![]() It turned out that the generals had rules, standards, and expertise, not blind loyalty. Trump was to tell the authors, “These were very untalented people and once I realised it, I did not rely on them, I relied on the real generals and admirals within the system.” However, even with the latter, he did not have his way. Trump expected unquestioned loyalty from the retired generals in his administration and from those in service, but the exact opposite happened. The heads of the retired generals rolled first. Loyalty to constitution vs political control Army’s Integrated Battle Groups will be toothless without it It took two years for Trump to overcome the resistance of his generals and force them to hold a grand military parade on 4 July 2019, a move that invited severe public and media criticism.Īlso read: Modern wars need tech edge. It’s not who we are.” The military saw through the shrouded political intent of the president for political grandiosity, which was evident when he told his Chief of Staff, former General John Kelly, that he did not want wounded soldiers to be part of the parade because it “didn’t look good” for him. Portugal was a dictatorship-and parades were about showing the people who had the guns. Selva, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, bluntly told Trump: “I didn’t grow up in the United States, I actually grew up in Portugal. Traditionally, the US military does not showcase its capabilities through parades because they are perceived as a tool for grandstanding by politicians, dictators and communist regimes. This was resisted by the Defense Secretary, former General James Mattis and the military brass, on grounds of high cost. In 2017, after watching a spectacular military parade to commemorate Bastille Day and the 100th anniversary of the US’ entry into World War 1 in France, Trump wanted to replicate the same spectacle with a grand military parade showcasing US military prowess as part of the 4th of July celebrations. The warts and all report contains important lessons that need to be learnt by the militaries of all democracies, including India, where political parties with nationalism-driven ideology have been elected to power.Īlso read: Indians supply modern combat boots to US army, but our soldiers use ‘130-year-old’ designs After initial dithering, the serving generals carried out course correction by upholding the constitution and refusing to be part of Trump’s political machinations.Īll this and much more has been covered in The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021-a forthcoming book by Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker. In a curtain raiser article, the authors cover Trump’s relationship with the military as it appeared in The New Yorker. ![]() Soon, his relationship soured with the former generals, most of whom were summarily sacked. Much to his chagrin, he discovered that the values of the US military were enshrined in the constitution. Trump had a fascination for the military. He flooded his administration with retired generals and referred to the serving ones as “my generals.” He expected the military to be an extension of his politics and demanded unquestioned obedience in the mould of Hitler and his generals. ![]() So long as the government’s command is lawful, the armed forces are duty bound to obey. In India, too, this relationship is straying away from the well-established norms due to a marked tendency for political exploitation of the military by the elected government. The military gives considered advice and the government makes the decision. However, this control is not above the Constitution, which guides the conduct of both. Like the US, in India too, the supremacy of the civil government over the military is well established. However, under former president Donald Trump, this relationship came under tremendous strain. The armed forces uphold the constitution and are accountable to the nation through the elected president and the legislature-a relationship maintained by robust institutions. ![]() The United States has an enviable and unbroken record of civilian control of the military. ![]()
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