Writer: Professor Dr Aalia Sohail Khan

Leadership is the most important determinant of the morale of combatants on a battlefield. John Spiszer, a US Army major, contends that leadership plays a large and significant role in a soldier's morale, and thus morale and leadership together contribute to combat motivation.1 Of the 13 features listed by him that boost the morale of combatants, leadership is the most important factor. Psychological and doctrinal works refer to many factors that influence soldiers’ and group morale. Leadership is listed as the pivotal factor in fostering and strengthening morale in all doctrinal and psychological theories of morale.

High morale comes from good leadership, shared hardship and mutual respect. High morale results in a cohesive team that enthusiastically strives to achieve common goals.2 Similarly, Leadership: Theory and Practice (1993) also gives top priority to the factor of leadership that influences morale.3 In his dissertation titled Combat Motivation: The Human Dimension Correlates (1990), Daniel Reeves looks at the human dimensions in a military organisation, and how they produce what he refers to as combat motivation.4 He contends that,

“High morale and cohesion are related to enhanced combat performance, considered a preventative against combat stress reaction, and seen as an important element in a soldier's will to fight. They are also indicative of successful military socialization and commitment to army values and are the direct product of successful leadership.”

Morale is considered the most important leadership indicator because other indicators are affected by it. Morale, leadership, and discipline are closely related in the army. It is the strength of fighting forces, and leadership is the means of successfully handling men with discipline. The goal of leadership is the immediate and willing obedience and cooperation of subordinates, thus, true discipline is concerned with the state of mind of soldiers.

With this doctrinal basis established, this paper will take a closer look at the components of morale-boosting leadership in the battle of Ashuganj, fought in erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971, as described by Brigadier Saadullah Khan in his book East Pakistan to Bangladesh. He writes that his GOC (general officer commanding), General Qazi Abdul Majeed, did not sit back and cheer his soldiers from his headquarters. He joined his men in the face of Indian fire; shouting directions at his men. He stood within range of enemy fire. Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Qadir, SJ (retd), writes in Those who Dared5, that as the GOC, Qazi Majeed stood on the railway line with his staff officers to evaluate the situation, there was an intercept on their wireless net. An Indian officer was heard seeking permission of his commanding officer to fire at a Pakistani general within the range of his fire, but he was told that they would like to capture him alive.

Brigadier Saadullah6 writes, “The General stepped out and moved forward. He was now standing in front of the wall, not behind it. The small arms firing was continuing intensely. Some weapons were firing from a distance of about 150 yards... his aide-de-camp also moved up. “Get back, you fool! This is none of your business.” The general officer commanding snarled-“If someone leaves this position, there will be no Court Martials. If anyone is court martialed, it will be myself. I will personally shoot the..., who leaves his position. Is that quite clear?” The general added threat to personal example.” This had an electrifying effect on the troops. Brigadier Saadullah notes that courage is as contagious as cowardice.

Here, by way of contrast, it is relevant to draw upon the poem The General that was written by the English poet Siegfried Sassoon during World War I. It helps to understand the concepts of good leadership, shared hardship, common purpose, courage and duty, that kept the morale of Pakistan Army high, while fighting in East Pakistan.

“Good-morning, good-morning!” the General said When we met him last week on our way to the line. Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of ‘em dead, And we’re cursing his staff for incompetent swine. “He’s a cheery old card,” grunted Harry to Jack As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack. But he did for them both by his plan of attack.

This anti-heroic poem demonstrates the lowered morale of soldiers. They have neither respect for their general who issues orders from his safe position at a distance from combat, nor do they have confidence in his capability to win the war. The general is called an incompetent swine, a cheery old card who cannot inspire and infuse energy in his soldiers. The soldiers can see through his empty words as he does not share the hardship and turmoil of battle with them. Shared experience on the battlefield that develops trust and bonding, is missing here. The general who is anonymous in this poem, is a symbol of failure of leadership. He stands for incompetence and faulty planning, that results in demoralised soldiers and massive loss of life during war. A picture of demoralised soldiers is portrayed by Wilfred Owen in his poem Dulce et Decorum Est (It is sweet and honorable to die for one’s country) in these words:

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,... All went lame; all blind...

