Sorry I don’t blame Montgomery. This was an Ike debacle. He knew it was a half assed plan made up in a few weeks. He should have weighed Montgomery’s abilities and screw the Brits. They needed us more then we needed them, and their leaders sucked.
I disagree. Monty was trying to get press for himself and for British troops when it was the US and Canadian troops doing most of the heavy lifting - and getting the majority of the credit.
At this time, the Brits were starting to plan for the post war era and they were actually trying to restore the luster of the battered Empire. There was actually political pressure brought to bear on Ike to let Monty have his head for this reason.
It didn’t work out the way they through it would.
I absolutely blame short-sighted, envious Monty, but Ike can share in the blame because as you say he should have known better. As Patton reportedly said, “That’s what happens when you stop fighting for America and start fighting for the Allies.”
Nevertheless, 20-20 hindsight is always so clear. Ike was doing the almost impossible job of holding together a coalition of self-willed nations with their own agendas against the very real threat of Worldwide Nazi Domination. Not easy.
Ironically, I think England had one of the best leaders of the time, Churchill, who emerged as maybe the most clear-thinker of the time, only to be trashed later by a misguided country. He was certainly better than socialist FDR.
Later, Ike bitterly regretted going along with Monty’s constant nagging and I think held Monty in contempt for such arm twisting.
We had Patton. England had Churchill. Their leadership did a lot to beat Hitler.