Ucadian Articles of War-Article 26-Strengths of a General



Home	Articles Index	< Previous	Next >

you are here: > Articles of War > Article 26

	4. The General
	Article 26- Strengths of a General
26.1	Strengths of a General
	While a force may be outnumbered, while the danger of capture and annihilation may be impending, the strength of many a great General has seen the outcome turn in the favour of their forces.
	A great general leads. The words of a great general are like iron. He acts always in a manner of honor, thereby giving honor and respect to the military and his/her forces.
	A great General understands the quicksilver nature of armed conflict and while being a student of history, is equally sensible to recognize each battle as a new challenge, requiring carefully planning and precise maneuvers.
	Ultimately, a great general recognizes that it is neither their mission nor their command to win a war in a single battle, or a hundred battles, but to provide the political leadership the strongest possible position to resolve conflict, by weakening the enemy in each individual battle with all the intelligence and ruthlessness as is required.
	Therefore in matters of warfare and battle, the strengths of the General in influencing its outcome cannot be underestimated.
22.2	Key strengths of a General
	While there can be considered many strengths of human character which may be associated to a great general, the following are the most important in concern of matters of war.
	Self-discipline
	Nothing less than the honor of the military is at stake with the self-discipline of the General. Unlike times of peace, in times of war discipline and orders must be obeyed without fault or question. Matters of life and death depend upon this absolute truth.
	To a soldier facing down the grave risk of death, the General must be the perfect soldier. They must be renown for their self denial, their self discipline, their avoidance of largess and corruption of office.
	Consistency
	Unlike in times of peace, in times of war the second greatest quality of a General is consistency above all others. As the ebb and flow of war produces uncertainty, casualties and concern, it is the consistent General that holds the army on course. Therefore, the wise general in times of war does nothing to change their appearance, or their normal habits, but emphasizes their normal routines as a way of maintaining the trust of the military.
	Lead by Issuing orders
	The third most important quality of a general in times of war is to issue orders and to uphold and honor all orders previously given, no matter how these might have subsequently been in error.
	Unlike a politician, a general can never afford to apologize or be seen to rescind a previous order. This is because their orders must be seen as absolute, to be honored under penalty of arrest and court martial if disobeyed.
	It is to the general to lead by issuing orders and for the army to obey. Therefore, such ineffaceability must as a matter of course be upheld, no matter what the consequences of poorly judged orders.
	Honouring the code of the military and victory
	At all times during the course of armed conflict, the strong leader seeks to ensure his/her actions honor the standards, codes and colors of the military.The General visits the injured, honors the families of the dead and their graves, however his primary concern should always be to upholding the honor and code of the military to victory.
	However tragic an event, however sad the plight of armed solders who fought and died, the wise General recognizes that the key honor above all else that must be protected and supported by their office is one of victory and courage. Therefore, a General can never reward cowardice, can never stand witness to disobeying an order, can never give too much regard to soldiers who were injured in retreat.
	Discipline
	War bestows an onerous task to the General in the emphasis on maintain discipline and the setting of examples. The discipline of the military is critical to ensure its performance in battle.
	A general that is overly harsh to his/her troops before they have properly formed risks mutiny and dissension. However, a general that does not discipline his/her troops risks even greater rebellion.
	An undisciplined army or unit is useless and should never be allowed to participate with other elements of the military for fear of spreading their dissension. Instead, whenever disobedience to authority is encountered, the penalty should be swift and maximum without fear of favour.
	Above all, the troops must know that the General has no favorites, bestows no favour in matter of discipline. That while the penalties of disobedience may seem harsh, that every soldier under their command knows their duty.

	<<Previous Continue>>
	Copyright © 2010 Modern-Warfare.org. All rights reserved.