Theory and Nature of War

1
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

1. Command of the Sea through naval superiority.
2. 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?

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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

48
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

53
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.