History’s Great Military Blunders by Dr. Gregory Aldrete (Review)

We typically hear the phrase, “remember the dead,” during memorial events of great victory or great tragedy. Yet Dr. Aldrete explores the wisdom of remembering that phrase for great failures. For there is wisdom in the instances when death arises from man-made mistakes. In this Great Course Series, Dr. Aldrete categorizes military failures into four classes: (1) Planning, (2) Leadership, (3) Execution, and (4) Adaptation. Here are the subjects he covered:

• Petersburg: Union Digs Its Own Grave-1864

• Syracuse: Athens's Second Front-413 B.C.

• Carrhae: The Parthian Shot-53 B.C.

• Red Cliffs: Cao Cao's Bad Day-208 A.D.

• Barbarian Gate: Adrianople-378, Pliska-811

• Fourth Crusade: Byzantium Betrayed-1204

• Kalka River: Genghis Khan's General-1223

• Courtrai: Knights versus Shopkeepers-1302

• Nagashino: Taking Swords to a Gunfight-1575

• Cartagena: High Walls, Short Ladders-1741

• Culloden: The Bonnie Prince Blunders-1746

• Russia: Napoleon Retreats in the Snow-1812

• Afghanistan: Khyber Pass Death Trap-1842

• Crimea: Charge of the Light Brigade-1854

• Greasy Grass: Custer's Last Stand-1876

• Isandlwana: 25,000 Zulus Undetected-1879

• Adwa: Italy's Fiasco in Ethiopia-1896

• Colenso: The Second Boer War-1899

• Tannenberg: Ineptitude in the East-1914

• Gallipoli: Churchill Dooms Allied Assault-1915

• World War II: Royal Navy Goes Down-1941-42

• Dieppe Raid: Catastrophe on the Beach-1942

• Operation Market Garden: A Bridge Too Far-1944

• The Great Blunders: Four Paths to Failure

I found the more famous military failures far more interesting and relevant than the ancient battles. This preference has more to do with the benefit of having more foundational knowledge to draw upon rather than shortcomings from Dr. Aldrete’s presentations. History is better to explore in depth, and these lectures are best as an appetizer. Yet for individuals who want a sampling to help shape future reading or lovers of history who want a different look at the history they already know, this lecture series is a wonderfully interesting option for exploration. Here are some of my thoughts:

Carrhae: The Parthian Shot-53 B.C.
This surprising loss by Rome to the Parthians occurred during a period of Roman decline. It led to the end of the First Triumvirate—shares leadership by Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Marcus Licinius Crassus. Crassus’s defeat in the dessert at Carrhae illustrates why reason is so important. Crassus ignored the counsel from experienced advisors. His rejection of their wisdom was rejection of reason as he succumbed to passion and pride. Leaders will inevitably have instances when it’s necessary to override counsel. Yet it should be based on reason and not merely individual experience or desires. The Roman soldiers under Crassus were mighty under typical Roman terrain. But it was ineffectual in the dessert against nimble opposition with deep supplies to replenish themselves in dessert conditions. Had Crassus listened to counsel, he could have avoided defeat.

Barbarian Gate: Adrianople-378, Pliska-811
The Battle of Adrianople is credited as the starting point for the Roman Empire Eastern Empire’s (Byzantine Empire) loss of its Western Roman Empire, and it occurred in 378 AD between Rome and the gothic tribes known as the Thervings and the Greutungs. With both battles, Rome failed to enfold immigrant groups who had been marginal allies. The effect was uprising and military loss. The empire survived both fights, but both likely prevented empire expansion.

Kalka River – Genghis Khan’s General
Temüjin, now known as Genghis Khan, was born in 1162. His unique strength was to advance leaders for their talent instead of blood. This strength granted the opportunity to join the Mongol tribes into one power. In the Battle of Kalka River, Temüjin’s General, Subutai, defeated the mighty Kingdom of Georgia. This lecture was a helpful primer on Genghis Kahn and his life is one of the subjects I intend to study more in the future.

