The Mask of Command - Book Report/Review Example

The Mask of Command Introduction John Keegan, a notable military historian who had never seen combat, made his mark a decade ago with his book ‘The Face of Battle’ that dealt with battle as experienced by a common soldier. ‘The Mask of Command’ written by Keegan is in similar lines with his earlier book ‘The Face of Battle’. ‘The Mask of Command’ is about military leadership. It begins with a general introduction and ends with a formal conclusion incorporating some case studies. The case studies here are Alexander the Great, Duke of Wellington, Ulysses S. Grant and Adolf Hitler. It is evident from the title that Keegan perceives command as an art of persuasion, sometimes involving masking of the commander’s own nature. Keegan has analyzed each of the cases under study with meticulous optimism. His studies are based on the various relations amidst the growth of leadership style. Each of the subjects under consideration has had a different approach to leadership compared to the others. The most well established case studies are those of Alexander and Hitler. The final section comprises of an analyses of command in detail. The art of persuading others to risk their lives is also discussed. Even though the author disapproves of war, the reasons and associated methods are truly fascinating. Keegan wonders on what makes great military leaders and this was the idea that led him to writing this book. Even though scores of prominent names come to our mind, Keegan had chosen the four that he considers as having profoundly influenced the world history, each in their own unique ways. Keegan provides the readers with a brilliant account of the various models of command and the various masks the commanders wore to exercise their power. Background Keegan elaborates and elucidates the various kinds of leadership. Keegan considers Alexander the Great to be a heroic leader. Wellington is described as an anti heroic leader, Grant is described as an unheroic leader and Hitler is considered to be symbolizing what a hero should not be. Keegan goes a step beyond the classification of the cases under study by portraying their personalities, qualities, flaws and their mode of command. He has cleverly blended military tactics and politics adopted by these great leaders. Keegan strongly feels that a gifted commander can motivate his men and even steer them towards victory even in the most demanding of situations. Keegan’s classification of leadership with his case studies makes history even more fascinating. Alexander the Great was a heroic leader, who destroyed the Persian Empire and led his devoted Macedonian army to India. He was a fearless warrior and was wounded about eight times. He died of a fever at the age of 32. The Duke of Wellington was an antiheroic leader, who considered his soldiers to be dirt on earth and often inflicted them with harsh punishments. He was a meticulous planner and an able man controlling a disciplined troop that destroyed Napoleon Bonaparte in the Battle of Waterloo. Ulysses S. Grant was an unheroic hero, who often drove to war heavily drunk and with a cigar in mouth. He became the commander of the Union armies as the President considered him to be an able fighter. Adolf Hitler was of the pseudo heroic leader, who indulged in unnecessary monologues with his adjutants on vegetarianism, trench life and effects of Christianity even in the moments of deep trouble from the Russian attacks. Hitler, the German supreme commander, is the only civilian political leader and a very bad loser in Keegan’s quartet. Alexander the Great Alexander the great, the heroic leader, was also known as Alexander III of Macedon. He could be considered to be the most successful commanders in history. Alexander became the king of Macedon after the death of his father Philip III. He successfully quashed a rebellion of the southern Greek city states. He staged a violent feud against Macedon’s northern neighbors. Then Alexander the Great set out to conquer the world beginning with the Persian Empire. He successfully defeated and overthrew the Persian Empire and expanded his boundaries up to India, where he was effectively stopped by king Porus and even after a victory his troops refused to move any further due to exhaustion. After having engaged in about a twelve year military campaign Alexander died of fever at the age of 32. His legacy and conquests lived long after him and continued to inspire the many battlefront heroes of the future. Arthur Wellesley Arthur Wellesley had the titles Duke of Wellington and Marquess Douro bestowed upon him. The Dukedom of Wellington is a hereditary title and a senior rank in the peerage of the United Kingdom. Wellesley was the first Duke of Wellington. He was an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman. He was a notable military leader of the nineteenth century. As a colonel Wellesley saw action in Netherland and later in India. After the fourth Anglo-Mysore War at the Battle of Seringapatnam he was appointed as the Governor of Mysore. He rose as a General during the Napoleonic wars and later granted Dukedom and promoted to the rank of a field marshal. He accrued victory for the British army in the Battle of Waterloo against Napoleon. He was given the epithet of the ‘Iron Duke’. He served as the prime minister of the United Kingdom for two terms. He remained as the commander in chief of the British Army till death. Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was the general and president of the United States of America. He was elected as a republican. Even though he fought in the battlefront as a commander occasionally, he preferred to commanding from the safer parts of the battle field. He made effective use of technological growth to his advantage and did most of the planning and guiding men and resource allocation rather than battling in the forefront. Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler, one of world’s most cruel dictators, was an Austrian born German politician. He led the National Socialist German Workers Party. He was imprisoned after a failed coup. He wrote the book ‘Mein Kampf’ meaning ‘my struggle’. Following his imprisonment he gained support by promoting nationalism and anti-communism. He was gifted with charismatic oratorical and propaganda skills. The Nazi’s destroyed almost every opponent they had to establish a totalitarian dictatorship. The Axis powers had captured most of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa. Hitler was responsible for racial subjugation and a well organized genocide in what he called the Holocaust. After an invasion by the Red Army he committed suicide inside the Fuhrerbunker. Their role as commanders Keegan analyses whether these commanders fought as the head of soldiers. He finds that Alexander the Great always fought as a true valiant soldier and a noble head, Wellington often fought as the head of soldiers, Ulysses S. Grant did not fight as a head any more than what was deemed necessary and Adolf Hitler never fought as a head. Keegan feels that this evolving trend was due to the increased deployment of long range weapons that made the commander’s very presence ultimately dangerous. This trend was further encouraged by technological evolution in the form of telephones and telegraph that enabled the commander to stay in constant touch with his troops from remote places. The World War I produced generals that stayed in their villas commanding their troops until they refused to take on any more. Hitler accomplished effective commanding by propaganda of his war record while Eisenhower made it a point to be seen amidst his generals and discussing the plans with them. As for the idea of heroism Alexander the Great deliberately cultivated it, Wellington deprecated it, Ulysses S. Grant ignored it and Adolf Hitler created propagandas. Keegan strongly feels that there is a need for us to adapt to the various changes around us. He meticulously observes the various changes that take place in the various rungs of historic commanders in their mode of command. Alexander the Great was constantly spearheading the attack of his men. This was primarily because that how he wished to appear amidst his men and they too wished him to behave as a hero. His sense of command and leadership was theatrical with a strong highlight on audacious attire, brilliant oratory, sharp skills and extremely bold actions. Alexander, thus, fits well into the role of a classical hero. Arthur Wellesley or the Duke of Wellington as he was popularly known had to move around the battle field in order to maintain a perfect balance in men and resource management. He portrayed command over his fellow men by mildness in manner, oratory and valor compared to Alexander. He failed to bring upon his troops the notion of extreme valor as Alexander did and hence can be considered as an aristocrat that waged war for his monarch. He was essentially an anti hero. Ulysses S. Grant largely commanded the army from the rear as a result of the impact of long range weaponry. This could not be accounted for cowardice as it is the only practical means to wage a war in a modern society. He made effective exploitation of railroads and telegraph in the battle front. Adolf Hitler, a brutal dictator of all times, led a bunker life during the war. He effectively managed power and with a well choreographed account of his First World War experience in the form of a fierce propaganda managed to produce himself as a hero amidst the fellow Germans. In fact he had cleverly exploited all the benefits of pseudo heroism. He was the only failure in among the quartet chosen by Keegan. Five vital imperatives Keegan identifies the qualities necessary to become a successful leader. A commander must have the five vital imperatives. The Imperative of Kinship, that involves persuading of his troops that he understands and cares for them. The Imperative of Prescription, that involves his ability to tell his troops exactly what he wants. The Imperative of Sanction, that involves convincing the troops that they would be rewarded if they complied and punished otherwise. The Imperative of action, that involved the knowledge of when to attack. The Imperative of Example, that involved making the troops realize that he shared their dangers. Keegan feels that in the nuclear age detachment, moderation and power of analysis are prevalent over heroism in battlefront. Keegan, thus, brilliantly puts forth the five different styles of command with the examples of four historical commanders and a hypothetical commander of the future world. Keegan has provided high importance to Alexander and Hitler. His description of Wellington is almost similar to the one found in the description of the Battle of Waterloo in his book ‘The Face of Battle’ and his description of Grant shows his insignificance compared to the other members of the quartet. ‘The Mask of Command’ has a great deal of intellectual liveliness compared to similar contemporary works.Had Keegan chosen a different set of characters he would have come up with another way of portraying the masks of command. Only a person with enormous knowledge of military history at his disposal could succeed in similar endeavors. Keegan finds similarity between Alexander’s plans to attack the Persian naval bases in Asia Minor and Mac Arthur’s strategy at the very beginning of the South Pacific campaign. Ocean of Facts Keegan had been effectively selective and prudent throughout his literary work and had succeeded in captivating the reader’s attention. The reader almost loses himself amidst the ocean of facts and the details hold his attention as vague generalizations that may fail to penetrate the larger truth that Keegan expresses. Keegan has brought the war back to life by his exquisite talent in narrating the wide accounts of Shiloh and Waterloo to various instances of brutal scrimmages around the globe. Keegan had produced keen interest in bringing liveliness by use of historic quotations and incidents. The most popular examples could be that of Grant, cigar in mouth, referring to the war as ‘the devil’s own day’ to Sherman and Wellington describing the general under whom he served to be a man that lacked plan and in all probability didn’t know the meaning of the word plan. Keegan had given special consideration to historical events that usually get neglected, such as Hitler’s account of his services as a messenger in the front of a Bavarian