They say the winners write history, but every winner has a loser. History books often feature these losers prominently. Every war has a winning and losing side. While we admire shrewd and successful military leaders, history is also full of awful generals.
These ineffective leaders and wartime stiffs deserve attention. Forget the brilliant tacticians; this list focuses on the worst, from William Hull to Erich Ludendorff. Let’s dive in!
John Pope
In the summer of 1862, Abraham Lincoln needed capable generals and a larger army on the Civil War’s eastern front. He moved Major General John Pope to the Army of Virginia, tasked with holding northern Virginia and keeping the Confederacy at bay.
Pope had ample resources but immediately faltered. On July 14, 1862, his introductory address was filled with boasting and self-praise, ignoring his men’s hard work and the enemy’s strength.
This led to a trap at the Second Battle of Manassas (Second Battle of Bull Run), where Robert E. Lee decimated Pope’s army. Lincoln’s aim was to protect northern Virginia, but Pope failed quickly, bragging all the way. He wasn’t wise or humble. [1]
Douglas Haig
Many generals failed during World War I due to rapidly changing technology. British commander Douglas Haig was one of them, dismissing the dangers of machine guns. He thought his men could push through the fire.
On July 1, 1916, at the First Battle of the Somme, he ordered his men over the top. Nearly 20,000 died instantly. Haig lost twice as many men in a day as Wellington lost in the entire Peninsular War but didn’t change tactics. He continued to lose men, with the British losing roughly 420,000 at the Somme.
At Passchendaele, from July 31 to November 1917, he lost another 275,000 troops. This long, miserable slog became synonymous with pointless slaughter. Post-war, Haig was viewed so badly that soldiers were said to be “lions led by donkeys.” This phrase became associated with Haig and other British commanders, a terrible legacy. [2]
William Hull
William Hull is the only American military general ordered before a firing squad for dereliction of duty and cowardice. A good Revolutionary War soldier, he became governor of Michigan Territory in 1805. When the War of 1812 broke out, he was commissioned as a brigadier general to protect Michigan from the north.
But Hull was nearly 60, timid, slow, and scared. British General Isaac Brock and Shawnee Chief Tecumseh were remarkable tacticians. While Hull dithered, they captured land. Hull ordered his men to evacuate Fort Dearborn, where they were slaughtered by Potawatomi warriors. Tecumseh’s raiding parties wreaked havoc on Hull’s men.
On August 15, 1812, Brock and Tecumseh targeted Fort Detroit. Brock fired cannons from Canada, while Tecumseh surrounded the fort. Hull surrendered the fort and 2,000 men without a shot, assuming he was outnumbered (he wasn’t). The British gained control of the fort and Michigan Territory.
Hull was held prisoner and court-martialed for cowardice. Found guilty on 11 counts and ordered to be executed, President James Madison intervened. Hull survived only by the grace of an apologetic president. [3]
George McClellan
George McClellan had an impressive resume: West Point graduate, Crimean War observer, logistics expert. So why was he a terrible Civil War general? He overestimated enemy size and refused to fight Confederate foes for months. Paralysis by analysis plagued someone meant to lead the entire Union Army!
Lincoln convinced McClellan to take on the Peninsular Campaign in 1862, marching to Richmond. Instead, McClellan landed 100,000 troops at Fort Monroe but was checked by John Bankhead Magruder’s Confederate force. Despite being outnumbered 10-to-1, McClellan refused to overrun the Southerners.
McClellan slowly moved toward Richmond, but Robert E. Lee arrived. Lee recognized McClellan’s weakness and devastated the Union. Lincoln relieved McClellan of his duties, though he was later reinstated and stumbled again at Antietam. McClellan ran for President in 1864 and lost. [4]
Erich Ludendorff
Erich Ludendorff started well, leading Germany to victory against Russia at Tannenberg in World War I. He pushed for unrestricted submarine attacks against Allied and neutral shipping, including the United States.
The sinking of the Lusitania followed. German submarines attacked innocent ships more frequently, leading the U.S. to join World War I. Germany now had to fight on two fronts. Despite Ludendorff’s calls to fight, the Treaty of Versailles hindered his nation.
