British Mistakes During the Revolutionary War Essay example

British Mistakes during the Revolutionary War December 17, 2012 Topic: Was American success in achieving independence due more to General Washington’s strategic skill or to British blunders? While there are numerous contributing factors to America’s success in achieving independence, the most critical factor can be attributed to the series of British mistakes throughout the conflict. Prior to the onset of the Revolutionary War, the British government faced serious challenges, both politically and fiscally. The conclusion of the French and Indian War coupled with the fighting in Europe, India and the West Indies, left Britain with considerable debt and with few to little allies. The British government saw America as a way†¦show more content†¦Both play a critical and equally important role in any campaign and during the American Revolution both proved to be a detriment to the British forces. From early on the British were confronted with serious challenges with providing provisions for troops operating in America. During the war, British provisioning strategy relied heavily on sustainment support to come from the homeland. The 3000-mile trip proved to a tactical hindrance in feeding the troops as well as resupplying with ammunition, blankets, shoes and armament. Often taking several months to arrive, the supplies arrived spoiled and unusable. Further amplifying the issue, the U.S. Continental Congress authorized â€Å"legal piracy† which attributed to the seizing of over 300 British ships during the war. In addition to the resupply of troops, insufficient and ineffective use of transportation resources diminished British effectiveness on the battlefield. Due to poor planning and negligent communication between commanders, the various transport agencies utilized to resupply the British army struggled with prioritizing missions and did not effectively communicate with each other. In addition, independent decisions were made to keep units on-station to move troops vice sending back to resupply. Misaligned campaign plans and the lack of communication and collaboration among commandersShow MoreRelatedWhy Is History A Contentious Subject Within Schools Around The World?936 Words   |  4 Pagesan insight into the present and the future. It teaches us as a nation and how to deal with circumstances that bear a significant resemblance to those of centuries. History also teaches us the mistakes of the past and when people are knowledgeable about history it is less likely for them to repeat the mistakes of the past. Without history our generation will be the dark about who they are. 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