The orthodoxy regarding the relationship between politicians
and military leaders in wartime democracies contends that
politicians should declare a military operation''s objectives and
then step aside and leave the business of war to the military. In
this timely and controversial examination of civilian-military
relations in wartime democracies, Eliot A. Cohen chips away at this
time-honored belief with case studies of statesmen who dared to
prod, provoke, and even defy their military officers to great
effect.
Using the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, Georges Clemenceau,
Winston Churchill, and David Ben-Gurion to build his argument,
Cohen offers compelling proof that, as Clemenceau put it, “War is
too important to leave to the generals.” By examining the shared
leadership traits of four politicians who triumphed in
extraordinarily varied military campaigns, Cohen argues that active
statesmen make the best wartime leaders, pushing their military
subordinates to succeed where they might have failed if left to
their own devices. Thought provoking and soundly argued, Cohen''s
Supreme Command is essential reading not only for military and
political players but also for informed citizens and anyone
interested in leadership.