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Started By
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re: Military experts: who is your worst general?
Posted on 12/16/25 at 6:48 pm to TexasTiger08
Posted on 12/16/25 at 6:48 pm to TexasTiger08
McClellan
Burnside
Hallack
Hooker
Burnside
Hallack
Hooker
0
Posted on 12/16/25 at 7:09 pm to TexasTiger08
I hold General Ulysses S Grant responsible for the current crime rate in Louisiana.
This post was edited on 12/16/25 at 7:10 pm
Posted on 12/16/25 at 7:09 pm to PJinAtl
quote:
John Bell Hood
When I read the thread title, he is who was the first to pop in my mind.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 7:15 pm to 844_Tiger
quote:
Whoever was leading the Krauts on the eastern front in WW2.
Wasn't this General Heinz Guderian?
Posted on 12/16/25 at 7:21 pm to TexasTiger08
Ewell at Gettysburg was really terrible. From Google AI:
At Gettysburg, General Lee told General Ewell to take Cemetery Hill "if practicable" on the first day, meaning "if it's possible" or "if you can without a big fight," but Ewell, exhausted and new to corps command, decided it wasn't practical and didn't attack, allowing the Union to secure the crucial high ground, a decision often cited as a key turning point that shaped the rest of the battle. The phrase's vagueness allowed Ewell discretion, but many argue it reflected Lee's poor communication and Ewell's hesitation cost the Confederates the battle.
The "If Practicable" Order
Context: Late on July 1, 1863, after Confederates pushed Union forces back, Cemetery Hill remained undefended by the South.
Lee's Command: Lee instructed Ewell to seize the hill, adding the crucial qualifier, "if practicable," and not to bring on a general engagement.
Ewell's Decision: Ewell, facing tired troops and a strong defensive position, judged the attack impractical and held back, letting Union troops fortify the heights.
Significance & Controversy
Strategic Blunder: Many historians believe Ewell's decision allowed the Union to establish a strong, defensible position (the "fishhook") that proved difficult for Lee to dislodge in the following days, influencing the entire battle.
"Lost Cause" Narrative: The order became central to the post-war "Lost Cause" narrative, with some Southerners blaming Ewell for failing to emulate the aggressive Stonewall Jackson, who would have, they claimed, taken the hill immediately.
Communication vs. Command: The incident highlights a recurring criticism of Lee's command style at Gettysburg: his reliance on vague, discretionary orders rather than clear, direct commands, especially with new corps commanders like Ewell.
At Gettysburg, General Lee told General Ewell to take Cemetery Hill "if practicable" on the first day, meaning "if it's possible" or "if you can without a big fight," but Ewell, exhausted and new to corps command, decided it wasn't practical and didn't attack, allowing the Union to secure the crucial high ground, a decision often cited as a key turning point that shaped the rest of the battle. The phrase's vagueness allowed Ewell discretion, but many argue it reflected Lee's poor communication and Ewell's hesitation cost the Confederates the battle.
The "If Practicable" Order
Context: Late on July 1, 1863, after Confederates pushed Union forces back, Cemetery Hill remained undefended by the South.
Lee's Command: Lee instructed Ewell to seize the hill, adding the crucial qualifier, "if practicable," and not to bring on a general engagement.
Ewell's Decision: Ewell, facing tired troops and a strong defensive position, judged the attack impractical and held back, letting Union troops fortify the heights.
Significance & Controversy
Strategic Blunder: Many historians believe Ewell's decision allowed the Union to establish a strong, defensible position (the "fishhook") that proved difficult for Lee to dislodge in the following days, influencing the entire battle.
"Lost Cause" Narrative: The order became central to the post-war "Lost Cause" narrative, with some Southerners blaming Ewell for failing to emulate the aggressive Stonewall Jackson, who would have, they claimed, taken the hill immediately.
Communication vs. Command: The incident highlights a recurring criticism of Lee's command style at Gettysburg: his reliance on vague, discretionary orders rather than clear, direct commands, especially with new corps commanders like Ewell.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 7:28 pm to TexasTiger08
Burnside.
Some of the Russian generals on the Eastern Front were pretty terrible, but they had few choices.
Some of the Russian generals on the Eastern Front were pretty terrible, but they had few choices.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 7:31 pm to TexasTiger08
That I have met?
Patrick D. Frank
Patrick D. Frank
Posted on 12/16/25 at 7:59 pm to TigerintheNO
Custer was actually an effective general in the civil war. His casualty rate was excessive.
If you read Steven Ambrose book custer and crazy horse you will get some incredible insight into custer and his command at little big horn.
His ego killed him and his command.
If you read Steven Ambrose book custer and crazy horse you will get some incredible insight into custer and his command at little big horn.
His ego killed him and his command.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 7:59 pm to TexasTiger08
Didn’t know or pay much attention at the time, but shortly after I got out of the Marine Corps it’s “body count” Westmoreland, taking orders without question from McNamara who much later admitted he knew we’d never win with existing, timid, stupid strategy.
