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Literature & Language
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English (U.S.)
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Was Patriot Success in Achieving Independence Due More to the Strategic Skill of George Washington or to the Operational and Strategic Mistakes of the British?

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Here is the question 
Was Patriot success in achieving independence due more to the strategic skill of George Washington or to the operational and strategic mistakes of the British?
Sources are restricted to the following:
Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer
The Influence of Sea Power upon History by A.T. Mahon
The American Way of War by Russell F. Wrigley
Masters of War by Michael L. Handel

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The Patriot Success of Achieving Independence was primarily from the British Operational and Strategic Mistakes
The American Revolutionary war that occurred between 1775 and 1783 led to the nation’s independence was one of the greatest victory realized by America. The uprising of the conflicts originated from the colonials increasing grievances concerning the treatment that they were getting from the British authorities. The Americans were protesting against the taxes that the British had imposed on them that they considered as unconstitutional. War broke out in the Northern American Colonies that had declared themselves independent and spread out to other parts of the United States. America was able to defeat the British military and the Hessians in spite of their advanced training, equipment, and experience. George Washington, who later in 1789 became America’s first president, played a considerable role in helping America secure its independence. However, the primary element that resulted in the American soldier’s victory was due to the operational and strategic mistakes done by the British Military and the Hessians.
The first mishap in Great Britain’s planning was England’s George III selection of the Howe brothers as the commanders of the navy and the army. According to Fischer (125), the two brothers, William, and Richard were sympathetic Whigs of the American cry for their rights. Hence, from the start, Britain had already failed by choosing military leaders that were concerned for the plight of the enemy. Additionally, there was the lack of purpose of engaging in the war, unlike the American patriots that were determined to realize their independence. There was no existent logical aim and thus the military victories and subsequent control over lands did not create a favorable position to the British. According to Handel in his book “Masters of War,” the logic of waging war against others is the critical element that determines success. The absence of a particular direction and goal of the war led to the various mistakes along the way and thus the defeat by the weak American Military.
Secondly, the British lacked a central and significant enemy that they could capture that could make the American Patriots surrender. Fischer explains that Britain’s army groups moved from one city to another overtaking them, but this did not make the Americans give up. They made use of the complete destruction strategy that does not have a specific target as described by Weigley. Also, the various British military teams worked independently and thus there was minimum teamwork among them resulting in the outcomes. The poor strategies that the British used gave the American Patriots the courage that they could regroup after an attack and continue with the war. The British did not identify a particular target such as the leaders of the American Patriots and eliminate them, that would have given them strength and control over the Americans.
Thirdly, the British did not optimize on their sea power thus providing loopholes that the French Navy utilized to help the Americans achieve victory. The British had well-trained Navy personnel and sea equipment that we...
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