![]() ![]() “The three forces would then have to march different distances to Trenton but arrive on time to attack from multiple sides and cut off the possible Hessian escape routes. “Washington’s tactical plan called for a simultaneous, three-pronged river crossing,” according to Harrison. Take his boldest and perhaps most famous military maneuver – the crossing of the Delaware River and attack on Trenton. “He lost a lot of battles because of that, which some historians criticize him for.” “Washington liked overly complicated plans that hinged on precision timing,” Harrison says. Although his bravery was never questioned – he would often put himself at risk on the front lines – he wasn’t good at directing troops and taking charge of battle planning as the fight unfolded. Washington’s biggest weakness was as a tactician. He lost and ended up retreating in the middle of the night.” Washington the Tactician…Not So Much ![]() “It was way beyond his expertise and certainly that of any of his subordinates. “He tried early on to win the big, decisive battle on Long Island in August 1776, and he failed miserably,” she says. In fact, he actually lost more battles than he won. “But tactically, he was terrible, and he never got better as the war went on.”įortunately, says Harrison, Washington would come to realize he didn’t need to win every battle to win the war. “Washington was a great strategic leader who was very good at seeing the big picture and playing the long game,” says Adrienne Harrison, PhD, senior historian at Battlefield Leadership and a former assistant professor of American history at the U.S. After all, he won the Revolutionary War.īut like anyone, the general had his strengths and weaknesses. Was George Washington a great general? It sounds like a preposterous question. ![]()
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