"Standards of Excellence"

[Fuchs]

Regrettably, my translation was a bit sloppy this time, but the translation from your book is even worse.

Improved:

109. Die persönliche Einwirkung auf die Truppe durch ihren oberen Führer ist von größter Bedeutung. Er muß der kämpfenden Truppe nahe sein.

(The personal influence on the troops by their superior leader is of greatest relevance. He has to be close to the fighting troops.)

115. Bei der Verfolgung muß sich der obere Füher weiter nach vorne begeben. Sein Erscheinen in der vorderen Linie wird die Truppe zur höchsten Leistung anspornen.

(In a pursuit the superior leader has to move farther forward. His appearance in the forward line will motivate the troops to highest performance.)


The translator from your book didn't get that "Er muß der kämpfenden Truppe nahe sein." can have multiple meanings, not only a geographical one.

"weiter nach vorne begeben" does not mean that he has to be with his forward elements. Google for example says "go further forward" to this.

"will inspire his units" is simply understatement and conceals the true emphasis of the manual.



About natural leaders; armies don't just use natural leaders. Actually, many of the natural leaders are unsuitable for leading men in warfare. Armies are no warbands.

Armies may in fact - due to their bureaucratic nature - blunt early on what they need the most: People who are not easily satisfied, denounce failure and work for improvement. Such persons are very uneasy subordinates and expose failure of oversight of their superiors.
The bureaucratic response it to minimise the itching by blunting such types.

This drive for improvement and intolerance for failure is what officers need to have without being told to acquire it.

Their effectiveness in getting rid of failures is largely a given if they're equipped with the necessary authority by the bureaucracy. You don't need much charisma for that in an army.


edit: Now you can imagine the problems my former employer's interpreter came into when I was tasked with checking his translations. After a while he conceded that he had to work much more thoroughly and that I always ended up discussing the parts where he hadn't been sure about the proper translation even after much effort!
He had a standard fee per 100 words, so he didn't even increase his income with all that extra work...