On the other hand, the constant presence of the commanding officer in the cross fire, with all hell breaking lose on the battlefield, is a remarkable feature of Pakistan Army. Brigadier Saadullah writes that when General Majeed moved his tactical headquarters forward to Brahman Baria, it added to their strength and boosted their morale.7 Leadership and morale are not synonymous; yet they are inseparable as the component parts of an electrical circuit. Morale is like the current—a powerful electromotive force—and leadership is like the conductor that guides and transmits the force to the motor. Hence the state or quality of morale produced, is directly proportional to the quality of the conductor or leader.8 Those officers and men lost the war, but the epic tenacity of those Pakistan Army soldiers can never fade. They are comparable to the soldiers immortalised in Tennyson’s poem, Charge of the Light Brigade;

Was there a man dismayed?

Not though the soldier knew

Someone had blundered.

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die.

As contrasted to the typical or customary 1:100 death ratio of officers to soldiers on the battlefield, the casualty ratio of officers to soldiers shahadats in Pakistan Army is 1:12. This remarkable casualty ratio is a mark of pride for the Pakistan Army, whose officers are always found in the vanguard. They lead the attack. Major General Syed Ali Hamid9, recollecting a battle commanded by Brigadier Saadullah Khan, in East Pakistan 1971, writes that Pakistani forces, though low in numbers yet high in spirits, kept a large force at bay with their “ever present brigade commander”. An excerpt from East Pakistan to Bangladesh demonstrates this;

“Artillery fire was going on. I did not like to risk the lives of more men. Taking only the battalion wireless control operator, I moved out towards the temple. I felt a compulsion to personally get Bukhari’s company back. They had fought heroically for six days. One platoon was overrun; two platoons in hard combat contact with the enemy and the daylight coming fast, their survival was in utter peril. They had been true to their salt. I just could not leave them by themselves to tackle that very tricky situation. It perhaps was not a good decision, but it gave me deep satisfaction.”10

Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Qadir, describing the courage of Brigadier Saadullah, writes in Those Who Dared11,

“There was heavy fighting on the other side of the Meghna River, and our forces had repulsed an attack of the two enemy battalions which, after being thoroughly routed had fallen back, leaving behind a number of dead and Amphibian tanks, in running condition. Brigadier Saadullah undertook the attack in person, with one battalion commander and a few officers and 100 to 150 men from assorted units including signalers who had hastily joined the attack on seeing their commander rushing towards the enemy.”

As the brigadier advanced on foot towards the Indians, his carbine had no bayonet; he requested his men to give him a rifle with a bayonet. Someone gave him a G-3 rifle with a bayonet. The act of leading the assault personally and risking his life by being in the front, enthused the other men also. He was recommended for the award of Nishan e Haider by his GOC, but he was awarded Hilal e Jurat.

Brigadier Saadullah pays a glowing tribute to junior leaders, who despite heavy odds against them—inadequate in number, no reserves—demonstrated remarkable courage and determination; “they were skilful and veterans of many small combat actions.”12 Under the most adverse circumstances, they charged like tigers. They always volunteered to lead the assault anytime, anywhere. Many were critically wounded or fell fighting, but they remained undaunted till the last. Volumes can be filled with examples of excellent Pakistani junior military leadership. However, given the constraints of space, only one example is given here. Major Muhammad Akram was the Pakistani hero of the Hilli battle, who was awarded Nishan e Haider, the highest military gallantry award of Pakistan. During the East Pakistan War of 1971, the 4th Battalion FF Regiment came under continuous and heavy air, artillery and armour attacks from the Indian side. Despite enemy superiority in both numbers and firepower, Major Akram and his men repulsed many attacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. An Indian Lieutenant Colonel, Diljit Singh, paid tribute to Major Akram in these words, “Akram’s name rouses the soldier in you… Pakistan proved to be a tough customer… The enemy was literally advancing in the mouths of the guns…. Killing an adversary may give satisfaction, but killing a brave has tinge of sorrow”.

War is destructive, but the heroic deeds of Pakistan Army in 1971 should be celebrated, because they reinforce faith in the ideals of service above self, courage to sacrifice life for Pakistan, will and determination to fight for honour, fidelity, tenacity of purpose, obedience and discipline. War heroes of 1971 inspire us to emulate the best models of action, and consolidate national confidence.