A Test of Leadership: James Wolfe and the 1759 Quebec Expedition

In December 1758, a few days short of his 31st birthday, a sickly James Wolfe was given his first outright command. He was to lead an Army to capture Quebec, the capital of France’s colonial empire in the Americas. A career soldier, undeniably brave and determined, he had to that time passed all the tests for advancement but could he succeed as a leader in circumstances where his senior team were not of his choosing and included ambitious older rivals with their own agendas. Wolfe the soldier has had some attention over the centuries since his death. Here however the focus is on Wolfe the Leader and considers how well this young man with a ＂weak constitution＂ responded to the new challenge of leadership.