Great predictions in military history.

[savantu]

As for Vietnam (and the Middle East to maybe even a larger degree) all of those SAMs, AAA, tanks and trucks didn't come out of thin air.

 

For every $1 the USSR sent to Vietnam , the US spent $100.Good ROI if nothing else...

[Guest aevans]

For every $1 the USSR sent to Vietnam , the US spent $100.Good ROI if nothing else...

 

Given the artificial exchange rates of US and USSR funds, and the creative accounting methods of the Soviets, the above figures are meaningful exactly how?

[Archie Pellagio]

I recall hearing that the battle-hardened Iraqi Army and the elite Republican Guard were going to kill tens of thousands of Americans and their allied during Op Desert Storm.

 

That was primarily a cultural miscalculation as to the levels of morale and discipline based on poor understanding and limited facts.

 

Plus no real idea how successful western equipment, weapons and tactics would prove both during Desert Storm and Sabre.

 

Simply playing a wargame with the bits of hardware suggests it shouldn't have been the push over it was, especially given the role of the marines vs fixed defences.

 

There was every reason to over estimate iraqi abilities - besides it would be dangerous to have disrespected them and assumed they were the monkeys they ended up being.

[Ssnake]

Still, technically it's justified to list it in this thread. It was a prediction that turned out to be totally wrong.

 

It doesn't matter if a prediction is wrong for the right reasons.

Edited May 24, 2008 by Ssnake

[a77]

Predictions who include "it will be a short war" and "the troops will be home to ........"

[zaevor2000]

Wow.. totally unbelievable we haven't listed:

 

#1 Neville Chamberlain proclaiming "peace in our time"...

 

Have I missed it somewhere (if so please forgive me), or was it just so obvious that it slipped underneath everyone's radar?

 

Frank

Edited June 2, 2008 by zaevor2000

[hojutsuka]

Wow.. totally unbelievable we haven't listed:

 

#1 Neville Chamberlain proclaiming "peace in our time"...

 

Have I missed it somewhere (if so please forgive me), or was it just so obvious that it slipped underneath everyone's radar?

 

Frank

Thar was not a military prediction, that was a political one, technically.

 

Hojutsuka

[zaevor2000]

Thar was not a military prediction, that was a political one, technically.

 

Hojutsuka

 

"War is merely a continuation of politics"-Clauswitz

[Ssnake]

...insofar as war is waged to further a political goal while military predictions focused on technical matters, or tactical and operational results.