Today's history lesson: Darius III knew more than his generals and assumed field command before the onslaught of Alexander and the Greeks; he fled the battle and was murdered by his own commanders. The Achaemenid Empire ceased to exist.

Napoleon knew more than his generals and invaded Russia before leaving his army lying frozen in the marshes. While France continued, it has ever since been a second echelon power—albeit with great wine and cheese.

Adolf Hitler knew more than his generals and dithered during preparations for invasion before Eisenhower and the Allies achieved the D-Day invasion, whereafter suicide soon became his only option. Nazi Germany ceased to exist.

Donald Trump knows more than our generals and will soon abandon our few remaining Middle East allies—especially the Kurds and potentially the majority of Afghans—to their fate, just as Nixon and Ford did in the case of the Montagnards and Hmong of Vietnam. The US survived the latter but the shame lingers; who now will stand with us when we next need help?