Every improvement in communications can tempt senior leaders to micromanage officers who are closer to the fight. Better information at headquarters does not reproduce the local commander's position or remove the need for delegated judgment. Russian difficulties in the Russo-Japanese War may reflect a culture in which officers both expected control from above and struggled to trust subordinates. A modern counter-piracy example has ship commanders consulting Bahrain, Northwood, lawyers, and senior officers before acting. A two-hour decision process may be tolerable when pirates cannot seriously threaten a frigate, but it is dangerous against a peer able to exploit the delay. Command networks must enable local action instead of turning every tactical decision into a remote approval cycle.
Notable Point · 43:16-46:24
When better communications slow command
Telegraph, radio, and headquarters links can tempt distant leaders to overcontrol local officers until permission delays become a combat weakness.