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LISTEN: Was General Douglas MacArthur a Great Military Leader?
In 2022, I had the good fortune to interview Dr. Kelly Jordan, professor of Military and National Security Studies at American Military University.
Our three-part series looked at great military leaders of the past and whether they qualified as truly “great” under Dr. Jordan’s framework.
So, when we talk about a great military leader, Dr. Jordan has identified someone who was:
- a military genius,
- who demonstrates a mastery of the art of war, and
- leadership in battle.
Among each of those three essential components, there are three essential elements:
In terms of military genius, the three essential elements are the eye of command, plus intellect, plus creativity.
The same for a master of the art of war. The essential elements for that are the theory of war, plus the science of war, and experience.
And then, the final component is leading in battle, and that is comprised of courage, vision, and morality.
In our series, we analyzed General Douglas MacArthur, Alexander the Great, and Frederick the Great.
Listen to our discussion about General Douglas MacArthur here:
