The Operational Commander's Will. An Intangible Element in Victory.

Although no commander can win a campaign by himself, campaigns are won or lost in part because of the personal strengths and weaknesses of a commander. Military theorists have long recognized an intangible quality in all victorious commanders: - the burning desire and single-minded tenacity to accomplish the goal. This study investigates the role of the operational commander's will during wartime. It focuses on the differences between an obstinate and a determined commander, using General Douglas Haig and General William Slim as case studies. The author concludes that there would be significant benefit for the U.S. Army to identify potential operational commanders who not only have character but who are determined yet not obstinate. He also concludes that most U.S. Army senior-level leaders have demonstrated at some point in their careers that they possess the quality of character, the ability to maintain constant and stable views regardless of external pressures. Coupled with character, a senior-level military leader must have flexibility of mind, the ability to shift mental gears under pressure without confusion of purpose in order to be a determined operational commander.