Abstract
Not all civil wars are equal in damage to the collective good. Responding to Lenin’s invitation to compare his war with the English Civil War, this chapter examines the impact of leadership on the level and nature of violence. It sorts out three common problems, the captive monarch problem, mutiny, and protecting noncombatants, and examines the consequences of the diverging choices of Lenin and Oliver Cromwell. The general argument is derived from the logic of delegation and Machiavelli’s individualist analysis and advice. As the author of The Princ. knew, a leader’s beliefs and management style have a substantial impact on the course of events. His analysis suggests that events are explained by a combination of motives and opportunities. His advice is that effective leaders must be willing to use deception and unaccountable violence. Lenin followed his advice but did not subscribe to his analysis of political change. Cromwell followed his analysis, but not his advice.
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© 2011 Donelson R. Forsyth and Crystal L. Hoyt
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Mitchell, N.J. (2011). Resisting Machiavelli: Reducing Collective Harm in Conflict. In: Forsyth, D.R., Hoyt, C.L. (eds) For the Greater Good of All. Jepson Studies in Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230116269_8
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