Decades of emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion over combat readiness have taken their toll.
When Hitler invaded France in 1940, the conventional wisdom was that the French had the best military in Europe. This was despite Germany’s crushing victory over Poland and several other powers considered to be second rate by most military observers. The disastrous rout of the French army along with its British allies came as a devastating surprise to the free world. Although there is no consensus about a single factor underlying the French failure, most historians seem to agree that there were several contributing causes. Unfortunately, all of them seem to be present in American society and its military today. As Mark Twain supposedly said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”
