20 Commanders Who Lost Control of Their Own Armies

His army was not happy when Napoleon Bonaparte ordered them to retreat from Moscow. Supplies were looted and burned by French soldiers who refused to obey orders. Others deserted, ran amok, or simply froze to death while trying to flee the massive army once known as the Grande Armée.

Lee had complete confidence in his army’s ability to charge the Union positions on Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg, but once they began firing, they were unable to maintain their formation. Many Confederate soldiers opened fire too early and simply could not close in on the enemy as planned. Lee had to trust them to do their job and could only watch as the destruction unfolded before his eyes.

Even “Uncle Billy” himself ran into trouble when Southern civilians and Union troops decided they had better things to do. During his march on Atlanta, Union soldiers began looting and foraging on their own initiative. Sherman had to stand idly by while his army practically took care of everything for him.

Custer believed his troops would follow him blindly into battle, but he had apparently forgotten to explain this to his subordinates. As the Native American warriors overran his men, his second- and third-in-command failed to form a line to save their own lives. Custer lost control and was quickly killed.

Field Marshal von Richthofen may have encountered communication problems during the invasion of France, but Rommel certainly did. His units operated independently of one another and disobeyed orders to go where Hitler wanted them to go. Rommel was powerless, as the Allies’ air superiority prevented any coordination among his forces.

Alexander was known for keeping his men’s morale high, but the Gedrosian Desert changed everything. During one of his long marches, his troops mutinied and refused to continue until Alexander made concessions. Sometimes, even the best-laid plans require an iron fist to keep them under control.

In 1776, Washington watched as his Continental Army fled the battlefield like headless chickens. Fires were left burning, weapons were abandoned, and his army simply lost its footing when the British attacked. He had to start from scratch with very few resources, as his men had fled New York to save their lives.

The German general wanted to wear down the French army, but his men were unable to keep up. Morale plummeted as relentless artillery barrages pounded the French lines and units disobeyed orders to “conserve their strength for later.” Falkenhayn drew up the plans, but he was unable to force his men to follow them.

Caesar may have been a master tactician, but he faced his share of hardships with his legions. Long marches, meager pay, and adverse weather conditions caused many men to lose the will to fight. Caesar had to constantly work with his troops to keep them focused and disciplined.

Yes, Grant was a tough man, but he learned this the hard way at the Battle of Cold Harbor. By ordering his men to charge into a very foolish situation, he sowed confusion in the ranks, and the units simply… stopped moving. When they finally resumed their charge, it took an incredibly long time after he had given the order.

Although Hannibal’s strategy at Cannes remains one of the most brilliant of all time, he was not perfect. Some of his allied forces panicked under pressure and tried to flee the battlefield. Fortunately for Hannibal, his cavalry was excellent, and the rest of his army did not break ranks.

As Napoleon III watched his army get crushed at Sedan, the soldiers began to lose hope and surrender of their own accord. No longer willing to fight for their country or their leader, Napoleon saw the entire battle slip from his grasp. It cost him his throne.

Ieyasu employed a risky strategy at Sekigahara, but some of his vassals had other plans. Individual daimyos and their armies chose when and where to fight, and disobeyed orders left and right. Although Ieyasu ultimately emerged victorious, his battle did not really follow the rules.

Passchendaele was bound to be a logistical nightmare even if Haig had everything under control—which he did not. Units got lost, supplies never arrived, and the men simply gave up on the idea of fighting in the oily mud. Haig saw his plans go up in smoke… literally.

The intrepid Khalid ibn al-Walid was known for his powerful and tactically skilled Arab forces, but they could sometimes be unpredictable. During the Battle of Yarmouk, some units spread out too far and threatened the entire formation. Khalid himself had to be unpredictable to ensure that everything went smoothly.

George Pants had a huge numerical advantage at Antietam, but he allowed himself to be thrown off balance. Many of McClellan’s units waited for explicit orders before attacking, thus wasting precious time. The entire battle was a veritable bloodbath because his men were unable to choose a side.

An accomplished tactician, Žižka nevertheless commanded an army composed mainly of volunteers and militiamen. Some preferred to act on their own initiative rather than fight in massive fortresses or follow orders. Even Žižka could not anticipate all the improvised strategies of his soldiers.

Patton’s armies fought with such abandon that they literally exhausted themselves and fell into disarray during the Battle of the Ardennes. Some units advanced too quickly while others lagged behind, creating gaps across the entire battlefield. Patton was forced to withdraw his troops from the front lines to get everyone back in step.

Yi Sun-sin was one of the greatest military strategists of all time, but the weather couldn’t care less about your pedigree. During one of his famous ambushes with his turtle ships, unpredictable winds and tides scattered his fleet. The sailors panicked, and Yi was forced to change tactics on the fly.

During his retreat from the Aztec capital, Cortés saw his own men turn against him. Some soldiers fled of their own accord, leaving Cortés to struggle to maintain control. This proved that even the most daring commanders can face internal chaos.