diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/CampaignDetailPage.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/CampaignDetailPage.tsx
index 41f9af9..6950f78 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/CampaignDetailPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/CampaignDetailPage.tsx
@@ -19,12 +19,14 @@ import {
 } from "lucide-react";
 import {
   getCampaign,
-  activateCampaign,
   completeCampaign,
   deleteCampaign,
   removeTestFromCampaign,
   scheduleCampaign,
   getCampaignHistory,
+  submitCampaignForApproval,
+  approveCampaign,
+  rejectCampaign,
   type Campaign,
   type CampaignHistoryEntry,
 } from "../api/campaigns";
@@ -68,8 +70,10 @@ export default function CampaignDetailPage() {
   const [showAddTestModal, setShowAddTestModal] = useState(false);
   // 0 = hidden, 1 = first confirmation, 2 = ask about tests
   const [deleteStep, setDeleteStep] = useState<0 | 1 | 2>(0);
-  // Start-date confirmation modal — shown when campaign has a future start_date
-  const [startDateWarning, setStartDateWarning] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [approveModalOpen, setApproveModalOpen] = useState(false);
+  const [approveStartDate, setApproveStartDate] = useState("");
+  const [rejectModalOpen, setRejectModalOpen] = useState(false);
+  const [rejectReason, setRejectReason] = useState("");
 
   const showToast = (message: string, type: "success" | "error") => {
     setToast({ message, type });
@@ -79,6 +83,7 @@ export default function CampaignDetailPage() {
   const role = user?.role ?? "";
   const canManage = role === "admin" || role === "red_lead" || role === "blue_lead";
   const canComplete = role === "admin" || role === "red_lead";
+  const isManager = role === "admin" || role === "manager";
 
   const {
     data: campaign,
@@ -90,33 +95,35 @@ export default function CampaignDetailPage() {
     enabled: !!campaignId,
   });
 
-  const activateMutation = useMutation<Campaign, unknown, boolean>({
-    mutationFn: (force: boolean) => activateCampaign(campaignId!, force ? { force: true } : undefined),
+  const submitMutation = useMutation({
+    mutationFn: () => submitCampaignForApproval(campaignId!),
     onSuccess: () => {
       queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ["campaign", campaignId] });
-      setStartDateWarning(null);
-      showToast("Campaign activated", "success");
+      showToast("Campaign submitted for approval", "success");
     },
-    onError: (err: unknown) => {
-      // The Axios interceptor (client.ts) transforms errors into enhanced Error objects
-      // with .status (HTTP status), .detail (raw FastAPI detail), and .message (readable string)
-      type EnhancedError = Error & {
-        status?: number;
-        detail?: { code?: string; message?: string } | string;
-      };
-      const e = err as EnhancedError;
+    onError: (err: Error) => showToast(err.message, "error"),
+  });
 
-      if (e.status === 409) {
-        // Future start_date — show confirmation modal using the message from detail
-        const warningMsg =
-          typeof e.detail === "object" && e.detail?.message
-            ? e.detail.message
-            : e.message;
-        setStartDateWarning(warningMsg);
-      } else {
-        showToast(e.message || "Failed to activate campaign", "error");
-      }
+  const approveMutation = useMutation({
+    mutationFn: () => approveCampaign(campaignId!, approveStartDate),
+    onSuccess: () => {
+      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ["campaign", campaignId] });
+      setApproveModalOpen(false);
+      setApproveStartDate("");
+      showToast("Campaign approved and activated", "success");
     },
+    onError: (err: Error) => showToast(err.message, "error"),
+  });
+
+  const rejectMutation = useMutation({
+    mutationFn: () => rejectCampaign(campaignId!, rejectReason),
+    onSuccess: () => {
+      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ["campaign", campaignId] });
+      setRejectModalOpen(false);
+      setRejectReason("");
+      showToast("Campaign rejected", "success");
+    },
+    onError: (err: Error) => showToast(err.message, "error"),
   });
 
   const completeMutation = useMutation({
@@ -262,6 +269,11 @@ export default function CampaignDetailPage() {
               {campaign.description && (
                 <MarkdownText content={campaign.description} className="mt-1 text-sm text-gray-400" />
               )}
+              {campaign.status === "draft" && campaign.rejection_reason && (
+                <div className="mt-2 rounded-lg border border-amber-500/30 bg-amber-900/20 px-3 py-2 text-xs text-amber-400">
+                  Rejected by manager: {campaign.rejection_reason}
+                </div>
+              )}
               <div className="mt-2 flex flex-wrap items-center gap-3 text-xs text-gray-500">
                 {campaign.threat_actor_name && (
                   <button
@@ -319,18 +331,35 @@ export default function CampaignDetailPage() {
             )}
             {canManage && campaign.status === "draft" && (
               <button
-                onClick={() => activateMutation.mutate(false)}
-                disabled={activateMutation.isPending}
+                onClick={() => submitMutation.mutate()}
+                disabled={submitMutation.isPending}
                 className="flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg bg-cyan-600 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-white hover:bg-cyan-500 disabled:opacity-50 transition-colors"
               >
-                {activateMutation.isPending ? (
+                {submitMutation.isPending ? (
                   <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin" />
                 ) : (
                   <Play className="h-4 w-4" />
                 )}
-                Activate
+                Submit for Approval
               </button>
             )}
+            {isManager && campaign.status === "pending_approval" && (
+              <>
+                <button
+                  onClick={() => setRejectModalOpen(true)}
+                  className="flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg border border-red-500/30 bg-red-900/20 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-red-400 hover:bg-red-900/40 transition-colors"
+                >
+                  Reject
+                </button>
+                <button
+                  onClick={() => setApproveModalOpen(true)}
+                  className="flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg bg-green-600 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-white hover:bg-green-500 transition-colors"
+                >
+                  <CheckCircle className="h-4 w-4" />
+                  Approve
+                </button>
+              </>
+            )}
             {canComplete && campaign.status === "active" && (
               <button
                 onClick={() => completeMutation.mutate()}
@@ -688,31 +717,69 @@ export default function CampaignDetailPage() {
         onSuccess={() => showToast("Test added to campaign", "success")}
       />
 
