What Do You Think Was Most Stupid And Pointless Battle (not war) Ever?

[Case]

I'll go Verdun. This is mainly becuase the Germans bungled their French 'meat grinder' by developing a similar obession for the Verdun forts which resulted in the Germans also being slaughtered.

The American Civil War has heaps of pointless battles. The performance of General Hood was especially bad. He lost Atlanta by leaving the cities defences before he had too, and then destroyed his army in the badly bungled, and needless battles of Franklin and Nashville. At Franklin the Confederates lost a greater percentage of men then the Union did at Fredricksburg.

Cold Harbour is also a fine example of a pointless battle that was lost before the first shot had been fired.

 

[SKILORD]

New Orleans is pretty good, but i must say that almost any attack made by italy in WW2.

 

[Benz]

I think the "Bloody Sundae" of Belfast deserves a mention too!

Soldiers pointing out the crown and shooting right on just to push them away... that has a good position into the top 10 list of most stupid moves.

 

[MrPresident]

I think the "Bloody Sundae" of Belfast deserves a mention too!

That is not classed as a battle.

 

[allhailIndia]

To me this is the most pointless battle ever, Here are the reasons.

1.Custer was not the great general man Americans thought him to be. His regiment was always the one to tak ethe most casualties in a battle and he had never really won a fair fight against the Indians either.

2.The reason for the "war" of the Plains was because the Indians had strayed from their reservations and sought new hunting grounds and places for them to live. THe Us Army intended to drive them back to their reservations only. However Custer saw this as an opportunity to get himself in the record books by killing most no. of Indians, mainly women and children, on the large encampment. However the warriors had been inside and came out rushing to defend their families and then completely rout the 7th cavalry. It is a fabrication that he had been ambushed because he had American as well as native Indian scouts to warn him of dangers ahead and yet he refused to believe them.

3.Nothing was ever accomplished except a further reason for any white man with a gun to after every Indian he saw and the gradual destruction of the Plains Indians through treachery, betrayal and disease.

P.S. SOmewhere in this forum I remember somebody qouting a German armyman on the Italians."at the first sign of the enemy, they put their hands up and surrender"

 

[Alcibiaties of Athenae]

allhailIndia, you view of that engagement is completly off.

I like history to be discussed here, please refrain from moralizing and out-right fabrication.

This is the true story of the little Big horn engagement:

http://www.ibiscom.com/custer.htm

If you don't care for that, here is another:

http://curtis-collection.com/tribe data/custer.html

Both include eyewitness accounts of the action.

At no time were "women and children" the target of attacks, and I grow tired of this trolling, only my distaste for US action in this period prevents me from taking action against you.

DO NOT REPEAT SUCH COMMENTS.

HISTORY ONLY.

BTW, Custer wasn't a general, that was a brevet rank from the US civil war, he was a Lt Col.

 

[cephyn]

Thanks Alcibiaties, you beat me to it...I was planning on tackling this issue, but now I don't have to. Bravo.

True though, the Custer engagement is one of the least understood historical events of the 19th Century.

 

[Pellaken]

"Italy attacks Greece through Albania (Really amusing, the Greeks take half of Albania from the "invaders" "

hey, HEY! I'm italian ya know. they only took 1/5th of it.. the Italians lost to the greeks in that war, for a few months, were bombarded... then Hitler stepped in and subdewed the entire ares in 2 months...


also, washington was a poor general. that dosent mean he couldent fight, he just wasent the best general out there.


and the stupist battle ever:
I red about it once... in 1938, while tensions were high, a bulgarian soldier was playing with his dog {a german sheprd} near the greek boarder, where the 2 armies were stationed {greek on thier side, bulgarian on thier side} the dog ran across the border, and was shot by a greek soldier who climbed up out of his entrechment to do so. immidetley, the soldier was shot and killed by the dog owener, who was, in turn, shot and killed by a greek soldier... eventually bulgaria invaded greece, occupied a town. later that day, the leaders of each nation found out about it, and called for peace. both armies later returned to thier proginal positions, minus 7 people who were killed.

 

[Alcibiaties of Athenae]

Originally posted by Pellaken
"hey, HEY! I'm italian ya know. they only took 1/5th of it.. the Italians lost to the greeks in that war, for a few months, were bombarded... then Hitler stepped in and subdewed the entire ares in 2 months...

They took almost 3/5 of Albania.

also, washington was a poor general. that dosent mean he couldent fight, he just wasent the best general out there.

Did you even read what I wrote?

 

[Case]

AoA, I've got to take issue with this statement from the first website you posted:

In less than an hour, Custer and his men were killed in the worst American military disaster ever.

Litte Big Horn hardly compares to the defeats that America/The Union suffered in the Battles of Long Island, Bull Run, Fredricksburg, Chancelorville or Cold Harbour, all of which preceded it.

 

[Pellaken]

Originally posted by Alcibiaties of Athenae
They took almost 3/5 of Albania.

where you getting your info from?

Originally posted by Alcibiaties of Athenae
Did you even read what I wrote?

no

edit-just did. your neglecting the errors in the 7 year war.
overall, he was "good" not great, but not bad eathier. he certainley wasent the hero that myth makes him out to be. he was a leader, visionary, and a good general. but he's not god as some americans make it sound.

