Was Washington A Good Leader Essay Research — страница 2

troops had two possible choices. Washington chose the wrong one the British would take, and so “he and the Continental Army had been made to look foolish, all the more by contrast by the Northern Army,” Gates army. He also planned attacks on Boston and New York because he thought that the French Navy was going to help him. Without the French Navy, he would not be able to win. Washington s war strategy was a strategy he had taken from the Indians. When Washington attacked Trenton, he used a type of hit-and-run raid he saw when the Indians attacked in the French and Indian War. His type of hit-and-run raid would be more sophisticated. Washington would attack from three different points so they could not escape, and he would attack on Christmas when they were relaxed. Washington

s plans were always to complicated says Flexner. But only one of his three forces got across the river because it was during one of the severest winters. Washington actually benefited from the bad weather. This was not the first time that the weather helped him, when he should have lost. The German Troops, the Hessians, did not think that anyone would be stupid enough to go through the bad weather. Again, this was not the first time that Washington did something that no one else would have done because it was so stupid. But his plan worked, and the Hessians were caught of guard and they surrendered quickly. When Washington faced Howe and the British in Boston in the beginning of the war, another storm made Washington win when he should have lost. His troops were untrained with

their weapons. They were not any match for the British professional killers. They ran away during the storm and managed to get into positions which made it strategically bad for the British so the British had to leave, and Washington claimed yet another victory. While in New York, Washington had lost to Howe but he managed to get his troops away from the British soldiers who were marching in formation. Washington used his wilderness skills to lead his men in retreat. When Washington was being pursued by the Hessians by the Asunpink and the Delaware River, he made some of his troops stay to keep a fire lit. This made the British think that they had made camped and so the British stopped as well. But Washington led his men around the Hessians that left “a force stronger than his

own between his army and all patriot held-territory.” The British knew of this strategy but even they knew hat what they were doing was crazy. In doing so, Washington cut his supply lines and also blocked his ways of retreat. But he caught the British by surprise and escaped. He developed a new type of war in which his troops did not need to carry out so many supplies and they were “as hard to catch as quicksilver.” During the battle of Monomuth, Washington s troops that were disorganized obeyed with readiness. Lafayette saw that Washington actually led them as a full and proper leader would. When the British tried to run, the Americans advanced like regular troops driving the professionals away.Washington also was a good leader because he did not kill the Tories. He just

sent them to the enemy’s lines. Everybody loved Washington for the way he treated them and even the Tories. Washington wrote, “The misfortunes of was, and the unhappy circumstances frequently attendant thereon to individuals are more to be lamented than avoided; but it is the duty of everyone to alleviate them as much as possible.” This paid off because when Howe tried to recruit the Tories and Americans, he could not get any because they knew that Washington was good to them while Howe said they were not. He was also good to his troops. The French were surprised that these underaged, whites, blacks, unpaid, poorly fed, and almost naked men were in high spirits. Von Clisen said, “He is certainly admirable as the e leader of his army, in which everyone regards him as his

father and fiend.” The British had been treated fair by Washington. He let the British take the American Tories and American deserters that went to the British army who would be killed by the Americans. He let the slaves be returned to their owners. He let the British Army become Prisoners of War. Washington possessed a new strategy that those who did not understand it, thought of him as a bad leader. Washington became the military and political dictator over Virginia. He entered the war as untrained in sophisticated warfare as his troops. But Washington made use of what he had. He made use of certain qualities of dedicated soldier who would march and fight in any danger; would fight with brilliance individually if not so well in formation; and exist on nonexistent supplies. In