Post-treaty, Ludendorff promoted the “stabbed in the back” theory, claiming his armies were undefeated and that the Weimar Republic was a conspiracy. He participated in the Beer Hall Putsch and the rise of Adolf Hitler, even writing about why perpetual warfare is good. Ludendorff’s actions directly led to World War II. He died in 1937, avoiding the consequences of his awful ideas. [5]
Pierre de Villeneuve
Naval Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve first led at the Battle of the Nile in 1798, where the British routed the French. De Villeneuve retreated to Malta, where he was eventually captured. But his incompetence continued.
The British released de Villeneuve, and as Napoleon’s capable admirals died or fell out of favor, de Villeneuve rose to command the French fleet at Toulon in 1804. His mission was to draw Horatio Nelson’s fleet to the Caribbean, then secretly return to the English Channel for a land invasion of England.
He disobeyed orders and went to Cadiz, Spain. This mishap allowed Nelson’s fleet to return and blockade Cadiz. Napoleon fired de Villeneuve, who, in anger, lashed out at Nelson’s fleet.
The Battle of Trafalgar was a complete British victory, establishing their naval dominance for over a century. De Villeneuve lost twenty ships; Nelson lost one (Nelson died at Trafalgar). Facing Napoleon’s wrath, de Villeneuve committed suicide. [6]
Gideon Pillow
Great name, terrible general. Gideon Pillow showed ineptitude during the Mexican-American War, appointed major general by President James K. Polk. He had his men entrench themselves on the wrong side of fortifications at Camargo and messed up a flanking maneuver at Cerro Gordo.
He submitted phony accounts of his achievements in the Battles of Contreras and Churubusco. Commander Winfield Scott detested Pillow, writing that he was “the only person I have ever known who was wholly indifferent in the choice between truth and falsehood.” Pillow tried to steal a cannon but was caught and court-martialed. President Polk intervened, and Pillow returned home to Tennessee.
As talk of the Civil War arose, Pillow organized a state militia and became a Confederate brigadier general. After winning a battle at Belmont, he defended Fort Donelson along the Mississippi River. Ulysses S. Grant attacked, and Pillow retreated his men back to the fort rather than charge through Union lines.
The Union Army recovered and defeated Pillow’s men. Rather than accept defeat, Pillow ran off in the night, earning the derision of his men. [7]
Francisco Solano López
Francisco Solano López led Paraguay into war with Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Bolivia in the mid-19th century. The son of dictator Carlos Antonio López, he inherited a powerful military but was warned not to use it for diplomacy.
By December 1864, Francisco was at war with Brazil. When Argentina refused passage to Paraguayan troops, López declared war on them too. Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay formed an alliance and declared war on Paraguay on May 1, 1865.
The War of the Triple Alliance devastated Paraguay, halving its population and killing 90% of its fighting-age men. López executed hundreds of loyal Paraguayans, including family members. He died in combat on March 1, 1870, after destroying his homeland. [8]
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna likely wanted everyone to remember the Alamo, which he won. But loyalty wasn’t his strength. His rise to power in Mexico was marked by constant shifts and betrayals, making him a controversial leader.
After being defeated by Texans at San Jacinto, Santa Anna promised to work for the U.S. but returned to Mexico and was ousted. He fought for a career resurgence, and his reputation was partially restored after the Pastry War with France. He then claimed dictatorial powers again.
In 1845, after being exiled, he offered to help the U.S. in their war with Mexico. The Americans accepted, and he returned to Mexico, but he switched sides and took command of Mexican troops. He was defeated by U.S. forces and exiled again.
The French installed Maximilian as emperor of Mexico, and Santa Anna offered his services to both the Americans and Maximilian. Both sides rejected him, and he faded away. [9]
Quintus Servilius Caepio
Many Roman generals were terrible, but Proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio stood out. At the Battle of Arausio, he refused to obey his superior, Consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus, and wouldn’t even camp with him.
On October 6, 105 BC, while Maximus negotiated with the Cimbri tribe, Caepio attacked them, leading to a quick defeat. The Cimbri attacked Maximus’s camp, and the Romans lost around 80,000 infantry and 40,000 auxiliaries and cavalry.
The loss was devastating. Caepio escaped unharmed but lost his citizenship and was exiled, yet lived in luxury. During his command, 15,000 bars of gold went missing, suspected to have been stolen by Caepio. He was a bad general but a skilled thief. [10]
Conclusion
From Pope’s boasting to Caepio’s thievery, these generals highlight the disastrous impact of incompetence in military leadership. Their stories serve as cautionary tales in military history.
Which of these blunders surprised you the most? Leave your comment below!
