the Movie Gettysburg
The movie titled Gettysburg describes historical events during the American Civil War, namely the battle for the town, which took place on the city’s hills. This battle is generally known as the battle of Gettysburg. The main heroes of the movie are historical personalities General Lee and Colonel Chamberlain. Both of them led their soldiers to the victory, but only one succeeded in doing so.
It is clear from the film, that Colonel Chamberlain is a highly educated person. He used to be a college professor in Maine, but the American Civil War could not leave him indifferent and he volunteered in it. Thus, he went to the war as a colonel, having the control over the troop consisting of 1000 soldiers. However, till the time of the battle of Gettysburg, there were only 300 of them alive. Others were killed in hostilities.
Colonel Chamberlain is a respected leader. His leadership qualities are beyond the doubt. He could organize his soldiers in such a way, that it brought them victory. He was a trustworthy colonel. He had the ability to convince people. However, he could do it because he believed in what he did and was eager to share his views and beliefs with others.
A distinct example of his leadership qualities is when 120 soldiers, who did not want to be at war any more, were sent to Colonel Chamberlain. They were protesting not to be at war. They even did not carry out commands. They were tired of the war. Nevertheless, Colonel Chamberlain’s humanity and his faith in the bright future managed to convince the protesting soldiers. All of them, except the six, agreed to continue to fight.
Later, in the battle of Gettysburg, the three of the six decided to get involved in the battle. This is mainly because of his humanity and tact. He was given the power to kill those soldiers who refused to obey his commands, but instead, Colonel Chamberlain said to give all of them food and shelter and promised that they would not be forced to any actions. He also listened carefully to their demands and tried to satisfy them.
I enjoyed Colonel Chamberlain’s way of thinking and behaving. For him, all people were equal, irrespective of race and color. He wanted to live in the equal society that had no slavery. He believed in God, and prayed for the victory. The battle of Gettysburg was a crucial one and Colonel Chamberlain, with little ammunition and relatively few people, managed to gain the victory, and I believe that it is thanks to his strong leadership qualities.
General Lee, on the other hand, is also a good commander. He is a religious person, too. However, something was wrong with his commanding that led his army to defeat. I believe, his leadership qualities were poor, especially when compared with Colonel Chamberlain’s ones. He made hasty conclusions, thoughtless decisions, and did not care much about the lives of other soldiers. His reconnaissance worked badly. When he was told that the troops of his enemy are approaching, he did not believe it, because his reconnaissance remained silent. Another thing, which interfered with the victory, is that General Lee rarely considered the opinions of other generals. His ultimate goal was victory, and to get this goal General Lee often forgot to count with the minds and lives of others.
References
Maxwell, R. (1993). Gettysburg. Retrieved from http://putlocker.is/watch-gettysburg-online-free-putlocker.html
