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The Great Leader Series No. 7 - Hannibal
When I was at school all I knew about Hannibal was that he took his army and a herd of elephants over the Alps.
As I grew older, I became more curious. Who was Hannibal? Where did he come from? Where was he going and what were elephants doing in where? I didn’t even know his nationality. When I began to learn about him, I started to find his life and actions more and more fascinating: now I know he was a great leader!
So who was he?
Hannibal Barca was born in 247 BCE in Carthage, which is now in the modern day Gulf of Tunis. His family were powerful and had produced many great commanders. The family name Barca meant “Thunderbolt”. Hannibal’s family expected him to become a warrior. Around the time of Hannibal’s birth, his father took command of the great Carthaginian army. The Romans were attempting to take over most of the known world and at a young age, Hannibal, made an oath at the behest of his father and before the god Melqart, to devote his life to opposing them.
When Hannibal was very young Carthage was a powerful city-state with business interests covering from the Baltic States to Central Africa. It did not want to become a military power nor create an empire. The Romans had other ideas, though. Despite treaties, the Romans broke their word and fought to expand their own empire.
Hannibal’s father, Hamilcar, fought the First Punic War, suing for peace but the Carthaginians leaders’ bid for peace ended in broken treaties and they lost their strategic bases on both Sicily and Malta. No wonder Hamilcar did not trust the Romans. He decided to move to Spain to try to start to build an empire for Carthage. He took Hannibal with him. It was at his father’s knee Hannibal learnt not to trust the Romans and he was prepared for Roman treachery when he took command of Carthage’s powerful army some seventeen years later.
Hannibal objected to Rome’s interference with Carthage’s plans and thwarted their attempts to move into Spain. The Romans demanded Hannibal be handed over to them and when they were refused, declared war. The Romans believed that Hannibal was trapped in Spain by their supremacy of the seas. They sent an army to invade Spain and capture Hannibal but Hannibal was ready to leave. He had prepared for an army of 60,000 soldiers and thirty seven elephants to march to northern Spain and then, across the Pyrenees, through France and over the Alps in winter to invade Italy!
The march was far from easy. Hannibal’s army was attacked by the Gallic tribes of Northern Spain and France. The winter conditions made the passage through Alps treacherous, with both soldiers and animals slipping down into ravines to their inevitable deaths. Only half the men who left Spain managed to reach Italy. Only Hannibal’s inspired leadership got them through.
Hannibal’s sudden appearance in Italy caused the people in the street to panic. Nobody could understand how he had reached there. They did not realise that their journey had rendered his army unfit to fight.
The army recovered and prepared to do battle with the Romans.
The battle of Trebia took place in 218 BCE, Hannibal’s inspired leadership, and superb abilities as a general won the day despite being up against two Roman legions and two Roman consuls.
Hannibal’s skills as a leader were shown in his ability to be kind and courteous at all times but being willing to suffer the hardships of the ordinary soldier. He put himself through great physical hardship, snatching short naps at sentry posts wrapped in only a blanket. He ate only when he had to.
Hannibal led a very difficult group of men. Communication was difficult with so many nationalities, languages and dialects that he was not able to lead by verbal communication. He used practical examples. On one occasion, he gathered his troops and brought out prisoners. It was explained to the prisoners that they could remain slaves or fight each other in a gladiatorial contest. The victor would be given his freedom, money, armour and a horse. The losers would not suffer the indignity of slavery. All agreed to fight. When it was over those who did not have the opportunity to fight were led away in chains. Hannibal’s message was if the men fought and won they would win the spoils of war, if not they would die or become slaves. Everyone knew what was expected of them.
Whilst I am sure that these extremes of communication have no place in today’s organisations, it is obvious that a demonstration of what a leader expects should be clearly outlined.
Hannibal went on to win many battles against the Romans and would have totally defeated Rome had it not been for the interception of a message he had sent to his brother. His brother, Hasdrubal came to his aid. Hannibal was aware that the Romans were beginning to understand his tactics and, more than that, flatly refused to give in. Therefore, Hasdrubal was to form a strategic manoeuvre, meeting Hannibal’s army and surrounding the Romans. Sadly, for Hannibal the message was intercepted and the Romans were able to take appropriate action thus preventing the battle.
After this failure, Hannibal knew his mission was doomed but he continued to fight for four more years.
In 203 BCE Hannibal returned to Carthage to defend it. He returned of his own volition, not because the Romans had forced him out of Italy.
Scipio decided that the only way to defeat Hannibal was to attack Carthage.
In 202 BCE he met Hannibal on the battlefield of Zama. For the first time Hannibal was at a disadvantage. His troops were not well trained and Scipio understood his tactics. For the first time Hannibal was defeated. Scipio was magnanimous in victory. He knew that Carthage needed a strong leader and he appointed Hannibal to that post. He did the job well and rebuilt Carthage. However, corrupt politicians made up charges that he had been negotiating with an enemy of Rome and he was called to Rome under guard. Hannibal as usual was one step ahead and he escaped.
 He spent the next thirteen years of his life moving from kingdom to kingdom hounded by the Romans. No one was allowed to shelter him. His genius as a tactician came to the fore when he helped the King of Bithynia win a sea battle against their enemies from the city of Pergamum. The Bithynians fired clay pots into the open boats of the opposition. On impact, the pots broke and the half clad sailors were faced with poisonous snakes. The snake bombs caused panic and they retreated giving the Bithynians a victory.
Sadly, when news of this unusual tactic reached Rome, the Romans knew where Hannibal was hiding.
As Roman soldiers surrounded his villa he decided that he preferred to die a free man and killed himself.
So why do I consider Hannibal a good leader?
He was a good communicator as the story above shows. He was a good planner and tactician, essential qualities for a forward seeing manager. He did not ask others to do anything he wasn’t prepared to do himself. He kept his ear to the ground and knew what was going on. He was loyal to his men. He was prepared to stand up and be counted when it was important. He led from the front and he inspired loyalty and commitment from his men.
Sources:
Life Lessons from History’s Heroes Michael Anthony Jackson Arrow Books 2003
Story By: Anne Walker
Date : 26-09-2006
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