Leadership Principles: How Their Use by Lieutenant General John Burgoyne and Major General Horatio Gates Influenced the Engagement at Saratoga, 1777.
Abstract
This thesis attempts to evaluate the use of leadership principles by the two chief protagonists of the Battle of Saratoga in the Revolutionary War. Several ideas develop as corollaries to the chief theme a (1) Leadership principles will not of themselves insure victory. (2) Ignorance of their effect or their misapplication may contribute to the defeat of a military force. (3) Passage of time does not invalidate the principles of leadership. The criteria of leadership used are those set forth in Department of the Army Field Manual 22-100. Against these principles the actions of lieutenant General John Burgoyne of the British Army and Major General Horatio Gates of the American Army are measured. Leadership is defined in terms of the enviromnent, the leader, and the led, and the thesis presents data on each of these three topics. The presentation illustrates that no military engagement is of itself an isolated entity. The political environment in both Great Britain and the newly declared independent states of North America is reviewed. The political direction of the war, as well as the military chain of command on both sides, is discussed to show the influence which the political and military environment exerted on the chief protagonists. The qualities, conditions, and motivations of the subordinate officers and command soldiers, both British and American, are described, thus illustrating the characteristics of the forces the two major commanders led.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 19, 1965
- Accession Number
- ADA365132
Entities
People
- C. R. Leach
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College