AHC: Improve Washington's skill as a commander

George Washington wasn't the best general and certainly could've done a much better job at several campaigns. So does anyone know a POD to improve Washington's skills?
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
The thing is that if Washington had been a "better" commander in a conventional sense, he might have gotten it into his head to try to take on the British in set-piece battles more than he did IOTL, when he did it far too often anyway. He understood his limitations, which is why he reverted to a "war of posts" strategy, which was the correct strategy to employ.

Washington wasn't a great general if you go by conventional standards, but he was exactly what America needed in 1775-1781.
 

Lateknight

Banned
George Washington wasn't the best general and certainly could've done a much better job at several campaigns. So does anyone know a POD to improve Washington's skills?

He didn't need to great he just need to keep his army together which he did.
 
George Washington wasn't the best general and certainly could've done a much better job at several campaigns. So does anyone know a POD to improve Washington's skills?

The skills he had were superb for what he needed to do, which was to not lose his army. He had a command of logistics that rivaled any contemporary European general, so he was able to find supplies and move his men with brilliant efficiency. His sticking to the overall strategy of avoiding direct conflict with the British except when it was most advantageous worked well for the whole Revolution. His leadership in holding the common soldiers together and convincing them to fight on was more than adequate (keeping an army together after the Valley Forge winter and the even worse one after that were no small feats). He wasn't afraid to be stern with his troops when he needed to (see the various mutinies) and he did all he could to keep his army's image with the wider public good (see how he ordered his troops to treat civilians when they went out foraging for supplies). He was a good general for the task set before him.

Now, if you want to change him to a more combat-oriented General, you could try several PODs. Have him be accepted into the British army and fight in Canada in the Seven Years War, allowing him years more combat experience. Give him a core of Continentals trained in European military drill earlier in the war (Steuben arrives early, perhaps?) so that he doesn't have to worry as much about his army dissolving against a serious British assault. Remove the vacillating influence of Charles Lee from later campaigns by having him remain in British custody after his capture.
 
I don't want to denigrate Washington, who was pretty great, but I think his inaction in 1778-1780 was nearly fatal to the revolution. If there had been a mediation (as the French and Spanish were fishing for), his reticence to leave the tristate area could have left the south in British hands, for instance.
 
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