What happens when political leaders take on strategy?

Craig, Gordon A., “The Political Leader as Strategist,” in Paret, Peter ed. Makers of Modern Strategy, pp. 481 – 509.

This is a great discussion of “the relationship between civilian and military authority at that moment in the process of war in which strategy is translated into operations.” Snapshots of the occasional successes and frequent muddlings caused by political leaders attempting to dictate strategy and manage war include the following:

1. Wrong choice, too late. Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, Germany’s first chancellor in WWI. Bethmann replaced Falkenhayn with Hindenburg/Ludendorff, erroneously thinking they would save him – and Germany – from the annexationists.

2. Hands-off, fearful. H. H. Asquith and David Lloyd George, Britain’s prime ministers were, for differing reasons, unable or unwilling to bend their military commanders’ activities (Haig/Robertson) to civilian strategy.