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What Strategic Elements Of The 1777 Campaign Plan

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In the fall of 1776 the British Empire stood on the edge of victory, Britain’s New York campaign left the Continental Army in disarray and on the edge of extinction. The 1777 campaign, though not fully realized by the British crown, represented the best and last chance to suppress the American Rebellion before the rebellion transformed into a world war and went beyond the British ability to win. Unfortunately for the British, their senior commanders in the New World, Sir William Howe and John Burgoyne, viewed the war through a flawed operational lens and saw the American struggle for independence as an opportunity to enhance their standing and future in the British Empirical system. British American Secretary Lord Germain, himself …show more content…

With his ends clearly stated, he also articulated effective ways to achieve his objectives. He planned to divide his army into four distinct corps to perform three distinct missions, all designed to achieve his stated objectives. Howe proposed to establish a “defensive army” of 8,000 soldiers commanded by MAJ General Charles Cornwallis to “cover New Jersey and contain Washington’s Continental Army”. He also wanted to leave 5,000 soldiers to defend New York City. The third Corp, another 10,000 soldiers under the Command of MAJ General Henry Clinton would march from Rhode Island to Albany to “junction” with Howe’s Corp of 10,000 soldiers and the Canadian army. Howe’s Corp would fight their way up the Hudson from New York and the Canadian army would fight their way down the Hudson from Canada. Howe’s means to execute his plan provided the strategic risk. In the same letter he outlined his plan; he also requested 15,000 additional soldiers to achieve his plan’s objectives. In November 1777, neither Howe nor the British Empire had 15,000 additional soldiers available. The request came as a shock to Germain, who for political reasons declined to send the request to Parliament. Howe only received 6,000 additional soldiers for his 1777 campaign. Unbeknownst to Howe, his plan dovetailed perfectly with Burgoyne’s plan published in the spring of 1776. Burgoyne returned to England to personally promote the plan to the King and his ministers. Burgoyne,

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