-      {/* Start-date confirmation modal */}
-      {startDateWarning && (
+      {/* Approve modal */}
+      {approveModalOpen && (
         <div className="fixed inset-0 z-50 flex items-center justify-center bg-black/70 backdrop-blur-sm">
-          <div className="mx-4 w-full max-w-md rounded-xl border border-amber-500/30 bg-gray-900 p-6 shadow-2xl">
-            <div className="mb-4 flex items-center gap-3">
-              <div className="rounded-lg bg-amber-500/10 p-2">
-                <Clock className="h-5 w-5 text-amber-400" />
-              </div>
-              <h3 className="text-lg font-semibold text-white">Campaign not started yet</h3>
-            </div>
-            <p className="mb-6 text-sm text-gray-300 leading-relaxed">{startDateWarning}</p>
-            <div className="flex justify-end gap-3">
+          <div className="mx-4 w-full max-w-md rounded-xl border border-green-500/30 bg-gray-900 p-6 shadow-2xl">
+            <h3 className="mb-4 text-lg font-semibold text-white">Approve Campaign</h3>
+            <label className="mb-1.5 block text-sm font-medium text-gray-300">
+              Start date <span className="text-red-400">*</span>
+            </label>
+            <input
+              type="datetime-local"
+              value={approveStartDate}
+              onChange={(e) => setApproveStartDate(e.target.value)}
+              className="w-full rounded-lg border border-gray-700 bg-gray-800 px-3 py-2 text-sm text-gray-200 focus:border-cyan-500 focus:outline-none [color-scheme:dark]"
+            />
+            <div className="mt-6 flex justify-end gap-3">
               <button
-                onClick={() => setStartDateWarning(null)}
+                onClick={() => setApproveModalOpen(false)}
                 className="rounded-lg border border-gray-700 px-4 py-2 text-sm text-gray-400 hover:bg-gray-800 transition-colors"
               >
-                Keep scheduled
+                Cancel
               </button>
               <button
-                onClick={() => activateMutation.mutate(true)}
-                disabled={activateMutation.isPending}
-                className="flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg bg-amber-600 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-white hover:bg-amber-500 disabled:opacity-50 transition-colors"
+                onClick={() => approveMutation.mutate()}
+                disabled={!approveStartDate || approveMutation.isPending}
+                className="flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg bg-green-600 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-white hover:bg-green-500 disabled:opacity-50 transition-colors"
               >
-                {activateMutation.isPending && <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin" />}
-                Activate now anyway
+                {approveMutation.isPending && <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin" />}
+                Approve &amp; Activate
+              </button>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
+      {/* Reject modal */}
+      {rejectModalOpen && (
+        <div className="fixed inset-0 z-50 flex items-center justify-center bg-black/70 backdrop-blur-sm">
+          <div className="mx-4 w-full max-w-md rounded-xl border border-red-500/30 bg-gray-900 p-6 shadow-2xl">
+            <h3 className="mb-4 text-lg font-semibold text-white">Reject Campaign</h3>
+            <label className="mb-1.5 block text-sm font-medium text-gray-300">
+              Reason <span className="text-red-400">*</span>
+            </label>
+            <textarea
+              value={rejectReason}
+              onChange={(e) => setRejectReason(e.target.value)}
+              rows={3}
+              placeholder="Explain what needs to change before this can be approved…"
+              className="w-full rounded-lg border border-gray-700 bg-gray-800 px-3 py-2 text-sm text-gray-200 placeholder-gray-500 focus:border-cyan-500 focus:outline-none"
+            />
+            <div className="mt-6 flex justify-end gap-3">
+              <button
+                onClick={() => setRejectModalOpen(false)}
+                className="rounded-lg border border-gray-700 px-4 py-2 text-sm text-gray-400 hover:bg-gray-800 transition-colors"
+              >
+                Cancel
+              </button>
+              <button
+                onClick={() => rejectMutation.mutate()}
+                disabled={!rejectReason.trim() || rejectMutation.isPending}
+                className="flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg bg-red-600 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-white hover:bg-red-500 disabled:opacity-50 transition-colors"
+              >
+                {rejectMutation.isPending && <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin" />}
+                Reject
               </button>
             </div>
           </div>