--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why did the generals who have been so…" description: "\"Why did the generals who have been so ready to term me a complaisant and incompetent yes-man fail to secure my removal? Was that all that difficult? No..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/568/wilhelm-keitel-30744_difficult_why-did-the-generals-who-have-been-so-re_971792.jpg" --- # Why did the generals who have been so ready to term me a… ![“Why did the generals who have been so ready to term me a complaisant and incompetent yes-man fail to secure my removal? Was that all that difficult? No, that wasn't it; the truth was that nobody would have been ready to replace me, because each one knew that he would end up just as much a wreck as…” quote by Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/568/wilhelm-keitel-30744_difficult_why-did-the-generals-who-have-been-so-re_971792.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/568/wilhelm-keitel-30744_difficult_why-did-the-generals-who-have-been-so-re_971792.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/568/wilhelm-keitel-30744_difficult_why-did-the-generals-who-have-been-so-re_971792.jpg) > “Why did the generals who have been so ready to term me a complaisant and incompetent yes-man fail to secure my removal? Was that all that difficult? No, that wasn't it; the truth was that nobody would have been ready to replace me, because each one knew that he would end up just as much a wreck as I.” [Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-keitel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker claims his removal failed because no one could replace him without becoming equally ineffective **In simple terms:** No one could take his place without also failing Key Takeaway Recognize the need for capable successors Themes leadership competence succession Mood frustration critical Type political historical When to use this quote - Corporate leadership changes - political appointments - military command - team management Key Concepts Organizational dynamics power vacuum Questions to Reflect On - What qualities make a leader irreplaceable? - How can organizations develop backup talent? A Different Perspective Even a poor leader can be indispensable if alternatives are lacking ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complaisant Incompetent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaisant-incompetent-1870613/) [Did Generals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-generals-1870614/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Generals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generals/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Incompetent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incompetent/) [Incompetent Yes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incompetent-yes-1870612/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Ready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ready/) [Removal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/removal/) [Secure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secure/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Wrecks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrecks/) ## Related quotes > [Successful generals make plans to fit circumstances, but do not try to create circumstances to fit plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/successful-generals-make-plans-to-fit-circumstances-but-do-not-try-to/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [Great captains of industry are as rare as great generals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/great-captains-of-industry-are-as-rare-as-great-generals/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [“Hullo, commandant,' I said, 'how's the General?' 'Which general?' he asked with a shy grin. 'Surely in the Caodaist faith,' I said, 'all generals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/hullo-commandant-i-said-how-s-the-general-which-general-he-asked-with/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [It is tragic that the Fuehrer should have the whole nation behind him with the single exception of the Army generals. In my opinion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-jodl/it-is-tragic-that-the-fuehrer-should-have-the-whole-nation-behind-him/) [Alfred Jodl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-jodl/) > [ One of the things I would immediately do \[as Commander in Chief \], in addition to defeating them here at home, is bring back… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/one-of-the-things-i-would-immediately-do-as-commander-in-chief-in/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [A defensive war is apt to betray us into too frequent detachment. Those generals who have had but little experience attempt to protect every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-ii-holy-roman-emperor/a-defensive-war-is-apt-to-betray-us-into-too-frequent-detachment/) [Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-ii-holy-roman-emperor/) > [Around the world, the generals are being ousted, and the poets are taking charge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/around-the-world-the-generals-are-being-ousted-and-the-poets-are/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [All through history it's the nations that have given most to generals and the least to the people that have been the first to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-through-history-it-s-the-nations-that-have-given-most-to-generals/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [“There had been reports in recent days that Trump wanted a general to manage his office; generals appeal to him, perhaps because he believes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-davidson-sorkin/there-had-been-reports-in-recent-days-that-trump-wanted-a-general-to/) [Amy Davidson Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-davidson-sorkin/) > [As the First World War made painfully clear, when politicians and generals lead nations into war, they almost invariably assume swift victory, and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hochschild/as-the-first-world-war-made-painfully-clear-when-politicians-and/) [Adam Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hochschild/) > [Generals who can write always make me nervous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bradlee/generals-who-can-write-always-make-me-nervous/) [Ben Bradlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bradlee/) > [“McClellan knew that Jackson’s force was relatively small, so he only sent 16,000 men under the command of Major General Nathaniel P. Banks. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/mcclellan-knew-that-jackson-s-force-was-relatively-small-so-he-only/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [Trump has claimed he knows more about ISIS than America's leading generals. Clearly, this is also total nonsense; he doesn't seem to have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/trump-has-claimed-he-knows-more-about-isis-than-america-s-leading/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [We had generals who were admirals and admirals who wanted to be generals. Generals acting as admirals are bad enough, but it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holland-smith/we-had-generals-who-were-admirals-and-admirals-who-wanted-to-be/) [Holland Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holland-smith/) > [Generals are not to be too scrupulous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/generals-are-not-to-be-too-scrupulous/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## More by Wilhelm Keitel > [It is tragic to have to realize that the best I had to give as a soldier, obedience, and loyalty, was exploited for purposes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-keitel/it-is-tragic-to-have-to-realize-that-the-best-i-had-to-give-as-a/) [Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-keitel/) > [Death by hanging. That, at least, I thought I would be spared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-keitel/death-by-hanging-that-at-least-i-thought-i-would-be-spared/) [Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-keitel/) > [I call on God Almighty to have mercy on the German people. 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He should have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-keitel/hitler-gave-us-orders-and-we-believed-in-him-then-he-commits-suicide/) [Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-keitel/) > [I believe German soldiers are good and decent, and if they did anything wrong it was because of military necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-keitel/i-believe-german-soldiers-are-good-and-decent-and-if-they-did/) [Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-keitel/) > [If this war is not fought with the greatest brutality against the bands both in the East and in the Balkans then in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-keitel/if-this-war-is-not-fought-with-the-greatest-brutality-against-the/) [Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-keitel/) > [Hitler had charm, loved children, charmed women. But in political respects he would stop at nothing. In other respects he had soft and touching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-keitel/hitler-had-charm-loved-children-charmed-women-but-in-political/) [Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-keitel/) > [No matter what Hitler said, he spoke with a fine feeling for the particular circle which he addressed. ... He was a great psychologist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-keitel/no-matter-what-hitler-said-he-spoke-with-a-fine-feeling-for-the/) [Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-keitel/) > [If I had known it I would have told my son, I'd rather shoot you than let you join the SS. But I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-keitel/if-i-had-known-it-i-would-have-told-my-son-i-d-rather-shoot-you-than/) [Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-keitel/) > [A field marshal who issued orders to the armed forces but had no idea of the results they would have in practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-keitel/a-field-marshal-who-issued-orders-to-the-armed-forces-but-had-no-idea/) [Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-keitel/) > [This fight has nothing to do with soldierly gallantry or principles of the Geneva Convention. 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