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Who he was and why he matters to us today

Amy Olsen
20 September 2022

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General Pershing was a great commander who had great ideas and attributes and some not so great attributes and some failures. This will be an analysis of the positive and negative aspects of General Pershing's time in the military, which will help us understand why studying leadership is important today.

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-During World War I, Pershing transformed an Army of 130,000 into a disciplined fighting force of over 2 million men in 18 months.
-Pershing argued against asserting his troops into the European troops during WWI, won the dispute, and eventually defeated German soldiers.
-He created doctrine that outlined decipline in order to ready his troops. This also allowed for future training and others to train to the same standards.

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-Pershing had a very stern demeanor and rigorous discipline. Some could argue this is an attribute, but this made him unlikeable to the other soldiers and unapproachable.
-Pershing created the Officer Reclassification and Efficiency Board that would relieve officers of their duty or positions who were not up to his standards. This led to a climate of fear and micromanaging among commanders. This fear led to officers not sending subordinate leaders to school, which ultimately hindered the efforts to create a more efficient and effective cadre of officers.

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-Pershing was elected class president during his time at West Point and was distinguished and promoted over 800 other senior officers by President Roosevelt for his superior leadership skills.
-Pershing knew the politics of the military and or war. He knew when to keep his mouth shut and he knew when to speak out. He would use his proper chain of command when needing to voice his opinion, which is vital in the military. It shows respect and discipline.
-He was able to realize his Army was too large for him to command so he split the military up and allowed others to lead while he took a back seat and see the operations from the bigger picture.

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Analysis: Why studying the leader is important today.

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Analysis: Why studying the leader is important today.

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As Pershing tried to do during the war in France, learning from mistakes is just as important as learning from success. Looking back on past leadership can help leaders today learn what to do in crisis situations and in any situation. Leaders can take the actions of other leaders and apply them to almost any situation at any time. There is always room for improvement for anyone, so looking back at what others have done and what they have accomplished can help leaders improve their skills and the skills of their subordinates. Studying can also help them navigate the politics of the military and leadership in general. These past leaders and how they worked with their peers, subordinates, and superiors can help new leaders know what is required of them and what will help them be successful. This will help them be one step ahead and always prepared for any situation.

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-Pershing and his troops were never able to capture Villa during a 2-year manhunt.
-Pershing's rigorous training plans took a long time to train and when troops landed in France, they were untrained and ill-prepared. These troops ended up having rushed training that was condensed and not planned well.
-While untrained and ill-prepared for war, American troops sustained great casualties and the war was moving too fast for Pershing to learn from the mistakes made on the battlefield.

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General Pershing was great at war. His eye for making the right decisions got him far in his career. He had his successes, his failures, his good attributes and his bad ones. Leadership encompasses more than just being good at war. His rough demeanor and strict discipline seemed to get in the way at times, but his knack for creating a great fighting force ultimately led to great success.

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Biography. (2020, August 18). John J. Pershing. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.biography.com/military-figure/john-j-pershing

Gabel, C., & Willbanks, J. H. (2013). Great Commanders. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Pershing’s Decision: How the United States Fought its First Modern Coalition War. (n.d.). www.army.mil. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.army.mil/article/49291/pershings_decision_how_the_united_states_fought_its_first_modern_coalition_war