due recognition to The Other Guy and all participating members in that thread.
I understand this is a subject, which is very flexible to personal understanding and knowledge. As some of the members have pointed out the blunders can be categorized at different levels- Strategic, Operational, Tactical levels. While strategic blunders are attributed to politicians (like Stalin refusing to accept the intelligence against German buildup or Hitler declaring war on the US to honour the Axis pact with Japan), operational and tactical blunders are mostly credited to military commanders. Not all the mistakes and defeats can’t bedubbed as blunders or disasters. Often then not, they are associated with the blatant disregard to lives of under command, poor planning, faulty intelligence, unfit, inapt or ambitious commanders, and most alarmingly political muddling in the operational level. I intend to classify and present a few such events which/who according to my perspective, deserves to be in the Military Hall of Shame. Few known and successful generals/ commanders may deserve place here also for individual event/battle (Monty of Arnhem) but not necessarily for the whole tenure of the engagement. While the causes for a particular debacle may be endless, the root is limited to only a few such causes. Of course, individual view on the matter will set the stage for deciding the sublime cause behind.
I am sure there will be differences in opinion. I encourage that and hope to refine my understanding and knowledge from that. I would also request the informed members to contribute spontaneously with their view with some elaboration.
I have made following broad categories and will try to discuss one by one. You are welcome to chip in.
Ø Underestimating Enemy
Ø Unfit Leaders
Ø Planning Disasters
Ø Intelligence Blunders
Ø Political Influence
Underestimating Enemy - Coming up soon
Unfit Leaders...
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