Favorite historical fails.
- Thread starter The Infamous Scamola
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When the Soviet Union tried invading part of Finland in late 1939, in what was later called the Winter War.
Result? Despite the Soviets outnumbering the Finns by four infantry to one, thirty aircraft to one and about two hundred tanks to one, Finland held out until 1940, when they signed a treaty ceding around 10% of their land. The Russians suffered not only humiliation, but massive military losses.
All thanks to Stalin's Purges, which saw around half of the Red Armys officers executed.
Result? Despite the Soviets outnumbering the Finns by four infantry to one, thirty aircraft to one and about two hundred tanks to one, Finland held out until 1940, when they signed a treaty ceding around 10% of their land. The Russians suffered not only humiliation, but massive military losses.
All thanks to Stalin's Purges, which saw around half of the Red Armys officers executed.
Let's be fair, though. The enemy were almost a full kilometer away and the best weapons on the field at the time (rifled muskets) had a maximum effective range of half that. It was a damned lucky shot.Lord Krunk said:
That was General Sedgwick at the battle of Spottsylvania I believe?stinkychops said:
The guy that shot him was a marksman, who was far closer to him than the victim realised.
Also, sadly he was not in fact, killed mid sentence. It is funnier that way, though.
On topic: The Charge of the Light Brigade was one of the great historical EPIC FAILS. As the Light Brigade Leeroy Jenkinsed a whole load of guns, on horseback... with swords... It was glorious, but it wasn't war...
EDIT: hotacidbath beat me to it regarding Sedgwick.
No, it's just that the English stole the Welsh long bow from the Welsh and used it as their special weapon.rossatdi said:
The germans during Operation (I forgot the name)
The Allies were sending messages here and there about fake invasions so the germans could hear it on purpose. They also sent a body of a dead british soldier on germany's shores with documents and letters about an invasion somewhere while it actucally happened else where. And once the Germans found all this out, they went directly where the Allies told them to, leaving the true invasion area deserted!
Epic Phail Hitler.
The Allies were sending messages here and there about fake invasions so the germans could hear it on purpose. They also sent a body of a dead british soldier on germany's shores with documents and letters about an invasion somewhere while it actucally happened else where. And once the Germans found all this out, they went directly where the Allies told them to, leaving the true invasion area deserted!
Epic Phail Hitler.
Union General John Sedgwick, killed by a sniper who was actually closer than the rest of 'em.Cpt_Oblivious said:
It even turned into a Trope: The Sedgwick Speech
Some redshirt is giving a rallying cry but oh no he gets sniped or exploded or whatever the form of combat is. ^_^
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SedgwickSpeech
I don't know, doesn't being one of the worst criminal scum of the 20th century qualify as "Fail"?HerrBobo said:
I think refusing to believe Germany would attack him despite MASSIVE amounts of evidence to the contrary and then executing the general who was insisting that Hitler would indeed attack Russia is pretty fail-worthy, IMHO.The infamous SCAMola said:
I did!Littaly said:
