Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen, and Leadership in WartimeFree Press, 2002 - 288 pages Using the example of great modern leaders - Lincoln, Clemenceau, Churchill and Ben Gurion - all of whom were without military experience, Supreme Command argues that, in fact, civilian statesman can be brilliant commanders in times of war. Supreme Command is about leadership in wartime, or more precisely about the tension between two kinds of leadership, civil and military. Eliot Cohen uncovers the nature of strategy-making by looking at four great democratic war statesman and seeing how they dealt with the military leaders who served them. In doing so he reveals fundamental aspects of leadership and provides not merely an historical analysis but a study of issues that remain crucial today. By examining the cases of four of the greatest war statesmen of the twentieth century he explores the problem of how people confront the greatest challenges that can befall them, in this case national leaders. Beginning with a discussion of civil-military relations from a theoretical point of view, Cohen lays out the conventional beliefs about how politicians should deal with generals and the extent to which either can influence the outcome of war. From these he draws broader lessons for student |
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Page xii
... fact , the study of the re- lationship between soldiers and statesmen ( rather different from the relationship between the soldier and the state , as a famous book has it ) lies at the heart of what strategy is all about . In the book's ...
... fact , the study of the re- lationship between soldiers and statesmen ( rather different from the relationship between the soldier and the state , as a famous book has it ) lies at the heart of what strategy is all about . In the book's ...
Page 9
... fact - of the military leaders in the face of ambiguous information , for not all defeated generals are in- ept . Furthermore , it often occurs that generals fit for one type of opera- tion fail dismally at another ; the slashing ...
... fact - of the military leaders in the face of ambiguous information , for not all defeated generals are in- ept . Furthermore , it often occurs that generals fit for one type of opera- tion fail dismally at another ; the slashing ...
Page 74
... fact , the very reverse was the case , and Clemenceau was soon deeply im- mersed in the consequences and implications of Pétain's doctrine . Three in particular stood out . First , defense in depth meant something very different for ...
... fact , the very reverse was the case , and Clemenceau was soon deeply im- mersed in the consequences and implications of Pétain's doctrine . Three in particular stood out . First , defense in depth meant something very different for ...
Contents
THE SOLDIER AND THE STATESMAN | 1 |
LINCOLN SENDS A LETTER | 15 |
CLEMENCEAU PAYS A VISIT 32 | 52 |
Copyright | |
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Allied American Arab arms Army attack battle Ben-Gurion Britain British campaign Carl von Clausewitz Chiefs of Staff Churchill Churchill's Civil civil-military relations civilian control civilian leaders Clausewitz Clemenceau coalition commander in chief conduct conflict Dana David Ben-Gurion decision defense enemy example Ferdinand Foch fight Foch Foch's France France's French front George H. W. Bush German Grant Gulf Gulf war Haganah Halleck high command historians Huntington Ibid Iraqi Ismay Israel Israel Defense Forces Israeli Jerusalem Jewish Jews John Keegan Joint Chiefs less Lincoln matters ment mili military advisers military leaders Mordacq offensive officers operations organization Palestine Palmach peace Pétain politicians president prime minister problem professional remarked role secretary senior served soldiers Stanton statesmen strategy subordinates tary telegraph theory of civil-military tion Union United University Press victory Vietnam warfare wartime Winston World War II Yadin Yigal Alon yishuv York Zionist