Which tactical mistake by Santa Anna gave the Texans a mjor geographic advantage just before Sam Houston had his men begin their attack?
He decided to take no prisoners of war.
He split his large army into five colums.***
He tried to capture the Texas government at Harrisburg.
He moved his men so that a ridge blocked their line of sight.***
Confused on B & D not sure can you help please?????
B right?
I think so. I doubt he could have been defeated by the Texians' much smaller army otherwise.
Thank you!
Certainly! I can help clarify the tactical mistake made by Santa Anna that gave the Texans a major geographic advantage just before Sam Houston began his attack.
The correct answer is B - "He split his large army into five columns."
To understand why this decision was a tactical mistake, let's break it down:
1) Santa Anna's decision to split his large army into five columns refers to the disposition of his forces. Instead of keeping his army as a single united force, he divided it into smaller groups or columns.
2) This division of his army into multiple columns had several negative consequences:
- It weakened the overall strength of his forces: By dividing his army, Santa Anna spread out his troops and reduced their ability to provide mutual support. Each column would have been smaller in size and individually less powerful than the entire combined force.
- It hindered coordination and communication: With troops spread out across multiple columns, it becomes more challenging to coordinate their movements effectively and maintain effective communication among the different units.
- It allowed the Texans to exploit weak points: Houston, realizing that Santa Anna had divided his forces, recognized an opportunity to defeat each smaller column separately instead of facing the entire Mexican army as one united force. This allowed the Texans to concentrate their own forces against each individual column, making it easier for them to attack and overcome Santa Anna's divided army.
In contrast, option D - "He moved his men so that a ridge blocked their line of sight" does not refer to any specific tactical mistake made by Santa Anna. It may be a distractor in this multiple-choice question.