How Did General George Washington Win The War Of Independence
The tactical actions of General George Washington were a key factor in the outcome of the War of Independence. Washington’s foremost principle was to constantly be on the offensive, as America did not possess a comprehensive strategy for the conduct of the war.10 Often times, Washington’s aggressive military instincts were shot down by councils of war. Washington once convened a council of war to consider a strike against the British garrison in Staten Island before it was reinforced.11 Washington desired to get the upper hand against the British, testing one of the most experienced and professional army in the world.12 The council of war perceived this orchestration of disaster, and quickly agreed unanimously that the plan should not go through. Subsequently, this proved aggressive
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means of battle to be deficient as the Continental Army lacked discipline and unit cohesion to conduct offensive operations.13 A portrayal of this was during the Battle of Bunker Hill, where Washington’s revised strategy consisted of occupying a strong defensive position, then inviting the British to attack.14 Although the battle resulted in a British victory, the Continental Army was able to inflict heavy casualties to the British. Thus, an effective strategy that minimized American casualty while maximizing British casualty was finally established.
The strategic key was to keep the Continental Army unscathed as an effective fighting force.15 Washington stated that as long as he held the Continental Army together, the British could not have won the war.16 As a result, the Battle of Bunker Hill became a basis of comparison for future battles, one being the Battle of Long Island. For this battle, Washington had its defenses constructed into a honeycomb of connected forts, redoubts, and trenches, which was expressed as a Bunker Hill on steroids.17 However, the British eventually learned from their humiliating mistake at Bunker Hill and developed counter strategies to the American’s strategy of defensive positions. Reluctantly, Washington often called for retreats as they were the best option rather than getting crushed to a pulp by the British forces. This battle was one where Washington had to perform one of the most brilliant and tactical withdrawals in the annals of military history.18 The tactical retreat of an entire army is difficult to choreograph, thus timing and luck would have to be with the retreating
army. For this retreat, Washington cleverly deployed deception to outsmart the British and safely evacuate the entirety of the Continental Army. By arranging the navy in a way that covered the evacuating fleets, the British assumed that nothing was out of place.19 The problem with retreating is always with the final unit, as there’s not any other unit to provide cover. However, fortune smiled upon the Continental Army, and a heavy fog soon materialized for the final unit to retreat.20 If Washington had decided to stand his ground and continue the futile fight against the British, the Continental Army would’ve been no more. With calculated tactics that included proper defense and cunning retreats, Washington was able to prolong the battle against the British long enough for the Americans to grasp victory in the War of Independence.
means of battle to be deficient as the Continental Army lacked discipline and unit cohesion to conduct offensive operations.13 A portrayal of this was during the Battle of Bunker Hill, where Washington’s revised strategy consisted of occupying a strong defensive position, then inviting the British to attack.14 Although the battle resulted in a British victory, the Continental Army was able to inflict heavy casualties to the British. Thus, an effective strategy that minimized American casualty while maximizing British casualty was finally established.
The strategic key was to keep the Continental Army unscathed as an effective fighting force.15 Washington stated that as long as he held the Continental Army together, the British could not have won the war.16 As a result, the Battle of Bunker Hill became a basis of comparison for future battles, one being the Battle of Long Island. For this battle, Washington had its defenses constructed into a honeycomb of connected forts, redoubts, and trenches, which was expressed as a Bunker Hill on steroids.17 However, the British eventually learned from their humiliating mistake at Bunker Hill and developed counter strategies to the American’s strategy of defensive positions. Reluctantly, Washington often called for retreats as they were the best option rather than getting crushed to a pulp by the British forces. This battle was one where Washington had to perform one of the most brilliant and tactical withdrawals in the annals of military history.18 The tactical retreat of an entire army is difficult to choreograph, thus timing and luck would have to be with the retreating
army. For this retreat, Washington cleverly deployed deception to outsmart the British and safely evacuate the entirety of the Continental Army. By arranging the navy in a way that covered the evacuating fleets, the British assumed that nothing was out of place.19 The problem with retreating is always with the final unit, as there’s not any other unit to provide cover. However, fortune smiled upon the Continental Army, and a heavy fog soon materialized for the final unit to retreat.20 If Washington had decided to stand his ground and continue the futile fight against the British, the Continental Army would’ve been no more. With calculated tactics that included proper defense and cunning retreats, Washington was able to prolong the battle against the British long enough for the Americans to grasp victory in the War of Independence.