Salle 2, Site Marcelin Berthelot
Open to all
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Abstract

  • Methodological bases include:
    a) No notion of "meritocractic leadership": birthright, social-status, political, economic, religious, and military
    b) The issue of religious leadership: divine favour, prayer, sacrifice = leadership in piety, faith, and favor.
    c) Talismanic leadership: the figurehead, heroic leadership, connection to gods.
  • How important is leadership/generalship in real terms in determining success? Armies succeed anyway, despite good or bad leadership.
  • Do the "exceptions" (e.g., Thutmose III) simply prove the rule?
  • Economic power in the home country, Egypt in this case, is covered.
  • The specific Egyptian background concerns kingship, the status of the Egyptian army, the structure of the economy, the costs of military upkeep/preparedness, and the like.
  • The issue of logistics will be adumbrated. Specific cases will be dealt with later in lectures 2-4.