How Far Was American Victory in the War of Independence Due to Poor Military Leadership?
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- Date Submitted: 03/14/2010 05:05 AM
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How far was American victory in the war of Independence due to poor military leadership? (24)
To the extent to which cause had the most significant effect on the outcome of the War of Independence is a perceptual view which has become very debatable topic, whereby historians have failed to conclude a main reason. However no doubt that in trigger cause and start of British downfall was because of foreign intervention. Although, the long-term problem of British strategic decisions + communication combined with weak general ship in the short-term played a vital role in the surrendering of initiative which lost the war.
Historian Jeremy Black has concluded that the military leadership shown by Britain was poor especially by Cornwallis which lost Britain the war. Cornwallis by failing to crush American resistance in the South Carolinas had surrendered the initiative to the enemy and portrayed his leadership as feeble. His poor decision making in not going to put down the violence in the South, but let it escalate and move to Virginia played a vital role in Britain’s downfall. Cornwallis in June 1781 had said that the Carolinas were safe, but had discounted violence in the interior regions. This radical violence then alienated and eliminated a Loyalist force of 1000 at King’s mountain, therefore American war morale rose significantly.
Cornwallis pushing on to Virginia was a mistake. Virginia was severely disrupted and the states ability to wage war was minimised, but whilst many counties surrendered as a result, this intensified Virginians hatred for Britain. Having failed to destroy Lafayette’s army decisively Cornwallis was portrayed as weak and lost the initiative.
The final problem with Cornwallis’ decision to move onto Yorktown was strategically poor. Yorktown was a rocky peninsula “a poor defensive position” whereby there were only two escape routes whilst the town was poorly fortified and susceptible to bombardment. Cornwallis had relied on Clinton...
To the extent to which cause had the most significant effect on the outcome of the War of Independence is a perceptual view which has become very debatable topic, whereby historians have failed to conclude a main reason. However no doubt that in trigger cause and start of British downfall was because of foreign intervention. Although, the long-term problem of British strategic decisions + communication combined with weak general ship in the short-term played a vital role in the surrendering of initiative which lost the war.
Historian Jeremy Black has concluded that the military leadership shown by Britain was poor especially by Cornwallis which lost Britain the war. Cornwallis by failing to crush American resistance in the South Carolinas had surrendered the initiative to the enemy and portrayed his leadership as feeble. His poor decision making in not going to put down the violence in the South, but let it escalate and move to Virginia played a vital role in Britain’s downfall. Cornwallis in June 1781 had said that the Carolinas were safe, but had discounted violence in the interior regions. This radical violence then alienated and eliminated a Loyalist force of 1000 at King’s mountain, therefore American war morale rose significantly.
Cornwallis pushing on to Virginia was a mistake. Virginia was severely disrupted and the states ability to wage war was minimised, but whilst many counties surrendered as a result, this intensified Virginians hatred for Britain. Having failed to destroy Lafayette’s army decisively Cornwallis was portrayed as weak and lost the initiative.
The final problem with Cornwallis’ decision to move onto Yorktown was strategically poor. Yorktown was a rocky peninsula “a poor defensive position” whereby there were only two escape routes whilst the town was poorly fortified and susceptible to bombardment. Cornwallis had relied on Clinton...