7 Infamous Military Blunders that Should Not be Forgotten

Pancho Villa Expedition

Before World War I, America was fighting in Mexico, after Mexican general Pancho Villa attacked mining executives in 1913. General John J. Pershing brought 10,000 troops into Mexico. Pershing managed to achieve some victories against Villa, but was never able to capture the general himself. The American military attempted to spin the expedition as a learning experience, while Pershing said their return was "sneaking home under cover."

Invasion of Canada

James Madison declared war on the British in June, and by October, America realized they bit off more than they could handle with their Canadian invasion. America only had a 12,000-man army at the start of the war. State militias refused to fight, causing the forces to be unprepared. A month later in November, General Hull surrendered Fort Detroit. General Henry Dearborn attempted to launch a second northern invasion, but his troops refused to cross into Canada. The very next year the British would set Washington D.C. ablaze.

Breaking Up the Iraqi Army

The American government managed to convince its allies to invade Iraq in March 2003. Baghdad quickly fell in three weeks. However, this coalition was not prepared for the question of what next. Iraq is a large country divided by conflicting religious and ethnic groups. Saddam Hussein kept order through his brutality and the country's large military. Years later, experts are saying that the army could have been used to combat insurgencies and keep peace. However, many of the former military commanders would eventually create the backbone of ISIS.

The Chinese Intervention - Korean War

Failures can be born out of miscalculation in the wake of a great victory. The United States' intervention in Korea with their landing at Inchon, which was one of the greatest modern-day military successes. However, the U.S. was overconfident and invaded the north, looking to take out Pyongyang quickly, despite warnings from China. The Chinese counterattacked in November 1950. It was a war that left massive casualties on both sides. It briefly appeared that the Chinese would eliminate all other forces from Korea. That didn't happen but the end of the war resulted in a two-year stalemate.

Battle of Bataan - World War II

Shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7th, the Japanese military invaded Luzon, Philippines. General MacArthur managed to stand his ground, with the help of a small group of American troops, along with nearly 100,000 Filipino reserves. The Japanese offensive forced MacArthur to fall back to the Bataan peninsula. The soldiers and refugees suffered from hunger, malaria, exhaustion, and dysentery. The Japanese attacked Bataan, defeating the Allied forces in only a few weeks, causing them to surrender, leading to the nightmarish Bataan Death March.

Operation Barbarossa - World War II

Adolf Hitler attempted to do what Napoleon couldn't by invading Russia. Operation Barbarossa was the Nazis' six-month operation to invade and conquer the Soviet Union. Over ten million troops fought in Barbarossa, making it the largest land invasion in history. The Nazis' invasion started well, as Hitler's troops managed to get deep into the Soviet Union. However, as the harsh winter began to set in, the operation came to a halt, just like what happened to Napoleon. The Nazis ended up losing 830,000 men.

Battle of Kasserine Pass - World War II

American troops and its allies launched Operation Torch, an invasion of North Africa. They invaded with the support of French and British forces. However, they quickly learned why Hitler trusted Erwin Rommel. The Americans were being led by an untested general, General Lloyd Fredendall. He had positioned himself behind the front, making communication between his allies more difficult. This led to the Americans being exposed and Rommel took advantage. The Allies lost hundreds of tanks and suffered 10,000 casualties. Rommel lost only less than a thousand troops.