 

[Alcibiaties of Athenae]

Originally posted by Case
AoA, I've got to take issue with this statement from the first website you posted:
Litte Big Horn hardly compares to the defeats that America/The Union suffered in the Battles of Long Island, Bull Run, Fredricksburg, Chancelorville or Cold Harbour, all of which preceded it.

I agree, that's why I found another site.

Most history on the internet is total crap.

where you getting your info from?

My education at Columbia university, here in New York City.

no

And how did I know that?

just did. your neglecting the errors in the 7 year war.
overall, he was "good" not great, but not bad eathier. he certainley wasent the hero that myth makes him out to be. he was a leader, visionary, and a good general. but he's not god as some americans make it sound.

He wasn't in command, Braddock was.

NO general is as good as they are made out to be, every officer has pros and cons, but to say Washington is bad is to deny history.

 

[Parmenion]

How about the American/UN invasion of Afghanistan?

Shocked?

Well, look at it this way....
1 - there is as yet no proof available to the general public that Osama Bin Laden was responsible for the atrocities comitted on Sep 11th. Politicians such as Bush and Blair tell us they have incontrovertible evidence that he is responsible - well lets see it then! Besides, these people are professional liars aren't they? It's all part of the job description.
2 - What have the Taliban got to do with anything related to the atrocities? Sure they said it was a good thing that happened to the US but that's just their opinion and hardly illegal. We are told that the Taliban are hiding Bin Laden and yet they deny this - and as yet he hasn't been found. Go figure.
3 - it is surely very unethical by modern standards to send a military force into a sovereign territory to bring a single person to justice, let alone to bomb the crap out of that nation. If this was allowed then the UK could have bombed Rio de Janeiro to make Brazil hand over Ronnie Biggs years ago!
4 - it is also highly unethical to justify missile strikes on a nation's military when such a high % of strikes are known to hit civilian targets, and it is indeed a well known and accepted margin of error.
5 - several national leaders across the globe have dropped everything they were doing to kiss GW Bush's arse and do the best they can to appease who they see as more of an furious bully rather than a bringer of justice. Mr Blair, you know you fit into this category but it's okay because I don't mind you spending my already over-inflated taxes on the US war effort rather than a new kidney dialysis machine for my nephew who will surely die without one - w@nker!

 

[MrPresident]

What have the Taliban got to do with anything related to the atrocities?

There are terrorist training camps in Afganistan. The Taliban government was supported by Bin Laden. The Taliban and Bin Laden are one and the same. He hasn't been found yet because unless you don't know it is very hard to find one man in a whole mountain range with a maze of tunnels. The only way to find Bin Laden is to check every single tunnel and that takes time, especially when there is resistance. It is not unethical to bomb sovereign terrority to bring one man to justice when that one man threatens your national security. The Americans asked for his release into their custodity, the Taliban refused so the Americans had every right to go and get him. Also lets remember that the Taliban were not the recognised government of Afganistan. I am not sure that missile strikes do have such a high percent of error. However in a war civilians die, it is unforuntate but it happens. The important matter is if you have done all that is possible to minimise such casulties. On the UK spending its tax income on the US war effort, I think your comment is a little short-sighted. Do you not think that the UK might have been a terorist target? Even if it wasn't surely the world would be a better place if these people were captured. Also you should be thankful that the state even pays for the new dialysis machine because a lot of countries wouldn't. I would also like to say that the UK doesn't have over-inflated taxes and it is a little strange that you want the state to buy expensive medical equipment but wish your taxes to be reduced.

 

[Alcibiaties of Athenae]

Moderator Action: OK guys, enough about the current war.

Parmenion, whether you accept it or not is your buiness, but Bin Laden bragged about his guilt, so your post is void on that point alone.

If you wish to discuss the current situation, that is what the OT is for.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[Parmenion]

Apologies Mod. It was late and I was crabby, but it was no excuse to rant.
Still I'm entitled to my opinion, I'll just have to remember to voice it in the correct place next time.

Mr. President I disagree, but will note your points.




How come whatever anyone posts on this site, there is always someone else who will come out with a string of opinions or facts to counter the argument and have nothing positive to say regarding the previous post?

I reckon if I were to state that Paris is the capital of France, someone would post that it didn't used to be, or that it depends on whether we are talking 'cultural' or 'political' capital, or some such nonsense just to be contrary.

Sorry, ranting again.....I'll log off before I get myself into trouble.

 

[MrPresident]

Mr. President I disagree, but will note your points.

I was wondering, have you actually noted my points. If so could you tell me them because I usually just write stuff without much regard for making points. Also Paris isn't the capital of France, the letter F is.

 

[Parmenion]

This humble pie I'm currently eating tastes quite bitter Mr. President. Care to join me?

 

[Stefan Haertel]

Calm down people! I don't think this is the right place for flaming each other! We are here to discuss history and not personal principles and definately not to quarrel with each other!

Parmenion, just because other people come with arguments to counter your position or your statements doesen't mean this has to do with the site, or, more importantly, with you! You should be glad that there are people here who are willing to discuss these things with you. There are more than enough people out there who will consider your point of view, or whatever you said, as wrong (in their eyes, at least) and put you off as an idiot. This has happened to me often enough so I speak out of experience.

Why don't we keep this forum for historical discussions and remove current political things as well as flames to somewhere else?

 

[unojonesishere]

i think the american revolutionry wars was the stupised in the histroy of mankind
o yeah everybody play