This monograph looks at operational art practiced by an outnumbered force. Specifically, the research question is: How have outnumbered armies designed and executed successful campaigns? Simply stated, this study looks at how outnumbered forces...
The historiography of doctrinal change in the US Army that began with the publication of the 1976 version of FM 100-5, Operations, and ended with its replacement in 1982, settles on a general claim of controversy and rejection as the source of...
This monograph examines a concept considered an abomination to some airmen - operational air reserves. The study is exploratory in nature: searching applicable theory, historical examples, and contemporary developments for insights on air reserves....
This monograph discusses the current value of tank destroyer doctrine based on the American experience in World War II. Tank destroyer tactical doctrine for defeating large enemy armored assaults has great utility for our modern force and dovetails...
This monograph analyzes the shift in tactical doctrine in the US Army between 1968 and 1986. These dates bracket a period of major change when the Army struggled to match its tactical doctrine with the realities of late twentieth century armored...
This study proposes to determine whether a systematic method of evaluating human elements in combat should be incorporated in the command estimate. The research hypothesis of the study is that the exclusion of the human elements in the command...
Sutter, Patrick A.; Hill, William H.; Moran, Terry P.; Smith, Jewell; Walker, Nathan T. A.; Lee, Robert E.; American Civil War; Persian Gulf War.
Thesis Statement: General Robert E. Lee's tactical plan used
in the civil War during the Seven Days' Battle won a quick,
decisive victory; likewise, during Desert Storm, General H.
Norman Schwarzkopf, using a similar tactical plan for...
This study is an analysis of the decisiveness of Israeli small-unit leadership on the Golan Heights during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. What allowed the Israeli brigades on the Golan Heights to defeat an Arab coalition that launched a surprise attack...
This study shows that thirteenth century Mongol warfare is an example of emerging operational art. There is significant debate on the origins of operational art. The School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) advances two arguments. Both arguments...
U.S. Army doctrine considers operational maneuver essential to fighting outnumbered and winning. With an even smaller force in the future, operational maneuver will be more important to the Army’s success. Because of this, understanding of all...
This monograph discusses the elements and dynamics of tactical surprise on the mid- to high-intensity conventional battlefield. Surprise has been a decisive principle of war throughout history. Today, however, surprise is increasingly critical to...
Mitchell, Darrell; Phillips, Tanya; Rice, Quinton; Fischer, Maurice; Tompkins, Robert
Thesis Statement: Superior forces did not compensate for poor leadership. During the Battle of Chancellorsville General Lee dominated over General Hooker despite being tremendously outnumbered. Discussion: The Battle of Chancellorsville was one of...
The Army is currently embarking on a major peacetime modernization program. As the drawdown comes to a close, the Army is about half its former size and is confronted with a far more complex strategic environment. Virtually any place the Army may...
The objectives of Engineer are to inform, motivate, increase knowledge, improve performance, and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas. Views ex-pressed are those of the authors and not those of the Department of Defense or its elements. The...
In the past fifteen years Soviet ground forces have dramatically increased their conventional military power to the point where they have become the most heavily armed force in the world. The United States Army has responded to these increases in...
One of German General Carl Von Clausewitz's key concepts is culmination. His primary work On War describes culmination for the attacker as the point beyond which he can no longer continue his attack and risks destruction from a counterattack. For...
A leader’s transition from the tactical to operational level of command has challenged military commanders throughout history. Some leaders are very successful at making the transition, while others encounter difficulty. Understanding the...