A Defeated General

[matthew mckeon]

I was reading William Slim's classic memoir of war in the China-India-Burma; Defeat Into Victory. Slim had been forced to retreat out of Burma in 1942, his forces in tatters.

"Defeat is bitter. Bitter to the common soldier, but trebly bitter to his general. The soldier may comfort himself with the thought that, whatever the result, he has done his duty faithfully and steadfastly, but the commander has failed in his duty if he has not won victory--for that is his duty...

"He will remember the soldiers whom he sent into the attack that failed and who did not come back. He will recall the look in the eyes of men who trusted him. 'I have failed them,' he will say to himself, 'and failed my country!' He will see himself for what he is --a defeated general."

 

[matthew mckeon]

I was reading William Slim's classic memoir of war in the China-India-Burma; Defeat Into Victory. Slim had been forced to retreat out of Burma in 1942, his forces in tatters.

"Defeat is bitter. Bitter to the common soldier, but trebly bitter to his general. The soldier may comfort himself with the thought that, whatever the result, he has done his duty faithfully and steadfastly, but the commander has failed in his duty if he has not won victory--for that is his duty...

"He will remember the soldiers whom he sent into the attack that failed and who did not come back. He will recall the look in the eyes of men who trusted him. 'I have failed them,' he will say to himself, 'and failed my country!' He will see himself for what he is --a defeated general."

"In a dark hour he will turn in upon himself and question the very foundations of his leadership and his manhood."

The Civil War was full of defeated generals. Men who felt the bitterness and sense of failing their soldiers and their country.
Slim did not let his failure crush him, and he got a chance to redeem himself. But not everyone gets that chance. So let's spare a thought for the defeated generals.

 

[Taylin]

It is something that I haven't thought about very much. Robert E Lee after Gettysburg comes to mind immediately when reading the above quotes. I'm sure others felt just as guilty and the weight on their shoulders must have been tremendous.

 

[luinrina]

Nice quotes, @matthew mckeon !

I remember a quote from someone after the war - I think it was Joe Johnston but I'm not 100% certain. He was overhearing someone young talking about that the Yankees may have won, but they didn't whip the south. To which that general said (paraphrased): "Maybe not you, sir, but they sure whipped me."

To me that sounds bitter and like he felt he had failed in his duty to serve his country.