Mcclellan And Grant: The Importance of Personal Trust for Effective Command at the Operational Level of War

Abstract

This research papers analyzes the role of personal trust in command relationships between the operational commander and their superiors. In order to analyze their effectiveness the author uses Dr. Milan Vego's traits of an operational leader as the standard. The paper will focus on the operations of Major General George B. McClelland and Major General Ulysses S. Grant. This paper will examine the relationship between President Abraham Lincoln and Major General George B. McClellan (USA) during the Peninsula and Maryland Campaigns as an example of the failure to maintain personal trust between the operational commander and their superiors. In addition, the paper will look at the relationship between Major General Ulysses S. Grant during his campaigns in the West and the establishment and maintenance of personal trust in his relationship with President Abraham Lincoln as an example of personal trust. The paper will then show the relevancy of personal trust to the operational commanders today.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 03, 2004
Accession Number
ADA422705

Entities

People

  • Mark E. Scott

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Civil War
  • Maryland
  • Military Operations
  • Military Strategy
  • Military Training
  • Mississippi
  • Mississippi River
  • National Governments
  • New York
  • Personality
  • Standards
  • Students
  • United States
  • United States Military Academy
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.