Courtrai: Knights versus Shopkeepers-1302
For those who are interested, Barbara Tuchman covered this battle with excellent storytelling in A Distant Mirror. The fight took place after French King Phillip IV took control of the Flemish region by ousting the Count of Flanders, the citizens of Bruges, Flanders massacred the French imports. After the massacre, the peasants knew King Phillip IV would send a huge contingent of armored knights to overpower the peasants. The commerce guilds banded together in defense to equip the militia and Flemish nobles. The latter group had perhaps 50-60 knights. The total fighters were similar in number but the French were all professional fighters.

One lesson from this upset victory for the shopkeepers is that technology can disrupt the expected order. There’s a need to be aware of and understand when new technology arrives. The shopkeepers used specially created weapons to counter the knights’ strengths. The knights failed to adapt, which caused their doom. This battle—known popularly as the Battle if the Golden Spurs—helped lead to the creation of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Cartagena, Colombia: High Walls, Short Ladders-1741
Mt. Vernon is named after the admiral— Edward Vernon—from this war when George Washington’s older brother, Lawrence, fought under the admiral’s command. When Lawrence returned to Virginia, Vernon became the namesake for his land.

Culloden: The Bonnie Prince Blunders-1746
Charles Edward Stuart—son of King James—was the displaced claimant to the British throne, held by King George II. King George’s family originated in Hanover Germany, which is what prompted the claims of illegitimacy. The Stuarts—a Scottish family—had once been on the throne and resided in France during the Jacobite (supporters of the displaced King James) rebellion. Prince Charles’s plan was to establish a foothold in Scotland and draw in more clans to fight England. His failed rebellion at Culloden set the British monarchy as it is today.

Afghanistan: Khyber Pass Death Trap-1842
This example from Afghanistan is yet another example of a world power attempting to displace a sitting ruler for a different leader who was indebted to the conniving power. This action by Great Britain was despite the sitting ruler being pro-British. It’s perhaps a reminder that diplomacy cannot be expedited. If you want to develop allies, it takes work and time. 1842 may be one of the early modern examples of puppet leaders, but it’s one that has been replicated without success over and again. If ever there was a historical lesson to learn, shoehorning a hand-selected person into leadership for another country has a poor likelihood of success.

Crimea: Charge of the Light Brigade-1854
This lecture amused me largely because it brought back memories British Literature and Tennyson’s “Charge of the Light Brigade.” Three interesting notes: (1) This conflict was the first European war photographed and covered live by telegraph; (2) it’s also the war that made Florence Nightingale famous; and (3) it was the first war that used tactical rail as part of the fighting.

Greasy Grass: Custer's Last Stand-1876
This battle—with Crazy Horse at the helm—was really a Pyrrhic Victory. The death of Custer and his men outraged the nation and ushered in the end of the Native American way of life.

Isandlwana: 25,000 Zulus Undetected-1879
The Zulus typically fought nearly naked and practiced a goal of encirclement. The British scouts found small groups of Zulus but failed to find the main Zulu army. As such, Commander Frederick Chelmsford did not properly fortify his camp. The battle had a similar effect as the Battle of Little Bighorn. The British found the defeat jarring and redoubled efforts to crush the Zulus.

Adwa: Italy's Fiasco in Ethiopia-1896
Adwa was the only African nation to thwart European colonization.

The Great Blunders: Four Paths to Failure
Military Historian, John Keegan, “all battles are in some degree...disasters.” When thinking of death and destruction, this assessment is true. Yet for military ventures, there is nearly always a distinct winner and loser without a clearly obvious blunder. Accordingly, Dr. Aldrete looks at the critical element of avoidability. A true military blunder means that someone has to act or fail to act in a manner that should have been avoided based on failing that should have been obvious.

As suggested above, this lecture series is a bit too brief for my preference, but it serves well for people who want a sampling of the subjects. I appreciate the different angle available in “History’s Great Military Blunders,” and Dr. Aldrete offers helpful introductions into the battles. For those who enjoy more breadth than depth, this series provides a good option.