History Main / ArmchairMilitary

* Lelouch pointedly averts this trope in ''Anime/CodeGeass''. "If a general does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?" While he isn't necessarily on the ''front'' lines, he is personally present at nearly every battle he commands. He takes this philosophy to such an extreme that his chess strategies often involve the king being right out with the rest of the pieces, making offensive moves.

* Some movies show generals in British High Command during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII as heartless armchair generals.

* Marshall Murdock in ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII'' was an armchair general. Of course, he had direct orders that the mission was ''supposed'' to fail.

If applied to modern battlefields, however, this would definitely be a case of HollywoodTactics. [[StraightForTheCommander If the tactics expert who leads your army dies in the first volley]], [[DecapitatedArmy the chances are you're going to lose.]] And even if he doesn't die, fighting with the troops is going to make it much harder for him to tell what's going on or relay orders. And if the General dies or is otherwise lost or unable to command, his replacement will be a major wild card for the troops by default. He might prove to be just as good/bad, even better, or even worse at leading the forces. And not only that, but if the previous general is lost before the operation is complete, there’s no guarantee it will continue the same with the replacement. So while it’s easy to portray Generals as the Armchair types overall, keep in mind there are ''many'' practical reasons why they are kept far behind the lines, even when it’s to the troops’ chagrin.

If applied to modern battlefields, however, this would definitely be a case of HollywoodTactics. [[StraightForTheCommander If the tactics expert who leads your army dies in the first volley]], [[DecapitatedArmy the chances are you're going to lose.]] And even if he doesn't die, fighting with the troops is going to make it much harder for him to tell what's going on or relay orders. And if the General dies or is otherwise lost or unable to command, his replacement will be a major wild card for the troops by default. He might prove to be just as good/bad, even better, or even worse at leading the forces. And not only that, but if the previous general is lost before the operation is complete, there’s no guarantee it will continue the same with the replacement. So while it’s easy to portray Generals as the Armchair types overall, keep in mind there are ''many'' practical reasons why they are kept far behind the lines, even when it’s to the troops’ chagrin.

The gallant idea of [[FrontlineGeneral a general who valiantly leads his troops from the front line]] is something that ''did'' happen in the past. In ancient and tribal societies, [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership the best fighters were the ones who became commanders]], and even later on, soldiers were frequently expected to buy their own gear, meaning commanders were usually far better-equipped than their infantry. Also, in the days before professional soldiers were a thing, part of the job of a commander was to inspire their forces to fight. If applied to modern battlefields, however, this would definitely be a case of HollywoodTactics. [[StraightForTheCommander If the tactics expert who leads your army dies in the first volley]], [[DecapitatedArmy the chances are you're going to lose.]] And even if he doesn't die, fighting with the troops is going to make it much harder for him to tell what's going on or relay orders.

-->'''General Pushkin''':

* ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'': arms/drug dealer and mercenary Brad Whitaker (Joe Don Baker) is obsessed with the military: he's used the huge amounts of money made through his illicit businesses to create a whole fantasy military world on his estate, complete with custom-built wargame dioramas of famous battles, his own personal general's uniform with a ChestOfMedals, and wax figures of (in)famous military figures such as Attila the Hun, Napoleon, Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar, and others, sculpted of course in his own image. However, Whitaker never served a day in any organized military: he was expelled from West Point for cheating and, while he did see some combat as a mercenary in the Belgian Congo, he pretty quickly left that life behind to make bigger money for less risk in the weapons trade. His Soviet foil, General Pushkin, is quick to [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech call Whitaker out] about his posturing.

* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' the higher-ranking members of the Police Brigade are seen slacking off, forcing the new recruits to do all the dirty work.
-->'''[[WebVideo/AttackOnTitanAbridged Verman: ALRIGHT, EVERYONE, LISTEN UP! IT IS CONFIRMED, THAT YES, TITANS ARE IN THE CITY, AND YES, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGHT THEM! EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE ALL FRESH OUT OF TRAINING! THIS MAY SEEM STRANGE TO YOU, HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE, THAT YOUTH WILL OUTWEIGH EXPERIENCE IN THIS SITUATION! WHICH IS WHY I WILL BE COMMANDING FROM THIS WELL FORTIFIED CASTLE!!]]'''

* ''{{Film/Downfall}}'' depicts Adolf Hitler as this in the final days of the war, commanding divisions on his map which effectively no longer exist.

* In ''Literature/HMSLeviathan'', a novel about the peacetime Royal Navy, the seagoing officers who have active commands note the bi-annual promotion list is segregated between the "Wet List" [[note: active officers on board ships[[/note]] and the "Dry List".[[note]]Officers on shore or rear-echelon duties[[/note]]. They are not surprised the greater part of recognition and advancement goes to officers on the Dry List, and gloomily speculate this is the way the Navy is going, with the inactive officers on shore gaining more and more power and influence.