Micro blog 13 - Unwanted General
Being quite autonomous gives the Generals a sense of their own importance and power. It is in human nature to always want more. Stronger Generals who have already accumulated some experience execute their orders with better results, but with every new success they become more confident and hungry for power.
Their success and importance goes hand in hand with decreasing loyalty towards their master and can (and often does) lead to mutiny that results in General’s desertion or the usurping of power in part of your empire. He could make himself the leader of a new faction that will stirr unrest and cause troubles right in your own backyard.
Don’t let your Generals grow over your head. Keep them on a short leash and if they show signs of disloyalty, pull them back from their mission and keep them on standby for a while to curb their ambitions. If that doesn’t help, a radical decision might be needed. Giving an order to kill the rebelling General won’t win you popularity among the ordinary soldiers, especially if they are asked to murder a man they admire. It might be tricky to walk the line between loyalty to the emperor and the country on one hand and respect and love to a brave commander on the other. A strong General could easily persuade his assassins to follow him instead of you!
You want experienced and powerful Generals to help you keep the morale of troops high and support your action behind enemy lines, but a radical action might be needed if his strong will becomes a danger to your throne.
Their success and importance goes hand in hand with decreasing loyalty towards their master and can (and often does) lead to mutiny that results in General’s desertion or the usurping of power in part of your empire. He could make himself the leader of a new faction that will stirr unrest and cause troubles right in your own backyard.
Don’t let your Generals grow over your head. Keep them on a short leash and if they show signs of disloyalty, pull them back from their mission and keep them on standby for a while to curb their ambitions. If that doesn’t help, a radical decision might be needed. Giving an order to kill the rebelling General won’t win you popularity among the ordinary soldiers, especially if they are asked to murder a man they admire. It might be tricky to walk the line between loyalty to the emperor and the country on one hand and respect and love to a brave commander on the other. A strong General could easily persuade his assassins to follow him instead of you!
You want experienced and powerful Generals to help you keep the morale of troops high and support your action behind enemy lines, but a radical action might be needed if his strong will becomes a danger to your throne.