Was Sun-Tzu Liao the only ELECTED First Lord?

[Imperium]

First Lord, during the most dangerous time in history for the Inner Sphere - the height of the Clan Invasions, before they were thwarted by the Star League Defense. A SLDF under the rule of First Lord Sun-Tzu Liao (Celestial Wisdom), making him possibly the greatest First Lord ever in terms of military achievements. Anyways, were any other First Lords elected or just Sun-Tzu Liao? Because I think in a way that would make him the most democratic as well.

[AlphaMirage]

All First Lords of the Second Star League were elected Sun-Tzu was a compromise candidate between Victor and Katherine, Theo made a deal with Victor, and Månsdottir seemed safe but that didn't work out for them

[Imperium]

All First Lords of the Second Star League were elected Sun-Tzu was a compromise candidate between Victor and Katherine, Theo made a deal with Victor, and Ragnar seemed safe but that didn't work out for them

And it worked out, they did beat the Clans while liberating multiple systems via the Confederation.

[Nav_Alpha]

Teddy K and Christian Månsdottir were both elected.

And it worked out, they did beat the Clans while liberating multiple systems via the Confederation.

Ok... sure. But, those CC worlds he reincorporated into the CapCon were either taken by force or in the case of some Chaos March/disputed zone planets, reintegrated after long campaigns of terrorism and insurgency.
He effectively invaded his neighbouring nation falsely using SLDF troops.

In terms of beating the Clans... I do not remember Sunny Boy ever partaking in any strategy sessions or planning that actually led to the death of the Jags and the Trial of Refusal.
He was very much just the figurehead, who was content to concentrate on retaking the St Ives worlds and expanding into the Chaos March.

[Arkansas Warrior]

And it worked out, they did beat the Clans while liberating multiple systems via the Confederation.

"Liberated" is a word that I don't think anyone outside the CC would use.

[Imperium]

"Liberated" is a word that I don't think anyone outside the CC would use.

Hegel wrote, the only True Freedom lies in the State, because it allows for the most Ethical Life, based on the Purest Reason. What Greater Freedom can there be then to be able to live the most ethical life possible, and what can be a more ethical life, then devotion to a benevolent and orderly and harmonious nation-state?

Rational Freedom is Superior to Irrational Freedom, and Rational Freedom is manifested in the Rational State. According to Hegel. And the CC might agree.

[dgorsman]

In terms of beating the Clans... I do not remember Sunny Boy ever partaking in any strategy sessions or planning that actually led to the death of the Jags and the Trial of Refusal.
He was very much just the figurehead, who was content to concentrate on retaking the St Ives worlds and expanding into the Chaos March.

I think the best that can be said for that, is he kept the supplies flowing to the deployed forces.  He did it quite well by all indications.  But that's it.

[Arkansas Warrior]

Hegel wrote, the only True Freedom lies in the State, because it allows for the most Ethical Life, based on the Purest Reason. What Greater Freedom can there be then to be able to live the most ethical life possible, and what can be a more ethical life, then devotion to a benevolent and orderly and harmonious nation-state?

Rational Freedom is Superior to Irrational Freedom, and Rational Freedom is manifested in the Rational State. According to Hegel. And the CC might agree.

War is peace, freedom is slavery, we’ve always been at war with East Asia, etc.  Doubleplusgood!

[Orwell84]

War is peace, freedom is slavery, we’ve always been at war with East Asia, etc.  Doubleplusgood!

I could write a short and pseudo-intellectual essay on how Battletech's factions embody the 'war is peace' mentality in similar fashion to the three superpowers in Nineteen Eighty-four. At least during the Age of War and Succession Wars periods. Among other things, this quote seems to sum them up: "... and since no decisive victory is possible, it does not matter whether the war is going well or badly. All that is needed is that a state of war should exist."

[ErikModi]

Sun-Tzu was less a "compromise candidate" between Katherine and Victor and more a ploy by Katherine that backfired horribly.  She wanted to be First Lord (because, well, that's Katherine for you), so nominated Sun-Tzu, knowing Victor would object vociferously, she could mediate and come out looking like a sane and reasonable peacemaker.  Unfortunately for her (and fortunately for just about everyone else) Victor wasn't quite as stupid as Katherine thought, and said what amounts to "Yeah, I don't like him, but I've got to go off and fight the Clans and the position is 100% ceremonial anyway, so it really doesn't matter to me."  Katherine was shocked, Sun-Tzu was elected, and the operations went forward.

