Must the leaders of nonviolent movements be charismatic, such as Gandhi or the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Not necessarily. Gandhi’s success with the Indian people did not rely on personal charm or booming oratory, but on his persistent campaigns that enlisted Indians at all levels of society in taking control of their own lives and then separating the British from control of the country. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an inspiring speaker, but that talent would have made little difference had he and his lieutenants not identified shrewd ways for African Americans to put pressure on the system of segregation and undercut its economic and political support. And the leaders of the Danish underground resistance to the Nazis were entirely anonymous. Leadership is crucial, but it depends on clear strategic thinking and wise decisions in the course of a conflict. The Chinese students who led the protests in Tiananmen Square had sensational personalities, but their movement collapsed when it failed to organize broadly and bargain intelligently with its opponents.
