Historical Military Blunders

[Odysseus]

I think the whole War of 1812 fits the title. Anyway, discuss stupid mistakes in military history here!

[Scrat555]

I'd say the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

[Karth]

^I agree... Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan was just a waste, and a sort of forgotten war.   

[Nipplestockings]

Battle of Cannae
Napoleon's invasion of Russia
Hitler's invasion of russia
Various wars that the Teutonic Order staged against its adversaries
Franco-Prussian war

[Rogov]

The Battle of Carrhae
The Fourth Crusade (although the Venetians did rather well for themselves )
The Winter War
The Dieppe Raid

[Duuring]

Not every failed campaign is a blunder :p

[Mr T]

Not every failed campaign is a blunder :p

Very true old chap!

Charge of the Light Brigade, terrible blunders.

[Connzcdf]

Napoleons invasion of Russia.
Napoleons failure to go to Spain, while Arthur Wellesley was there.

EDIT: And Marshal Grouchy's failure to pursue the Prussians after the battle of Ligny.

[Tali]

Operation Barbarossa.

It is very, very stupid to start two-front wars.

[GoldenEagle]

Battle of Gallipoli

[Duuring]

Operation Barbarossa.

It is very, very stupid to start two-front wars.

The western front was silent, britain was recovering, and there's still one great enemy left. Hitler had no choice but to invade Russia. Mind you, the operation went very succesful at the start.

[Tali]

Operation Barbarossa.

It is very, very stupid to start two-front wars.

The western front was silent, britain was recovering, and there's still one great enemy left. Hitler had no choice but to invade Russia. Mind you, the operation went very succesful at the start.

Russia and Germany had a stable Non-Aggression pact. Hitler ought to have focused on breaking UK and remove any staging areas for northern europe invasion, and when Western Europe was secure, a invasion of Russia would have been fitting if launched in spring, and with proper planning and resources to see any eventual winter war trough.

[KillerMongoose]

Battle of Pydna, the Macedonian phalanx was beating the Roman army but when the Romans withdrew over rough terrain, Perseus ordered his phalangites to press forward and pursue but the rough terrain disrupted the phalanx formation and Roman legionnaires were able to push through and break the phalanx. Perseus' decision to send his phalangites over rough terrain caused his lines to break allowing the Romans to shatter the phalanx.

[Ililsa]

The retreat and destruction of Elphinstone's army during the First Anglo Afghan war.

Firstly, a show of British force following the murder of Sekundar Burnes may have quelled the Afghans, but the practically infirm Elphinstone instead wasted the time by dithering in the British cantons.

He then lost a party of political officers in a meeting with tribe leaders and did nothing.

The next bit can't quite be all Elphinstone's fault. The British army was meant to be granted safe passage through the Khyber by Akbar Khan, instead, throughout the passage through the frozen Khyber, the army was relentlessly hounded by the ghazis, losing huge numbers to both the tribesmen and the snow. Elphinstone, of course, did nothing.

Then Akbar Khan came forward again and took the married officers and their wives under his protection. While I don't believe anything ill happened to these prisoners, their loss did weaken the army further.

Perhaps the full destruction of the army could be seen with the last stand of the 44th East Essex. In the end, as I recall, only one man made it to the Army's destination (which I forget but I think it was Kandahar.)

[James Grant]

The retreat and destruction of Elphinstone's army during the First Anglo Afghan war.

Firstly, a show of British force following the murder of Sekundar Burnes may have quelled the Afghans, but the practically infirm Elphinstone instead wasted the time by dithering in the British cantons.

He then lost a party of political officers in a meeting with tribe leaders and did nothing.

The next bit can't quite be all Elphinstone's fault. The British army was meant to be granted safe passage through the Khyber by Akbar Khan, instead, throughout the passage through the frozen Khyber, the army was relentlessly hounded by the ghazis, losing huge numbers to both the tribesmen and the snow. Elphinstone, of course, did nothing.

Then Akbar Khan came forward again and took the married officers and their wives under his protection. While I don't believe anything ill happened to these prisoners, their loss did weaken the army further.

Perhaps the full destruction of the army could be seen with the last stand of the 44th East Essex. In the end, as I recall, only one man made it to the Army's destination (which I forget but I think it was Kandahar.)

It was Jallilibad I believe which was being held (under siege) by a sizable detachment which had been sent back to India to try cut expenditure. Curious to think whether had they not been sent home whether they'd have died with the rest or would the man in charge of those battalions have been the saving grace of the army?


I'd say the Crimea War as a whole, though not the Charge of the Light Brigade (far more Russians died in that charge than British) every nation which fought in that war made a ridiculous amount of blunders. Britain should have stormed Sebastopol straight away when they and the French outnumbered the garrison 3-1 but instead they settled into a futile siege. Futile because they didn't have the fort surrounded. The field battles were generally successful for the British and French because of having superior cavalry and infantry, though the officers were extremely questionable.
But it was also the first modern war so was that essential war of fuck ups which taught nations how to fight in a new age.