“Certainly a main factor in the cohesion of the primary group in the German Army, namely the company, was the sense of responsibility, performance of duty, and willingness to take combat risks demonstrated by German officers. The data on the readiness of the officers and upper classes to die in battle support this assertion. The concern of German officers for their soldiers was reciprocated by their men, reinforcing the cohesion of combat units that remained so high in the German Army right to the end. To a great extent then, military cohesion can be seen as a function of the quality of the officer corps, its skill, dedication, and its readiness to sacrifice.”

Richard A. Gabriel and Paul L. Savage (1978) Crisis in Command: Mismanagement in the Army