Switching sides: Military turncoats, a traitorous history

Benedict Arnold was a complex character, and his career has long prompted difficult questions. How could such a brilliant young patriot and successful fighting general in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) become the most notorious traitor in US history? For many, the answer lies with the psychological flaws in Arnold’s personality: predominantly his greed for glory and wealth, and an egotistical view of his own abilities that wasn’t universally shared by his compatriots (although Arnold was a pampered pet of George Washington himself – at least until he betrayed his doting mentor in the most despicable way possible). Born in Connecticut in 1741, Arnold grew up in a comforta