Why do American's continue to fight wars that are lost?

Question

No, it's not yet about Iraq. This is about previous wars, Civil War especially:

Jefferson Davis and the Confederate generals were some of the most brilliant military minds of the era. Davis knew that the Confederacy had about a year to sue for peace with the Union or perhaps the Union might quit because of expense in material and lives. About a year after the war began, the Union had halted mosh ships with cargos to the South, and mor importantly had stopped the shipments of cotton to Europe, destroying the economy and finance for war. Union gunboats controlled the Ohio, Missippi and a number of other navigatable rivers. Union also took control of most railroads and transported artillery, troops and horses rapidly to combat. For the South the war was unwinnable 12 to 18 months after it began. And the Union manufactured more and newer weapons. Grant later commented that for every Union soldier killed, 3 more were in training or ready to join.

... Viet Nam really only got going in earnest in 1965 and following the Tonkin Gulf Incident. In Jan 1968 the TET Offensive indicated we were not winning and the American people knew. I suspect the military earlier and know that was the thinking of Robert McNamara.

Korea, much the same as Viet Nam to follow.

Historical fact is the US, other than the Revolution has lost or withdrawn from wars lasting longer than about 2 years withour significant progress. That the case in WWI, Pacific Theater of WWII, and in WWII ETO we were bombing Germany to oblivion within a year. Normandy the death nell for Hitler, he had little more than a year.

And most Wars waged by the US suprisingly short. I think the US more invented the Blitzkrieg.

I should add not just Americans. Hitler, Tojo and Saddam could see what was inevitable too. All three should have simply given up when they had opportunity. They might have secured terms to be allowed to live. Many lives saved as well. In Hitler's case, he reminds me of Satan. Seeing the end for himself he tried to destroy the German people.

I am against wars because of the loss of lives and destruction. I am, not, however, opposed to assassination of leaders that are the reason for war. Ironic such assassinations are prohibited by the laws of so many nations and the UN. A lot of lives and bodies could be saved.

Answer 1

...How can you say we lost the Civil War, the Union (our main government before the War) won a war against the rebels. So basically, our government killed a bunch of rebels. That in no way is loosing a war.

And the US has never lost a war by the way. The only one that's even close is Vietnam. We were protecting/occupying the South, and we left after we signed a peace agreement with the North. Then after our forces were gone, the North invaded the South again. How is any, way, shape, or form is that the US's Military fault?
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Are you kidding me? The US won the Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican American War, Civil War, Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, Korea (How can you say we lost? The South is still a democracy and a different country than the North, that was our objective), Desert Storm, and quite a few others.

Answer 2

Your grasp of military history particularly Ww2 is incredibly naive did you skip those classes at junior high??

Incredibly, you completely ignore the Italian campaign!!!!

The landings at Normandy were not the death knell for Adolf Hitler, they were only carried out to appease Joe Stalin who needed the pressure taken off his troops in the East. They were not also an exclusively American affair:

Allied land forces that saw combat in Normandy on D-Day itself came from Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Substantial Free French and Polish forces also participated in the battle after the assault phase, and there were also contingents from Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, the Netherlands, and Norway. Other Allied nations participated in the naval and air forces.

Look how long and costly it took the British and Canadians to get past CAEN.

Even in the push on Hurtigen Forest Region and the assault on the West Wall were never guaranteed to achieve success,
And the German Counter-Attack through the Ardennes, was completely unexpected by the Americans and Allies, it was not till the Rhine was crossed that the Allies could feel confident in finishing Hitler Third Reich.

And without the Soviets on the Eastern Front the Allies would probably never have been ready to attempt the landings in Normandy in 1944.Also in WW2 the supply of men and equipment was tremendous largely due to the draft.

As for Korea, that was a United Nations Affair and America were not the only combatants to take part, but there were troops from the UK, Australia, New-Zealand, Turkey, Ethiopia, Belgium, France, Greece to name but a few. but the US are still in South Korea today so how does that count towards a lost war, North Korea are certainly not the winners by a long shot.
Vietnam (as many Americans know but hate to say) was a defeat.

Gulf War 1 was a win, for the USA and her Allies.

There are no set rules by which to judge a country performance in war, combat in itself is a very unpredictable thing, not all battle plans survive the first 5 minutes new and changing factors have to be continually vectored in.

In Iraq at this point in time it has degenerated into a a very dirty guerrilla war with a side dish of Civil war in the offering.
Some would even argue that the mistake was not to have finished this immediately after the Liberation of Kuwait when Saddam Insane's forces were broken and bleeding from the battlefield. Certain American Generals looked for this, but the American Politicians decided to follow another course.

At the end of the day the military can only do as they are ordered.

And its quite easy for you to sit at home and judge them from the comfort of your arm chair, which is your right given to you by some American soldier at the cost of his own life.

Answer 3

Because the winners write the historical past. But in view that the losers get to give a contribution, you might have two reports. It is going again to the 60's with civil rights. To positioned a well spin at the civil struggle, and to make it appear that the battle was once for over one hundred years, the civil struggle is now approximately slavery. Sure it was once there, and such a lot disorders stem from it. But it wasn't the cause. The new territories being further proper earlier than the struggle indicates that the federal government was once overstretching it is limits. It is states proper to agree or to not slavery. But the ones new territories had been being instructed no slavery=statehood. So the slave territories had been reacting. Plus all of the taxes and tariff for best southern states. It's tough to not get mad. Diaries for the time is a exceptional strategy to view daily lifestyles. And slavery is rarely acknowledged for the struggle. But paying four occasions for useful matters like sugar is. But the north is the savior, despite the fact that there have been riots around the north approximately the struggle. No one cared approximately the blacks however a couple of. Most who desired them freed additionally desired them deported. So we're taught it was once approximately slavery. And no longer that lincoln comitted 17 impeachable crimes, adding his possess gitmo for northern residents. and in addition banish residents. See winners write historical past..

Answer 4

You need to recheck your facts, especially about Tet. Tet wiped the Vietcong out almost to the last members and the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) was knocked around like they didn't have a clue. Militarily Tet was a total defeat for North Vietnam.

Answer 5

your question makes it sound like " americans" were the only humans ever to engage in the insanity of war,,,,
cmon dude its historically a fact all races of humans do this crap...its humanity disregard for their fellow man and greed
it seems to be a thinly veiled anti american question to me

Answer 6

the us hasnt lost a single war. its the democrats that make it seem like we did. you have facts completly squed and its very sadd.