Theory and Nature of War

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Theory and Nature of War

• Modern Theorists I

2
Latter 19th Century Theorists Prussia

• Points to remember
• The adaptations of the Prussian Military
  Revolution
• Characteristics of the professionalism race
• Problems with the Schlieffen Plan
• GGS needed to acknowledge

3
Modern Theorists INaval - Mahan and Corbett

• 8801 Lesson 8

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Overview

• Maritime strategy in early 20th Century
• Influence on strategic thinking today

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Educational Objectives

• Compare the basic theories
• Describe how they were influenced by earlier
  strategists
• Relate ForwardFrom the Sea to these theories
• Explain the use of sea power as an element of
  military force
• Identify six elements that influence sea power

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Background

• Late 19th century
• Rising power and a declining power
• Two views of Britains success
• Two historians with different
• approaches to the past
• views of sea power

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Analysis of Mahan and Corbett

• The Fundamental Questions of Military Theorists
• Influence of historical setting?
• Use of historical analysis?
• What are his ideas?
• Build on or react to previous theorists?
• Affect on later theorists and practitioners of
  war?

8
Alfred Thayer Mahan

• Background
• Dennis Hart Mahan
• Major works
• Insight
• Purpose

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Mahans Significance

• First general theory of war at sea
• War at sea is a political act
• Defined mission for the Navy
• Boosted PME

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Alfred Thayer Mahan

• Influence of historical setting?

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Strategic Environment

• 1840-1865
• Expansion West
• War with Mexico
• Civil War
• Industrialization

• 1866-1914
• Closing of the Frontier
• Imperialism
• Spanish-American War
• Isthmian Canal
• Naval Competition

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Strategic Environment

• Technological Change
• Sail to Steam
• Armor
• Ordnance
• U.S. Navy Revival

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Alfred Thayer Mahan

• Use of historical analysis?

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Alfred Thayer Mahan

• What are his ideas?
• The fundamentals of strategy
• Civil-military relations
• The importance of material and moral factors
• The influence of individuals on events
• Relationship between offense and defense
• The importance of chance

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Fundamentals of Strategy

• Thesis Mastery of the seas made nations
  victorious in war and prosperous in peace.
• Not all nations possessed the raw ingredients of
  sea power were.
• Principles of strategy included
• Lines of communication
• Central position Interior lines
• Key concentration for a decisive victory

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Mahans Theory of Sea Power

• That overbearing power on the sea which drives
  the enemys flag from the sea or allows it to
  appear only as a fugitive
• and which by controlling the great common, closes
  the highway by which commerce moves to and from
  the enemys shores.

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Mahans Theory of Sea Power

• Characteristics of a maritime power
• 1. Geographic position
• 2. Physical conformation
• 3. Extent of territory
• 4. Number of population
• 5. National character
• 6. Character of the government

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Mahans Theory of Sea Power

• Production
• Shipping
• Colonies

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Mahans Theory of Sea Power

• Battleships and Merchantmen
• Sea Lines of Communication
• Overseas Bases
• Concentration of Forces
• Decisive Battle

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Mahans Theory of Sea Power

• Battleships and Merchantmen
• Sea Lines of Communication
• Overseas Bases
• Concentration of Forces
• Decisive Battle

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Mahans Theory of Sea Power

• Command of the Sea through naval superiority.
• That combination of maritime commerce, overseas
  possessions, and privileged access to foreign
  markets that produces national wealth and
  greatness.

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Principles of Naval Warfare

• Central Position
• Interior Lines
• Secure SLOCs

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Additional Principles of Naval Warfare

• Concentration of Forces Never divide the fleet
  
• Offensive Operations Superior to Defensive
• Overseas Bases
• Decisive Battle (vice Commerce Raiding)
• Blockade After Command of the Sea Achieved

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Additional Principles of Naval Warfare

• Concentration of Forces Never divide the fleet
  
• Offensive Operations Superior to Defensive
• Overseas Bases
• Decisive Battle (vice Commerce Raiding)
• Blockade After Command of the Sea Achieved

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Alfred Thayer Mahan Mahan

• Build on or react to previous theorists?
• Jomini?
• Clausewitz?

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Mahan the Jominian

• Scientific, Prescriptive
• Enduring Principles
• Objective - Enemy Battle Fleet
• Concentrate Forces at the Decisive Point
• Decisive Battle
• Lines of Communication

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Alfred Thayer Mahan Mahan

• Affect on later theorists and practitioners of
  war?

