Leadership in military and political contexts

¶ … leadership is crucial to successful political military campaigns. Close scrutiny of the military and political leaders of the First World War demonstrate how political leaders use methods like propaganda and ideology to forge their victories in the psyches of the people, helping military leaders achieve their goals by engendering trust, courage, and conviction in spite of tremendous hardships and even death. Similarly, the victories of military leaders become critical for effective political campaigns. Military leadership requires a different set of tools and tactics than political leadership but both are crucial for desirable outcomes.

One of the most successful political leaders during World War One ended up being Vladimir Lenin, who spearheaded the Bolshevik Revolution and ensured the enduring success of Soviet policies. Lenin's leadership skills far exceeded those of Czar Nicholas II, who failed to inspire the people of Russia in the way Lenin had, thus leading to the demise of a long monarchic tradition. On 19 October, 1917, Lenin issued a proclamation proudly inciting the Russian people to revolt against the traditional social, economic, and political hierarchies in their nation. Speaking on behalf of the masses of poor people in Russia, Lenin refers to the "the need to hand over the land to the peasants," ("Appeal for Revolt Issued by Lenin, 19 October 1917[footnoteRef:1]). Political leaders in Russia had never before recognized the power of mobilizing the peasant classes, who were deemed to be mere vassals to the state and undeserving of genuine consideration. By empowering the peasants in a meaningful way, through land redistribution, Lenin successfully achieved the Bolshevik cause and transformed Russia forever. Moreover, Lenin understood how to deal with setbacks deftly, a critical leadership skill in times of crisis. Lenin advocates strict and decisive military action to secure the aims of the Bolsheviks, outlined clearly in the Proclamation of 7 November, 1917, in which Lenin writes, "Officers who do not join the accomplished revolution immediately and openly must be arrested at once as enemies."[footnoteRef:2] His firm and resolute stance and unwavering commitment to the ethos of Bolshevism earned Lenin the trust of the people and he therefore became the figurehead of the Russian Revolution. [1: "Appeal for Revolt Issued by Lenin, 19 October 1917] [2: Proclamation of 7 November, 1917]

Military leaders infrequently receive as much popular glory as political leaders, but they are nevertheless indispensible figures without whom military campaigns and political movements alike would fail. The Commander-in-Chief of the British Armies during World War One was Douglas Haig, and Haig emerged as one of the most successful military leader during the war. Haig wrote in great detail about his military campaigns. In Haig's dispatches, he underscores the strategy of "wearing out" the enemy, and the importance of "to wear down the power of resistance of his opponent," (Sir Douglas Haig's Final Despatch, 21 March 1919).[footnoteRef:3] Haig also points out the power inherent in early decisive victories and maintaining pressure on the enemy throughout military campaigns. In this way, Haig claims that even a technically inferior army may gain the upper hand and secure victories. Haig remains committed to his strategy, showing no sign of relenting throughout his dispatches and detailing how he was able to "exploit" successes in such a way as to preserve his armies' strength while whittling down that of the enemy (Sir Douglas Haig's 2nd Despatch (Somme), 23 December 1916).[footnoteRef:4] [3: Sir Douglas Haig's Final Despatch, 21 March 1919] [4: Sir Douglas Haig's 2nd Despatch (Somme), 23 December 1916]