CuongNhuka
Senior Master
Are doomed to repeat it. In the war college I made a comment about the Roman General Varus (I'll be getting to the point in a moment). He was the occupying leader in Germania (now SW Germany and few areas around it). He was incharge of the 12, 13, and 14 legions, Romes best and brightest. Now, Varus was a bumbler, and the worst part was, he didn't know he was a bumbler. He had a trusted commander in (who would come to be know as) Herman The German. Varus's other commanders insisted that he not trust Herman, but Varus didn't care.
One day, Varus got word of a rebellion in the North of the Territory. Varus beleived that Germania was a largely passived area, and was not only ready, but willing to become a full Province. The Germans were neither. As Varus moved his massive force through the Teutoberg forest, Herman asked if he could take his force of Germans into the forest, and to the surrounding country, looking for allies. Varus thought about for a moment, and agreed.
Later that day (or the next, I cann't recall) a MASSIVE force of german's attacked. After a hail of arrows and javelins, the Germans rushed the Romans. They split the MILE long column into four or five sections. The cavalry did there best to, well... not die. They turned tail and ran for it. The Romans had no archers, and there javelins were infective at this point. Soon, the Germans made a uniamous retreat. Out of no where they came, and back to no where they went.
The next day, the attacked resumed. With similar results. The differnce was, it was raining. Heavily. Roman javelins were completely useless know. Anouther massive amount of the Roman force was destroyed. The next day, it ended. The Romans were trapped. A peat bog on one side, a heavily forested hill on the other, and Germans filling in the gaps. The Romans were wipped off the map.
Now then, why bring this story up? Well, if certain people, who shall remain nameless (his initials are George W Bush), had heard about this battle, and had comprehended what it meant, we might not be as S.O.L. in Iraq. Or we might not be there at all.
So, what events in history would you make mandatory reading for anyone who wishes to be a president? Other then this example, the events of Vietnam would be another good example.
One day, Varus got word of a rebellion in the North of the Territory. Varus beleived that Germania was a largely passived area, and was not only ready, but willing to become a full Province. The Germans were neither. As Varus moved his massive force through the Teutoberg forest, Herman asked if he could take his force of Germans into the forest, and to the surrounding country, looking for allies. Varus thought about for a moment, and agreed.
Later that day (or the next, I cann't recall) a MASSIVE force of german's attacked. After a hail of arrows and javelins, the Germans rushed the Romans. They split the MILE long column into four or five sections. The cavalry did there best to, well... not die. They turned tail and ran for it. The Romans had no archers, and there javelins were infective at this point. Soon, the Germans made a uniamous retreat. Out of no where they came, and back to no where they went.
The next day, the attacked resumed. With similar results. The differnce was, it was raining. Heavily. Roman javelins were completely useless know. Anouther massive amount of the Roman force was destroyed. The next day, it ended. The Romans were trapped. A peat bog on one side, a heavily forested hill on the other, and Germans filling in the gaps. The Romans were wipped off the map.
Now then, why bring this story up? Well, if certain people, who shall remain nameless (his initials are George W Bush), had heard about this battle, and had comprehended what it meant, we might not be as S.O.L. in Iraq. Or we might not be there at all.
So, what events in history would you make mandatory reading for anyone who wishes to be a president? Other then this example, the events of Vietnam would be another good example.