regiment to which he was assigned during the First World War. He has also provided a vivid description of Hitler’s propaganda during the Second World War regarding his war time records that enabled an effective command over the Nazis. Hitler’s propaganda style of leadership seems to have evolved from similar traits in Wellington. The range of musket fire was miniscule to restrict Wellington from exercising power at the battlefront. But later Wellington rarely appeared at the Battlefront, not because he was not courageous but primarily due to the fear that his army may be rendered leaderless. One primary reason for this was the about fifty years after the Waterloo, the musket got replaced with rifles and snipers that were far more powerful and accurate. The years 1914 to 1918 saw the evolution of ‘chateau generals’ that stayed deep behind the lines and commanded the soldiers by various means. Hitler is exemplary of having done this with propaganda of his frontline battle experiences itself in the Second World War. Such significant developments were due to products of technology such radio, satellite communication and others. Nuclear Age Keegan has well portrayed that as human beings we have the capability to destruction as much as we have the capability to create. His conclusions primarily focus on how the advent of nuclear age had added unavoidable layers of secrecy and power to a few commanding men who have the trigger to modern weaponry and who alone are safe from the same. Keegan visualizes the command in the modern nuclear age where the governmental heads are directly responsible for the deployment of powerful weapons of mass destruction. The commanders also have maximum protection assigned to themselves while letting the common soldier at the battlefront. Thus, we are increasingly moving away from the tradition of heroic leaders to that of post heroic leaders. Moreover, he observed that the commanders of the nuclear age are more prudent to avoid irreversible losses by war using weapons of mass destruction and prefer peace talks or negotiations before going into full fledged war. Modern-day Commanders Keegan has clearly shown the qualities of certain individuals have drastically impacted society. He wonders how some commanders gain control of their troops or organization similar to the type of control seen in ant colony or bee hive. The commanders had exquisite charm and sufficient tact to cleverly exploit their subordinates and extract the maximum out of them. They prepare their soldiers to sacrifice everything of theirs to attain the group objectives. However, the modern day commanders are clever enough not to risk their own lives while utilizing their men as the best of resources available to meet the objectives desired. Keegan’s understanding of the military and organizational command is profound and filled with intellectual evidences that makes the reader think and wonder at most of the fascinating aspects of history and war. Keegan is uncertain whether the old mode of heroic leadership would ever rise again. If such a leadership is possible it would have the maximum number of loyal followers. The nuclear age has been studded with commanders that are good analysts and tolerant. However, the absence of large wars is indirectly compensated by promotion of other forms of war such as terrorism and various other forms of economic strategies that tend to weaken even well established democracies. Modern day commanders are strategists that have a clear idea of warfare and a far sighted vision in to the future. They are increasingly becoming tolerant and understanding towards the misuse of nuclear weapons that could cause devastating effects. They are keen on avoiding situations that might lead to a Third World War. Ever since the end of the Cold War steps have been taken by various governments and international agencies to establish a control over the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Nuclear warfare could lead to what would be the end of the world and must be avoided at any cost. Some analysts consider the interesting possibility of a state of no wars after all the countries have acquired nuclear weapons at least for self defense. Keegan is indeed a great military analyst. Conclusion Keegan is a great military analyst who has meticulously analyzed history of warfare and arrived at some of the most interesting results that would turn history into an ever more fascinating subject. His study on the various leadership styles has no parallel and couldn’t even have been done by accomplished military commanders. Keegan sees command as an art that is rare gift. It is the art to persuade others to risk everything of theirs for the benefits and interests of the organization concerned. The author effectively compared among a chosen quartet of commanders to explain heroic, anti heroic, unheroic and pseudo heroic styles of leadership. The author who disapproves war has brought about a truly fascinating account of the same and the art of commanding. Keegan had acquired more than sufficient knowledge in the art of commanding and the various types of leadership. Keegan has chosen a quartet as an illustrious example of the four important types of leadership. Keegan says that a successful leader must have five essential imperatives. The five imperatives are the imperative of kinship, the imperative of prescription, the imperative of sanction, the imperative of action and the imperative of example. Keegan feels that the nuclear age has brought an end to the ethic of heroic leadership. The role of leadership of commanders has shifted itself from heroism to that of decision making on when to push the buttons. The commanders of the nuclear age need to be detached, moderate and analytic. Keegan points that the United States got that type of leadership from John Kennedy during its only nuclear confrontation at the Cuban missile crisis. Leadership is more of rational multipronged approach rather than an exhibit of gallantry in the nuclear age. This has rendered large scale battles as things of the past. Keegan has thus brought about the most interesting theory on command and leadership. Reference: John Keegan. The Mask of Command. New York: Penguin Books. 1988 Read More