Modern comparisons with Second World War generals can quietly assume access to satellite coverage and other intelligence those commanders never possessed. Their decisions often rested on partial reports and informed guesses about the enemy's location and intentions. Great reputations frequently arose from judging correctly more often than peers under severe uncertainty. Repeated success could turn confidence in personal judgment into a substantial ego.
Notable Point · 1:44:54-1:46:02
Judging wartime commanders without modern intelligence
A command-history aside explains why wartime decisions should be judged against the incomplete intelligence available at the time.