And yes, the seat of First Lord was 100% ceremonial by design.  If it had any actual power, it would just be more Succession Wars status quo as each House Lord would think only they deserved to wield that power (and even the ceremonial nature of the post was something every House Lord coveted deeply, and led to no small amount of infighting and wrangling).  Sun-Tzu had zero influence over the military operations conducted under the banner of the Second Star League, though that didn't stop him from claiming some PR credit for the successes.  Anyone with half a brain knew Sun-Tzu had nothing to do with the military success of the Second Star League against the Clans, but to the Capellans (who, yes, do have half a brain) it was still a great symbolic victory, that their Chancellor had been "in power" when the threat of Clan Invasion was ended for good.  And even if he had nothing to do with, history books for a thousand years will note that Sun-Tzu Liao was the Elected First Lord of the Second Star League at the time the Clans were decisively defeated.  His name will live forever for that alone.

As for the Chaos March and St. Ives. . . the Chaos March was a poo production well before the Second Star League, so quelling the Chaos could still net him political points.  I don't know a lot about retaking the St. Ives Compact, but from what I understand, he didn't use Star League troops to do it (he used his own Capellan forces), and the Second Star League did try to intervene, but since it was a psychological warfare tool against the Clans and not a functional governing or mediation body, it had functionally zero ability to do anything about it, declaring it an internal Capellan matter because there was nothing else it could do.

[phoenixalpha]

He did use SL troops in reconquering bits of the Chaos March and St Ives Compact.

He created trouble on those worlds using his own terrorists, then sent in pacification troops in SL colours and then when the world was "pacified" he rotated those troops out and CCAF/Trinity Alliance forces in.

[Orwell84]

Sun-Tzu had zero influence over the military operations conducted under the banner of the Second Star League, though that didn't stop him from claiming some PR credit for the successes.  Anyone with half a brain knew Sun-Tzu had nothing to do with the military success of the Second Star League against the Clans, but to the Capellans (who, yes, do have half a brain) it was still a great symbolic victory, that their Chancellor had been "in power" when the threat of Clan Invasion was ended for good.

Not quite zero. VSD, Focht, et al commanded the actual fighting and strategy, but if Sun-Tzu had messed up the logistical side of things all their military brilliance would not have enabled to pull off the swift and total victory that they did. It's an aspect that Handbook House Liao plays up for propaganda, but it's still a solid contribution to the war effort. Napoleon's famous maxim about armies and digestive tracts comes to mind.

As for the Chaos March and St. Ives. . . the Chaos March was a poo production well before the Second Star League, so quelling the Chaos could still net him political points.  I don't know a lot about retaking the St. Ives Compact, but from what I understand, he didn't use Star League troops to do it (he used his own Capellan forces), and the Second Star League did try to intervene, but since it was a psychological warfare tool against the Clans and not a functional governing or mediation body, it had functionally zero ability to do anything about it, declaring it an internal Capellan matter because there was nothing else it could do.

From what I recall of the novel Dagger Point Theodore and VSD did try to do something about it after Teddy K succeeded Sun-Tzu as First Lord, but had to resort to subterfuge. Something involving the Eridani Light Horse, I don't recall the exact details: the ELH were initially successful (on Milos at least) but had the rug pulled out from under them in the end.

At one point, though, Katherine threatened Sun-Tzu with changing tack and supporting the rights of an oppressed people or some such tripe, so potentially the 2nd SL might have gone the other way.

[Nav_Alpha]

Ahhhh, and we wonder why the Clans dismissed the second SL as a make believe mockery....

[ErikModi]

When your ploy is so transparent the Smoke Jaguars see through it. . . rethink your ploy.

Although, even if the Clans recognized the Second Star League as a sham, it still unnerved them quite a bit.  Either through deeply-ingrained near-religious reverence for the Star League, or because this was how far the Inner Sphere was willing to go to oppose them is up for debate (personally, I say little column A, little column B).

[Colt Ward]

The Clans were dismissing it before Sunny could start on St Ives- in fact he waited until Victor & Kai were out of the Inner Sphere to chase the Jags back to the Home worlds.  Folks are also forgetting that he had the Black Watch take up residence on Sian which freed other troops to move to the Compact and Chaos March.

I think of more import than being his being the original First Lord of the Second Star League was that he was the leader who precipitated the collapse of the Second League with his withdrawal.  His reversal of previous apparent effort where he put the TC on as a probationary member and was expected to get the Canopians that status in the '67 meeting while the Taurians became full members.