Is the Study of Past Military Leaders Valid for a Modern Military Professional - Essay Example

Is the Study of Past Military Leaders Valid for a Modern Military Professional? Historical studies move from one war to another, bringing out the list of a number of great military leaders who have changed the order of the world through their courage, strategies and heroic deeds. It is interesting to note that the contribution made by strong military leaders to the twists and turns of history are equal or more stable than religious leaders, intellectuals, scientists or philosophers could make. The most powerful political leaders the world has seen do have a military background. Leaders like Frederick the Great, Ulysses Grant, Napoleon, Alexander the Great and Hitler did start their political careers as soldiers or people who served the military. The observation that the “most influential leaders in world history have come not from the church, the halls of governments, or the scholastic centers but from the ranks of soldiers and sailors” 1 is not an exaggeration. Wars do figure out in the modern world too, reinforcing the need and necessity for the modern military professionals to go back to the historical stories of success and failure, defeat and conquest of the past military captains, and learn either from their destruction or achievements. No doubt, warfare over the past 150 years have undergone a lot of changes: the nature of war has changed drastically with the modern man’s access to all types of advanced technological devices, machines and bombs. But these factors do not limit the significance of the study of past military leaders as it does have validity for a modern military professional as he has a lot to learn from his predecessors- from their influences, strategies, and leadership abilities, and from the number of victories they have won. A clear understanding of how Frederick the Great rose into eminence as the undisputed ruler over the Prussian empire and what strategies and diplomacies he employed for this purpose is significant for any modern military professional. Frederick the Great( 1740-86) deserves primary place in this regard as he was a brilliant military leader, diplomat and strategist, who made Prussia the foremost military power in Europe with his military expeditions. The way he fought the war against the Austrians and enlarged Prussia’s territories makes him an admirable leader and forerunner. One notices his broad vision and skill for quick diplomacy when Emperor Charles VI died. Soon after the Emperor was dead, knowing for certain that France and Bavaria had an eye on Austria’s possessions, Frederick offered to assist Austria to maintain its possessions in exchange of the rich province of Silesia to Prussia. Austria out rightly rejected the offer and it paved the way for Frederick’s first of the military expeditions in the form of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740- 1748). The war ended with the seizure of Silesia. However the diplomat in Frederick was never satisfied as he could sense the possibility of fight back when Austria strengthened its alliance with Russia. So he was quick to enter into the Treaty of Westminster (1755) with Great Britain, and took a neutral stand point in the war between England and France. The result was the formation of another strong alliance of Austria, Russia, France and Saxony. A great military leader is someone who handles crisis and takes quick, fearless steps to overcome them; it was so with Frederick-he decided to put the pressure on Austria by being the first to take risk. His strategy was to keep “at gay much more powerful antagonists. He took advantage of the natural lack of cohesion of coalitions and fought his enemies, so far as possible, one at a time.” 2 Another factor to be kept in mind is the level of discipline that Frederick maintained in the Prussian army; he divided the army into various sections and always attacked the enemy from various sides concentrating more on the weak spots in the enemy stronghold. After the Seven Years War, his policy was to defend the large amount of territory that he has conquered and for this he ensured that no other threat is emerging against his domination and supremacy. Napoleon, the epitome of human will and never ending energy, was one of the exceptional military leaders that the world has ever witnessed. He was a brilliant leader in battle and he could get the support of all the people in France. He was so highly inspiring and patriotic (a feeling which each new military professional should cherish) that he could instill the same spirit in the minds of his followers and supporters. In 1804, he made himself the Emperor of France, and restructured the administrative system by enforcing the Napoleon code on the citizens, which provided them with new rights and privileges. He was a ruler with a great vision: he realized the importance of educational system and made provisions to monitor the schooling system. As Peter J. Dean remarks, Napoleon’s greatness as a military leader lies in the organization and tactful handling of his army: “Napoleon’s genius lay not in revolutionizing of warfare itself, but in the refinement of existing means. He did not propose any drastic changes in tactics nor invent a new method of waging warfare; instead he excelled at the tactical handling of the armies of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.” 3 According to him, Napoleon did make some strategic flaws by awarding of Marshal batons to soldiers who excelled which brought about discontent and dissatisfaction among other soldiers who were faithful to him; his decision to invade Spain and Russia at the wrong time, and his failure to create divisions among European powers brought to his downfall. In the last phase of the war, he could not adapt himself to the changing nature of war. But the never conquerable nature of the man’s will power and determination is evident when he was able to get back into power (even though for a short period) in 1815, almost a year after he was exiled to the island of Elba in 1814. Napoleon has a lot to tell to the modern military professionals; one can imbibe lessons from both the success and failure of Napoleon as a military leader. Ulysses Simpson Grant was yet another American military leader who volunteered for military duty in America in 1861 and grew himself to be the eighteenth President of the United States with hard work, efficient strategic planning and military vigor. In 1864, he was promoted as the supreme commander of all Union forces by the then American President Lincoln and his primary goal was to defeat the Army of Northern Virginia from whom the Union Army suffered a lot of setbacks. Ulysses did not give up his venture and he strongly “believed that the most effective way to defeat the South was to attack repeatedly.” 4 Thus, many battles were fought and Grant lost more men than his counterpart but he was optimistic about his success. Finally he was able to surround and ensue a ten month siege on the Army of Northern Virginia at Petersburg in April 1864, which ultimately made the Army of Northern Virginia to surrender on April 9, 1865.Thus, in Ulysses S. Grant any modern military professionals can find a very strong and convincing military leader “whose military communications were precise and clear.” 5 A critical study on the military history of these great military leaders will equip every modern military professional with better tools to carry out his/ her mission more effectively and efficiently. It is also worthwhile to have a glance at the other great captains like Alexander the Great, one of the greatest conquerors in the history, and Winston Churchill, one of the most clever diplomats and strategists the world has ever seen. The wisdom learned from the past can prove to be crucial to individuals when similar incidents of the same nature occur in one’s life. One should be motivated to learn positive aspects from these great leaders’ military history, the administration of their territories, the legacy they left upon their countries, the heroism and valor they displayed, and from the strategies and policies they resorted to. Works Cited Grant, Ulysses S. A Misunderstood Leader. 1 Mar. 2008. . Grant, Ulysses. S. Home-History-People. Ohio History Central. Ohio Historical Society. 2008. 1 Mar. 2008. . Dean, Peter. J. Napoleon as a Military Commander: the Limitations of Genius. Research Subject: Napoleon Himself. The Napoleon Series. 1995-2005. 1 Mar. 2008. . Frederick II. Frederick the Great. Biography. Answers.com. Answers Corporation. 2008. 1 Mar. 2008. . The Worlds Greatest Military Leaders. Greatest Military Leaders List. George.S. Patton Historical Society Library. 1 Mar. 2008. http://www.pattonhq.com/militaryworks/leaderslist.html. Read More