PART I

CHAIRMAN:: Before I ask you to give your views on the inherent qualities of successful commanders, I would like to make one point clear. By inherent we mean essential and not innate or inborn. Now I request Napoleon, our youngest member, to speak first.

NAPOLEON:: It is a most absorbing and interesting subject. I personally learnt the art of leadership-generalship from books and through deep meditation and deliberation. Knowledge is the first step on the ladder of greatness.

One aspiring to lead must also have an objective, an aim. In my case it was the lure of glory and greatness. This was my deriving force.

Energy is the next element in the make up of a commander. Now, how should this quality show itself? First of all in calculation, cautious weighing, ever elaborating and discarding. This constant deliberation builds up what I call precision. The other means for expressing this faculty is Tempo, that is, activity and speed.

Towering above all these qualities is the Will to Dominate. And you cannot dominate unless you have Self Confidence. The only way of lacquering self-confidence is to master your profession first.

One must not forget the fundamental virtue of the soldier: Courage. Courage in face of

the unforeseen, the sudden; courage which demands presence of mind and power of determination.

Audacity and boldness on right occasions pay large dividends. (He thinks of Borodino when the charge of his unused guard would have sealed the fate of the Russians; and he curses himself for listening to the whisper--- * " Paris is 400 miles, Sire.").

In short, the superiority of a commander lies in his mental qualities: knowledge of the art of war, insight into human nature, powers of decision and calculation, courage, imagination.

CHAIRMAN:: I would like to say something on the extraneous conditions required for the successful conduct of war.

NAPOLEON:: Well, Gentlemen, I was one of those lucky people who were the makers as well as the executors of policy . And then I had the entire resources, both human and material, not only of France, but almost of the whole of Europe, at my disposal. the only thing which interfered with my plans was my unquenchable ambition. However, there was a single exception, and that was my Italian campaign. There, it was my genius which won the day.

CHAIRMAN:: I will now ask John Churchill to let us have the benefit of his views.

MARLBOROUGH:: I was a soldier of democracy. I would like you to remember this background during my speech. I will start with what I call a leader-making quality: a pleasing personality. Some of the steps which will hold your foot on the ladder of greatness are, tact, patience, caution, coolness, diplomatic skill and an imperturbable courage. A commander with all the qualities of tact, patience etcetera, cannot go far unless he acquires a through knowledge of the art of war, and a deep understanding of human nature.

To negotiate the slippery path of greatness without fall requires taking infinite pains in all points of details.

I will stress the importance of patience. I believe that patience eventually overcomes all obstacles.

Once a human being has all these qualities, he should not fight a battle without winning it.

When I made the foregoing statement I presumed that the commander has complete freedom of action within the bounds of broad policy ; he does not share command; he has the resources, both human and material, at his disposal; political reasons do not influence a military issue if military success is to be achieved.

CHAIRMAN:: I now request another great exponent of the art of war to take the platform, JENGIZ Khan.

JENGIZ:: Mr. CHAIRMAN, I really wonder how many people do agree with your remark about me. I do not think any other captain has received such contemptuous treatment at the hands of posterity as I have. Whether I am regarded as a mere raider and leader of irregulars, or a military genius, I would like the world to remember the following facts. First, I created the greatest empire which the world has ever seen. This empire did not vanish with my death. Second, my arms destroyed the military might of Islam, the seemingly all-conquering force of that time. My sons sat on the Dragon Throne of Cathay. And I had the gratification of humbling the pride of the West by defeating its soldiery on the banks of the Sajo, near Pest, in 240 A.D.

It is also worth remembering that I did not have the benefit of a sound military education; neither did I inherit a well-organised state or a well-trained and disciplined army.

How did I do it? From the day I was born, with a clot of blood on the palm of my right hand, till my death, I had only one ambition: to avenge the degradations suffered by people for centuries, every other thing in my life was dominated by it. But this was not enough. Before I became Khakan, I was the prince of a small tribe, weak, unorganised and undisciplined. Before conquering the world, I had to conquer the Mongol--- the man. By and by, I began to understand his wants, his desires, his weaknesses, his failings, as well as his strength. I learnt the fine art of exploiting human potential.

But I very clearly understood that mere ambition and an insight into human nature would not defeat the huge, well-trained and well-equipped armies of Cathay, and of the Khawarzamian Empire.

To destroy them, I, the leader, had to be better than the leaders and generals of my enemies; my soldiers had to be equally as well-trained, well-disciplined and equipped as those of Cathay, Persia, and other civilised states.

At the age of 45, I was ready, and my Mongols were ready. With these Mongols, whom Europeans refer to as hordes, I conquered more than any other person. How many people know that my armies were usually outnumbered by my enemies?

Before I sit down, I would like to mention two qualities which paid huge dividends to me: Originality and Sound Practical Sense. I never lost sight of the latter.

About extraneous conditions. I was the emperor, I was the commander-in-chief and my own prime minister.

CHAIRMAN:: I know how all of us admire Temijun. People of all shades of opinion have a lot to learn from his life. The present leaders of Western democracies would do well to study him. After all, the Mongols were the only people who really ever licked the Russians! Now I will ask Scipio Africanus to speak.

SCIPIO: (Casting a glance towards NAPOLEON) I must request you to excuse me from to-day’s deliberation. I would not like to express any opinion on this subject in the presence of Hannibal, for whom I have the greatest respect. He will tell you all you want to know about leadership.

HANNIBAL: (In a hoarse voice, resulting from the cold which he contracted while crossing the Alps and from which he has never fully recovered) Friends, I thank noble Scipio for his kind remarks. He is a true heir of the great Roman civilisation which I tried to destroy.

Background, in my opinion, forms a very important part in the make-up of a leader. Without unduly praising myself I will tell you that I studied and learnt all that the Greeks could teach. (Everybody looks at Alexander, who gives a thumbs up sign).

Next, there must be some motivation, some ideal to follow. In my case, it was my intense hatred for Rome for subjecting my fair land to inhuman exploitation.

Next, and perhaps most important, is the commander’s knowledge of human nature. I am afraid I must quote myself again. Without this asset I just could not have crossed the Alps, waged war in Italy for seventeen years, and achieved Cannae. Because of this insight into human nature I knew that to inspire my men I should have to show courage of the highest degree. My men did not cross the Alps---my courage did! The same quality again enabled me to take ceaseless personal care of the comfort and well-being of my men.

Before I conclude, I would like to stress the importance of knowledge of war in all its intricacies once again.

Let a man be endowed by his own efforts with all these qualities, and he ceases to be human. He becomes a demigod! (At this stage it appears as if no one is listening to Hannibal. Alexander associates "He becomes a demigod" with Arbela; Scipio with Zama; NAPOLEON with Austerlitz and many other battles; MARLBOROUGH with Blenheim; and JENGIZ with his whole life).

But no, it is not entirely true. I thought I had all these qualities. But what happened? I saw the destruction of Carthage along with that of my hopes and my career. It could have been avoided; if only politics had not moulded army strategy; if only they could have devoted the entire resources of Cathage to my theater and forgotten about Spain for a little time. I do not think Roman Spain would have lasted without a Rome. I lost the battle of Zama long before it took place. It was not my fault.