For the NVA, Jane Fonda hate that b***** to this day.
WW2, Montgomery who thought we Americans where there for his convenience and tried to take credit for Patton’s remarkable success at the Battle of the Bulge. Brit upper crust poser.
For the NVA, Jane Fonda hate that b***** to this day.
WW2, Montgomery who thought we Americans where there for his convenience and tried to take credit for Patton’s remarkable success at the Battle of the Bulge. Brit upper crust poser.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:04 pm to TexasTiger08
General Electric = worst
General Tso's Chicken = best.
General Tso's Chicken = best.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:27 pm to TexasTiger08
Civil War - George McClellan, other Union Generals too numerous to list.
WW I - John J Pershing
WW II - Several. Lloyd Frendenhall. Most don't know, but LT Gen Simon Bolivar caused way too many casualties in Okinawa with his tactic of moving masses of the U.S. forces toward the enemy instead of listening to the Marine Corps leadership to go around the well dug in Japanese imperial army and surround them on the southern end of the island. He lost his life toward the end of the war to an artillery shell. When I was stationed in Okinawa, I stood on the very spot where he was killed during a war tour.
Korean war - Douglas MacArthur. This fool had the ill prepared 8th Army wiped out by the Chinese army near the Yalu River in the early stages of the war. Thank God for the Marines that were able to blast their way from the Chosin Reservoir after being surrounded by the massive, but ill equipped Chinese army.
Vietnam War - Gen William Westmoreland. He underestimated the North Vietnamese military and should have wrapped up America's involvement over there. Finally relieved of command in 1968, but it was too late!
WW I - John J Pershing
WW II - Several. Lloyd Frendenhall. Most don't know, but LT Gen Simon Bolivar caused way too many casualties in Okinawa with his tactic of moving masses of the U.S. forces toward the enemy instead of listening to the Marine Corps leadership to go around the well dug in Japanese imperial army and surround them on the southern end of the island. He lost his life toward the end of the war to an artillery shell. When I was stationed in Okinawa, I stood on the very spot where he was killed during a war tour.
Korean war - Douglas MacArthur. This fool had the ill prepared 8th Army wiped out by the Chinese army near the Yalu River in the early stages of the war. Thank God for the Marines that were able to blast their way from the Chosin Reservoir after being surrounded by the massive, but ill equipped Chinese army.
Vietnam War - Gen William Westmoreland. He underestimated the North Vietnamese military and should have wrapped up America's involvement over there. Finally relieved of command in 1968, but it was too late!
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:33 pm to Centinel
Amen
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:36 pm to goodgrin
quote:A lot of Marines hated him for the unnecessary loss of life on Peleliu. That coral atoll should have been bypassed like so many other Pacific islands.
Douglas MacArthur
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:40 pm to 844_Tiger
You misspelled Hitler’s meddling
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:40 pm to 844_Tiger
quote:Fault there lies with Hitler and the High Command. The Germans did well when engaging, but kept being diverted all over the place, which drug out the timeline and led to being caught unprepared for winter.
Whoever was leading the Krauts on the eastern front in WW2. They should have been better prepared for the Russian winter and they all knew Stalin was a psychopath that would have killed every single human being in the Soviet Union to save his own skin.
And then it was Hitler who wouldn't allow them to withdraw when they ran into trouble.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:42 pm to TexasTiger08
Not a general per se, but Colonel Sanders. Responsible for mass domestic casualties and many more inflicted with bloody diarrhea.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:49 pm to TexasTiger08
Captain Crunch.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:58 pm to TexasTiger08
John P Lucas
Who stalled too long at Anzio after the invasion landing. And the Germans just remained on the high ground and blasted US troops with artillery.
Who stalled too long at Anzio after the invasion landing. And the Germans just remained on the high ground and blasted US troops with artillery.
This post was edited on 12/16/25 at 8:59 pm
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:01 pm to TigerintheNO
Custer (he was no longer a general but had reverted to his prewar rank of LTC) was a terrible human being, but his tactics at LBH were cavalry doctrine on the frontier and he had been successful with them before. When you found the Indians you attacked before they had a chance to scatter. His mistake was in not believing his scouts, but in his defense Indians gathering in such large numbers was unprecedented. He simply couldn't comprehend that there were upwards of 20,000 Sioux and Cheyenne camped along the LBH. They had the numbers advantage this time and stood and fought.
McKenzie, commanding the 2nd Cavalry, defeated the Comanche in a series of campaigns during the same timeframe, using essentially the same tactics as Custer
McKenzie, commanding the 2nd Cavalry, defeated the Comanche in a series of campaigns during the same timeframe, using essentially the same tactics as Custer
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:09 pm to Jim Rockford
Arthur St Clair got 25% of the entire US Army killed in one day at the Battle of the Wabash. Not 25% of the troops under his command. 25% of the whole army.
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