Responsibility for the campaign's failure extended beyond Percival, though he had commanded in Malaya since April 1941. He struggled to create unity among commanders with different assumptions while facing an overwhelming task. A commander in that position had to build consensus or remove officers who would not implement a common plan. The comparison with William Slim shows the value of listening, deciding, and then making a scattered command act together at the end of a long logistics line.
Chapter · 20:15-25:06
Percival and the command problem in Malaya
Percival struggled to impose decisions on divided commanders when an overstretched defence required a firmer command style.