Art of the Possible

Coalition warfare has been, and will continue to be, a matter of course for the U.S. military. Developing and maintaining coalitions of politically and militarily diverse members is, at its most elemental level, a matter of human relationships--the person-to-person give and take that characterizes all human endeavor. It is often complex, inexact, and tedious, perhaps more art than science. The frustration encountered by policymakers and military professionals alike argues strongly for an earnest examination of the personal characteristics and professional principles used by successful coalition builders, liaisons, and advisors. This paper examines the contributions made by T. E. Lawrence to the art of coalition liaison during his service as the British advisor to the Arabs during World War I. Specifically, it identifies the personal characteristics that helped Lawrence work so effectively with the Arabs, as well as the professional principles that guided his actions as he helped form the coalition of Arab tribes and the alliance between those tribes and Britain.