Commanding Respect

History teaches valuable lessons to anyone, but to those in the unpredictable military environment, it is especially important to be aware of mistakes made by leaders of the past. It is difficult to predict when and how challenges will arise in the military. Thus, it is important for officers to learn from history, adding to their existing experience the knowledge of those who have already lived through some of those challenges. The experiences of Alexander the Great and the Macedonian Empire are especially useful for officers in the fleet, highlighting the importance of being a positive role model and respecting subordinates.

One of the most applicable lessons for an officer from the era of Macedonian expansion is the importance of setting a proper example for subordinates. In Babylon, Alexander wanted his men to have a break, so he turned them loose in the city. Roman historian Curtius Rufus records, “Alexander’s stop in Babylon was longer than anywhere else, and here he undermined military discipline more than in any other place. The moral corruption there is unparalleled; its ability to stimulate and arouse unbridled passions is incomparable,” (5.136). When Alexander allowed himself and his men to “relax” in Babylon, he let the standards of military discipline and morality slip, permitting his men to run rampant, raping and pillaging throughout Babylon.

Witnessing Alexander’s immoral lifestyle outside the military, Alexander’s men lost all sense of self-control. This is a valuable lesson for future officers in the fleet. Once an officer steps into his role, he becomes a symbol of what is right and wrong, what the standard is going to be. If the officer cannot uphold that standard, he cannot expect his subordinates to either, resulting in terrible consequences.

Another valuable lesson gleaned from Alexander is respect for subordinates. Alexander repeatedly put his own goals and ambitions before the well-being of his men. It was his desire to develop a popular image with the nations he conquered, appealing to their traditions rather than to his own men, that caused his troops to refuse to follow him into battle. Even after this fact, however, Alexander continued to mistreat them. On his return march to Macedonia, Alexander marched his men through the Godrosian Desert, a deadly and hostile route that resulted in the death of many of his men. The Greek historian Arrian writes, “Alexander did not choose that route because he was unaware of the difficulties it would involve (Nearchus is our one authority for this); he chose it because, apart from [the legendary queen] Semiramis on her retreat from India, no man, to his knowledge, had ever before succeeded in bringing an army safely through… Alexander heard these old stories; they inspired him to go one better than Cyrus and Semiramis,” (6.24). Alexander was so caught up in his own legacy, he completely disregarded the safety of his men, and the march was so costly it came to be known as a death march.

Alexander’s mistake was his valuing of his own personal agenda over that of his men, who had been campaigning on his behalf without rest for years. If a follower does not feel that his leader respects or cares for him, he has no reason to respect or care for his leader. The leader’s personal desires cannot come before the needs of his men, or else the mutual respect that makes up the relationship of command falls apart.

Alexander may have been a military genius, but his mistakes are glaring reminders for the modern military of what it means to be an officer. An officer is primarily an example to his subordinates. Alexander was not a good example to his men, lacking the moral courage to be the representation of how a soldier should act, as well as lacking respect for the desires and needs of his troops. Alexander put himself and his legacy above his men and expected them to follow him anyway. Ultimately, it brought about the end of his campaign of expansion, as his men lost respect for him and the will to follow him. Alexander’s history is a reminder to the modern officer to serve others, not to expect service, in order to develop a successful command built on mutual respect.

-Nate Forrest

Words: 598

Arrian 6.24

Rufus 5.136