Changed Quote by Napoleon Bonaparte
“A commander-in-chief cannot take as an excuse for his mistakes in warfare an order given by his sovereign or his minister when the person giving the order is absent from the field of operations and is imperfectly aware or wholly unaware of the latest state of affairs. It follows that any commander-in-chief who undertakes to carry out a plan which he considers defective is at fault; he must put forward his reasons, insist on the plan being changed, and finally tender his resignation rather than be the instrument of his army's downfall.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Military Command and Responsibility, 1805
A commander must not hide behind orders when those orders are flawed; he must speak up, demand change, or resign to avoid disaster.
In simple terms: Leaders must own decisions, not blame orders.
Key Takeaway
Speak up or step down if a plan is wrong.
Themes
leadership
responsibility
ethics
Mood
serious
reflective
Type
ethical
military
When to use this quote
- battlefield decisions
- policy implementation
- strategic planning
- military training
Key Concepts
civil-military relations
moral courage
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance obedience with moral judgment?
- When should a leader resign?
A Different Perspective
Blind obedience can cause catastrophic failures.
![“One of the things I would immediately do [as Commander in Chief ], in addition to defeating them here at home, is bring back the warrior class - Petraeus, McChrystal, Mattis, Keane, Flynn. Every single one of these generals I know. Every one was retired early because they told President [Barack]…” quote by Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/397/carly-fiorina-1077_barack_one-of-the-things-i-would-immediately-do_299161.jpg)
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
