A Brutal Winter: George Washington’s Leadership at Valley Forge

Professional Military Education

On December 19, 1777, George Washington led the Continental Army onto a high plateau twenty miles northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After fighting the British at the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown, Washington entered camp with a little over 12,000 soldiers. By mid-February, that number had dropped in half. Disease ravaged camp. Soldiers starved. Many of them were down to their last shirt. Some walked into camp barefoot. As if the problems couldn’t get worse, most soldiers didn’t know if or when they would get paid for their service.

Despite the many difficulties, General Washington was determined to pull the army through the winter. He faced multiple threats to his command both from within the army and from Congress. Although Valley Forge did not involve any large battle, the army faced one of its toughest challenges of the Revolutionary War. If it could survive and hold together, then the American fight for independence would continue.

Through a combination of leadership and determination, Washington and his army were able to persevere. By the summer of 1778, the soldiers that survived the winter emerged hardened and ready for a fight.

In this podcast episode, we will study what happened at Valley Forge with a focus on Washington’s leadership and the many decisions that he had to make.

We will begin the episode by imagining what order Washington might have given prior to occupying camp. Then we will focus on the following topics:

• How did Washington prevent a mutiny?
• What was the Conway Cabal and how did Washington overcome it?
• Who was the odd Prussian Captain that arrived at Valley Forge in February?
• How did the experience at Valley Forge shape Washington’s political mindset?
• What personnel decisions did Washington make?
• How was morale maintained?
• What caused death and desertion?

Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com to see maps and pictures. The website will also have a list of sources and additional information to study what happened at Valley Forge.

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