History's Famous Bad Generals

[privatehudson]

What's bad about Meade? he won the decisive battle of the War.

Really, which one?

I think the problem with a lot of generals is that they usually have an ideal level that they shouldn't be promoted beyond. Hood was a good divisional commander in the east for example but not very good in Corps command and even worse when put in charge of an army. Burnside is another example, a man who even knew the level he shouldn't have gone beyond as was quite prepared to say so.

 

[Lockesdonkey]

Really, which one?

Um, I dunno, maybe Gettysburg?

 

[RomeoTheCat]

I know he is not a general but I think Admiral Pierre Villeneuve deserves mention here. He lost to Horatio Nelson at Trafalgar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Charles_Silvestre_de_Villeneuve

 

[privatehudson]

Um, I dunno, maybe Gettysburg?

Oh I know he won Gettysburg, I just don't happen to consider it to be the decisive battle of the war that's all.

 

[Shekwan]

Why do the French suck at modern warafre so much?
Later they had that terrible memory of losing to every former colony they possessed...

add the Spanish generals for losing their colonies to the US.............

I don't really get what losing colonies has to do with the military leadership. Colonies simply didn't work in the latter half of the 20th century. The British were being bankrupt by their empire and guerilla insurgencies are pretty much impossible to defeat without enourmous investment and determination. Even then it's very difficult to defeat.

 

[Knighterror1013]

Oh, bad generals, thats easy. The worst would be hands down Hitler. Although not technically a General, he put himself into a Generals position shortly after the Russian invasion. He took the Nazis from what appeared to be victory to the fall of Berlin. Just look at all the great Generals he fired or usurped power from. It really is insane when you look at it. He got rid of alot after they proved thier brilliance. He decided the course of action in Russia, many of the objectives, and didn't listen to any the plans or objections of his Generals on the ground, who may have not been able to be stopped if left to decide how and when the fighting was done, as they had done the whole war up to that point.

 

[Knighterror1013]

Also, during the American Civil War, the Confederacy had the better generals, there is no doubt. The North had more money, resources, and allies.

 

[Eretz Yisrael]

And you're basing your assesment of their record solely on the war of 1870-71 I take it?

Oops... sorry my bad. But you have to admit Bourbaki wa pretty bad........

 

[sydhe]

Oh I know he won Gettysburg, I just don't happen to consider it to be the decisive battle of the war that's all.

True, Vicksburg was just as important. Should have said one of the decisive battles.