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Mahans Influence

• Read widely in both Europe and Japan
• Shipbuilding and Expansion
• Spanish-American War
• Panama Canal
• Wrote 20 books and over 137 articles
• Read widely in both Europe and Japan

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Mackinders Heartland (1904)
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Once said of Mahan

• ... the peculiar psychology of the Navy
  Department, which frequently seemed to retire
  from the realm of logic into a dim religious
  world in which Neptune was God, Mahan his
  prophet, and the United States Navy the only true
  church.
• - Henry L. Stimson

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Alfred Thayer Mahan

• What are his ideas about
• The fundamentals of strategy
• Civil-military relations
• The importance of material and moral factors
• The ability of individuals to affect events
• Relationship between offense and defense
• The importance of chance in war

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Critique of Mahan

• Use of history
• Over-emphasis on sea power
• Necessary v sufficient cause

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Mahans Relevance Today?

• Merchant Marine
• SLOCs, Overseas Bases
• Concentration, Decisive Battle
• Sea Power and Great Power
• Sea Power and National Strategy

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Sir Julian Corbett

• Background
• Briton
• Works
• Purpose

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Sir Julian Corbett

• The Fundamental Questions of Military Theorists
• Influence of historical setting?
• Use of historical analysis?
• What are his ideas?
• Build on or react to previous theorists?
• Affect on later theorists and practitioners of
  war?

36
Sir Julian Corbett

• Influence of historical setting?

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Sir Julian Corbett

• Use of historical analysis?

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The British Way In Maritime Warfare

• Limited, not absolute war

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Requirements for Limited War

• Object must be limited in area
• Of limited political importance
• Remote or capable of being isolated

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Limited Wars

• Maritime Nations
• Eighteenth Century Wars of England
• Crimean War (1854-1856)
• Spanish-American War (1898)
• Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

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Sir Julian Corbett

• What are his ideas about?
• The fundamentals of strategy

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What a maritime strategy must do

• Support or obstruct diplomacy
• Protect or destroy commerce
• Further or hinder military operations ashore

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Corbetts Trinity

• Support diplomacy
• Protect or destroy commerce
• Support or defeat shore operations

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Sir Julian Corbett

• What are his ideas about?
• Civil-military relations

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Sir Julian Corbett

• What are his ideas about?
• The importance of material and moral factors

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Sir Julian Corbett

• What are his ideas about?
• The ability of individuals to affect events

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Sir Julian Corbett

• What are his ideas about ?
• Relationship between offense and defense

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Sir Julian Corbett

• What are his ideas about?
• The importance of chance in war

49
Sir Julian Corbett

• What are his ideas about?
• The fundamentals of strategy
• Civil-military relations
• The importance of material and moral factors
• The ability of individuals to affect events
• Relationship between offense and defense
• The importance of chance in war

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Principles Clausewitz

• All wars tend to the absolute
• The object is enemy's army
• Only the offensive matters
• Napoleon, master of war
• Cult of the decisive battle

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Blue Water School

• Fleet engagements decisive
• Command of the seas absolute
• Battleships the key to victory

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Real Command Of The Sea

• SLOCs, SLOCs, and SLOCs

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The Navys Projectile The Army

• Small Forces,
• Strategically Targeted

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Sir Julian Corbett

• Build on or react to previous theorists?

55
Sir Julian Corbett

• Affect on later theorists and practitioners of
  war?

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Critique of Corbett

• Applicability
• Utility

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Summary Corbett

• Questions?

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Issues for Consideration

• Jomini and Mahan
• Concept of sea power
• Guerre descadre
• Navies vice Armies

• Six Critical Elements
• Corbetts Basic Premise
• Balanced Fleet Concept
• Land vice Naval Warfare
• Guerre de Course

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Issues for Consideration

• Jomini

• Mahan

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Concept of Sea Power

• Employment of the fleet
• ForwardFrom the Sea

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Guerre descadre

• Large fleet of capital ships?

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Navies versus Armies
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Six Critical elements

• Characteristics of a Maritime Power
• Geographic Position
• Physical Conformation
• Extent of Territory
• Number of Population
• National Character
• Character of the Government

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Corbett

• Basic Premise
• Concept of the balanced fleet
• Fundamental difference between
• Land Warfare
• Naval Warfare

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Summary

• Mahan and Corbett

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Points to remember

• Mahans beliefs
• Corbett and sea control
• FFS and Corbett and Mahan
• Mahans Six General Conditions

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Finally

• The other line always moves faster.
• A Smith and Wesson beats four aces.