Braddock’s Folly: An Excellent Plan, In Theory | 1755 (Episode 4)

Send us Fan MailSend us a message at - [email protected] 1755, Britain decided to move its collnnia problem he od fashioned way- by sending a general.  Major General Edward Braddock, veteran ion the Coldstream Guards and chosen of the Duke of Cumberland, arrived in Virginia with two regiments of regulars and an unshakable conviction that discipline and geometry could tame a continent. they could not...This episode follows Braddock's il fated march to Fort Duquesne - the road building, the supply chaos, and the infamous battle on the Monongahela that ended in disaster. Along the way we meet his unlikely cast of future luminaries:Thomas Gage, Daniel Morgan, Charles Lee, Horatio Gates, and a young George Washington who seems to be bulletproof. It's a story of imperial hubris meeting North American reality. head on, and losing in spectacular fashion. We unpack the tactical disaster in detail: the terrain that trapped the British column, the doctrine that doomed it, and the logistical madness that broke it before the first shots were fired. But Braddock's defeat was more than just a military blunder, it was Ann imperial reckoning. His failure shook London, terrified the colonies, and redrew the lines of Native diplomacy across the frontier. The grand design of 1755 collapsed before it had barley begun, and in its place rose the first faint sense that the colonies might be able to stanndon their own.Next time we'll follow the other three prongs of Cumberland's grand plan- Johnson at Crown Point, Shirley at Niagara, and Mockton in Arcadia- as the empire tries once again to win by pain what it had lost by pride.If you've been enjoying listening to The History of the 7 Years War, please rate or review the show whereever you listen to it.  It helps other history fans find their way through the fog of war, and keeps our humble campaign supplied with metaphorical powder, shot, and the occasional five star rating.