General Discussion

ITAL

(1,396 posts)

27. Disagree

Sat May 2, 2026, 04:47 PM

May 2

If he'd been a wonderful general he wouldn't have fought as he did.

Unlike many here, I do think Lee was a very good general -- but he was a good tactical general. Give him some ground and he could generally find the best way to position his troops and figure out way to be successful. Grant knew this, so he used Lee's strategy against him and just bled him to death. Grant was a great strategic general (and a great tactical general).

Lee needed to be more like Washington to win the war. Washington was a great strategic general but an average tactical one (he lost more battles than he won). He realized the most important thing in an insurgency is not to be defeated - not to win. Lee didn't come to that conclusion until much too late (he sort of realized it by the time the war got to Petersburg, but by then he was bottled up in a siege)..

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Highlight:

Idiot: If it weren't for Gettysburg, Robert E Lee would have won (the Civil War). [View all] Norbert May 2 OP

He knows nothing about history except for a few names. Haggard Celine May 2 #1

Pootin SheltieLover May 2 #4

Yep, he's the only one with any brains, and he Haggard Celine May 2 #7

Yup! SheltieLover May 2 #8

And his looney versions of history PatSeg May 2 #25

Dupe oops PatSeg May 2 #26

There's a long list of who is running things. wnylib May 2 #39

Loser Whip-poor-will May 2 #2

Lee got his ass kicked in his first combat command Mysterian May 2 #3

Lee's only concern was protecting his plantation and his Virginia buddies . haele May 2 #44

Kegbreath disgusts actual fighting men Mysterian May 2 #48

So he is asking edhopper May 2 #5

I think it was a combination of the Union win at Gettysburg and Haggard Celine May 2 #9

Right you are edhopper May 2 #23

Disagree ITAL May 2 #27

The funny thing is Iran is doing to Trump what the South should have done edhopper May 2 #24

If it weren't for losing, he would have won. n/t Mister Ed May 2 #6

"The amateurs discuss tactics: the professionals discuss logistics. " - Napoleon Bonaparte Girard442 May 2 #10

Yes, but then he tried to ram the ramparts, and storm the airports . . . hatrack May 2 #11

Yes,... and General Lee drove around the Gettysburg War Battlefield,... magicarpet May 2 #32

If it hasn't been for the Indians Dan May 2 #12

Look around. The Confederacy seems to have won. Kid Berwyn May 2 #13

Traitor rooting for a traitor dalton99a May 2 #14

"Nice ballroom you're planning there TACO, be a real shame if somethin' happened to it!"--General Sherman RedWhiteBlueIsRacist May 2 #15

Lee never won outside of Virginia. Sneederbunk May 2 #16

The Western theater is where Grant showed his stuff Martin Eden May 2 #19

And the 20th Maine, who did the fighting Mysterian May 2 #20

Yes, Jeff Daniels was great in that role in the movie Martin Eden May 2 #22

Pander pander pander Oneironaut May 2 #17

The Civil War was a numbers game Lee couldn't win Kaleva May 2 #18

General Bonespurs has spoken Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin May 2 #21

TRANSLATION: Bigot in Chief Mourns South's Loss of Civil War B.See May 2 #28

Lee's leadership averted a much worse tragedy at the Bowling Green Massacre. Girard442 May 2 #29

Robert E. Lee: I will send an army uphill over 2 miles of open ground against an entrenched position Prairie Gates May 2 #30

Sounds like Putin's plan for Ukraine and his for Iran. doc03 May 2 #31

This is a very, very sick man. legallyblondeNYC May 2 #33

"If it weren't for the fact they lost, the South could have won! Big strong men with tears in their eyes struggle4progress May 2 #34

And, If McLellan Hadn't Been Such A Tool.... ProfessorGAC May 2 #35

Doubtful Cirsium May 2 #38

Silly ProfessorGAC May 2 #43

Why do that? Cirsium May 2 #45

the lost cause Cirsium May 2 #36

US Grant nailed it: anamnua May 2 #41

Speaking of the lost cause mythos anamnua May 2 #42

Written by Robbie Robertson of The Band Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin May 2 #46

agreed Cirsium May 2 #47

History from the dumbest president ever elected. spanone May 2 #37

Lee got his ass handed to him by the Minnesota 1st regiment NickB79 May 2 #40

"I give it a year before the revisionist 'historians' have the South as the Winners" Abolishinist May 2 #49

No the won't cast the South as winners SocialDemocrat61 May 3 #50