Wartime Presidents and Prime Ministers

War tests leaders like nothing else. Lincoln during the Civil War, Wilson during World War I, Roosevelt during World War II, Churchill during the Blitz, de Gaulle during the liberation of France, George W Bush after September 11. War concentrates power in the executive and forces impossible decisions.

Some leaders rise to the moment with historic speeches and decisive action. Others are overwhelmed by events. War leadership defines presidential legacies more than any domestic achievement.

The decisions made during wartime, from troop deployments to targeting to postwar planning, echo for generations..