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In August 1990, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded and occupied the neighboring nation of Kuwait. Faced with an entrenched Iraqi army of over 300,000 battle-hardened troops, General Schwarzkopf was tasked with leading a massive international coalition of 540,000 soldiers from over 30 countries to liberate the nation. The world anticipated a bloody, drawn-out war that could cost thousands of lives.Schwarzkopf outsmarted the enemy before the ground war even started. He deliberately stationed a massive amphibious force in the Persian Gulf, visibly preparing for a massive head-on marine assault on Kuwait's beaches. Saddam's generals fell for the trap hook, line, and sinker, moving their elite divisions to fortify the coast.Meanwhile, under the cover of a massive aerial bombardment, Schwarzkopf quietly moved more than 200,000 heavily armored coalition troops deep into the wide, empty Saudi Arabian desert far to the west.On February 24, 1991, Schwarzkopf gave the order to attack. While the Iraqi army looked toward the sea, the coalition forces slammed into their exposed right flank from deep out of the desert in a sweeping movement known as the "Hail Mary" play.The maneuver completely bypassed their heavy defenses, surrounded the occupying forces, and obliterated Iraq's military infrastructure. The ground war was over in a staggering 100 hours, liberating Kuwait with historically low coalition casualties. Schwarzkopf's tactical genius permanently changed the face of modern doctrine, cementing his status as one of America's greatest battlefield generals.#timelessenigma #history#historyfacts #factsyoudidntknow