69th Anniversary of Operation Market Garden

[August]

Originally Posted by Oberon

I'd have said that it was more:



There were warning signs, many warnings signs, but Browning ignored them all and dropped the paras right on top of the hornets nest.

I also wouldn't be so dismissive of the writings of Sun Tzu, and his ideas that have been practiced for over two millennia. Senior generals of the American civil war took their theories from the French general Antoine-Henri Jomini who was a keen studier of The Art of War, and it's on the Marine Corps recommended reading program, and essential reading for military intelligence and the CIA. Not bad for someone who died before the Roman Empire was created.

I'm not being dismissive of Sun Tsu's writings, just with the idea that the Germans laid a trap for the Allies in Holland. There was no attempt on their part to "appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak" a similar suggestion was "pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance". They were completely surprised by the offensive.