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Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

What kind of general loses Singapore?

Lt. Gen. Arthur Percival surrendered the island in February 1942, in perhaps the worst defeat ever suffered by British forces.

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
Screen Shot 2015-09-30 at 10.10.32 AM
Screen Shot 2015-09-30 at 10.10.32 AM

 

 

This kind: “He was an able staff officer with a penetrating mind, although a mind that saw the difficulties to any scheme before it saw the possibilities. But he was a completely negative person, with no vigour, no colour, and no conviction. His personality was not strong . . . .”

Lt. Gen. Arthur Percival surrendered the island in February 1942, in perhaps the worst defeat ever suffered by British forces.

Photo credit: Imperial War Museums/Wikimedia Commons

 

 

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

Read More On History | Military | Singapore

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