The expedition's commanders chose collective votes in councils of war instead of settling who held overall authority. Shared decisions made individual responsibility for failure harder to establish. The arrangement also suited Vernon because it preserved his voice without creating a clearly empowered land commander who could challenge him. Consultation at the strategic level in London did not solve the need for immediate decisions in the field. The result was an unresolved command structure at an objective that demanded coordinated action.
Notable Point · 1:30:14-1:33:34
War by committee replaces operational command
British commanders used councils of war and collective votes, diffusing responsibility when the operation needed rapid, unified decisions.