Did America lose any battles?

[Spiderman]

America did not achieve her military objectives in Iraq or Afghanistan, but was there really a battle that we lost in either of those countries? Sure, lots of skirmishes took place, with much guerrilla attacks that were costly, but can you think of a battle where roughly a thousand or more casualties resulted and America was defeated on the battlefield?

What would you say was the last military battle that America lost? What were the casualties?

 

[Cacotopia]

Vietnam was a pretty big disaster.

 

[Spiderman]

Vietnam was a pretty big disaster.

It was a huge disaster, but I do not recall America losing any significant battles. We simply left

 

[Hockeycowboy]

A “thousand or more”? In battle?

The Tet Offensive.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Here’s a link:
List of battles with most United States military fatalities - Wikipedia

 

[Nakosis]

America did not achieve her military objectives in Iraq or Afghanistan, but was there really a battle that we lost in either of those countries? Sure, lots of skirmishes took place, with much guerrilla attacks that were costly, but can you think of a battle where roughly a thousand or more casualties resulted and America was defeated on the battlefield?

What would you say was the last military battle that America lost? What were the casualties?

Don't we always lose? Many human beings die in any war. What are your victory conditions? Having lost less lives than the other guy?

I suppose there is Hitlers that we need to fight but isn't there always a net loss? What the hell do we win? What's our prize?

War, we always lose, no matter the prize.

 

[lostwanderingsoul]

Not just battles. We lost the whole war on drugs.

 

[Shiranui117]

I think that, slowly, the whole concept of "battles" is becoming outdated. We no longer have two armies that go head-to-head in one specific area. We instead have hundreds or thousands of fireteams and squads each fighting for control of one or two strategic points or zones.

 

[Spiderman]

A “thousand or more”? In battle?

The Tet Offensive.

America actually won the Tet offensive. The Vietcong did not accomplish their military goals and the Vietcong were almost completely destroyed.

Tet offensive was a defeat back home though as it increased protests and shocked people.

 

[Spiderman]

Don't we always lose? Many human beings die in any war. What are your victory conditions? Having lost less lives than the other guy?

I suppose there is Hitlers that we need to fight but isn't there always a net loss? What the hell do we win? What's our prize?

War, we always lose, no matter the prize.

In the past, the side whose military was defeated and who lost land or ran away from the field was the loser and the other victorious.

 

[Twilight Hue]

It was a huge disaster, but I do not recall America losing any significant battles. We simply left

That's true, we were actually winning the Vietnam War. We pulled out under political pressure. Not from the Viet Cong, but from our own politicians.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I think that, slowly, the whole concept of "battles" is becoming outdated. We no longer have two armies that go head-to-head in one specific area. We instead have hundreds or thousands of fireteams and squads each fighting for control of one or two strategic points or zones.

I see it as a convenient loophole. There are no wars anymore, just police actions.

Come to think of it , that sounds familiar looking back on history.

Maybe it's a skewed view but I used to think the United Nations were the peacekeepers of the world. So much for the Smurfs.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Actually George Washington lost several battles if I remember my history. But of course we weren't technically a country yet.

 

[BSM1]

America actually won the Tet offensive. The Vietcong did not accomplish their military goals and the Vietcong were almost completely destroyed.

Tet offensive was a defeat back home though as it increased protests and shocked people.

Like someone once said, we didn't lose any battles in Nam, but we weren't allowed to win the war.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

America actually won the Tet offensive. The Vietcong did not accomplish their military goals and the Vietcong were almost completely destroyed.

Tet offensive was a defeat back home though as it increased protests and shocked people.

Yes, you’re right.
I was thinking “Won the battle but lost the war.”

But you’re right.

 

[Spiderman]

Like someone once said, we didn't lose any battles in Nam, but we weren't allowed to win the war.

We would have had to cross the demilitarized zone, and occupied North Vietnam, and we could have done that.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

America did not achieve her military objectives in Iraq or Afghanistan, but was there really a battle that we lost in either of those countries? Sure, lots of skirmishes took place, with much guerrilla attacks that were costly, but can you think of a battle where roughly a thousand or more casualties resulted and America was defeated on the battlefield?

What would you say was the last military battle that America lost? What were the casualties?

Counting battles won or lost is useless. Something both Pyrrhus and Sun Tzu would agree on, I think.

 

[Spiderman]

If I had to think of a country that never lost a battle in the history of the nation, I think it was Israel. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Spiderman]

Counting battles won or lost is useless. Something both Pyrrhus and Sun Tzu would agree on, I think.

It would depend on the battle and what one side gains from it.

 

[Watchmen]

Don't we always lose? Many human beings die in any war. What are your victory conditions? Having lost less lives than the other guy?

I suppose there is Hitlers that we need to fight but isn't there always a net loss? What the hell do we win? What's our prize?

War, we always lose, no matter the prize.

I find this passive attitude disturbing. We must always stand up to defeat tyranny. I’m not advocating war mongering. But I am saying if we have the ability we must combat tyranny. Hitler being the prime example.