Tactics

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Tactics
Tactics are the techniques of fighting on a
battlefield. Throughout the period 1792-1945,
tactics evolved in response to new and improved
weapon design.
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Jomini Understanding the genius of Napoleon
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Baron de Jomini

• In the Art of War
• Napoleon had concentrated his forces at the
  decisive point and had sought to destroy his
  enemies army and lines of communication
• Planning was essential and needed to be done from
  accurate maps
• The attack was essential for victory, Napoleon
  had always been on the offensive
• There are principles that can be applied in
  war such as planning, concentration, initiative

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What were the advantages and disadvantages of
the column attack?
A loose skirmish line. How did commanders retain
control when formations became more dispersed?
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Planning and alliances
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From 1792-1918, the Europeans were acute rivals.
To improve the chances of success in war,
coalitions and alliances were formed. Diplomacy
was used to isolate opponents. Revolutionary and
Napoleonic France was unable to overcome the
combined might of the other Europeans.
In the period 1815-1854, the priority was the
containment of France to prevent another
Bonaparte dominating Europe. However, Napoleon
III did try to resurrect his uncles legacy and
fought Russia, Austria and Germany between 1854
and 1870
What role did alliances play between 1866 and
1905?
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Europeans developed means for rapid mobilisation
to gain for themselves a distinct advantage in
any war. They universally hoped for a short,
victorious war that would avoid cost and
hardship. An increase in tension between the
powers, meant that detailed planning and
alliances were of critical importance.
Mobilisation Timetable
Explain the German War Plan, and why it was
considered necessary to invade a neutral state
like Belgium
Paris
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What tactic from the second World War is being
illustrated here and who developed it?
How effective was it? What were the main
ingredients of its success?
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Organisation of the state for war
The apparatus of the state had always included
the production of munitions, the pay, equipment
and monopoly of control of armies, but
industrialisation meant the greater involvement
of civilians and private businesses in a far more
sophisticated era of warfare.
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The organisation of the state meant the raising
of armies. How did states balance the need for
armies with the costs of maintaining them?
What kind of industrial developments meant that
civilians would be drawn into the war effort of
their country? Use examples from across the
period to illustrate.
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Army Reforms after the Napoleonic Wars

• Small professional armies, living away from
  civilians in barracks, would not be prey to
  revolutionary sympathies. It also avoided the
  risk of arming most of the citizenry in mass
  armies, thus creating a potentially revolutionary
  force.
• In France, legions were created and they served
  in different provinces from where they were
  enlisted. This meant they would be more likely to
  crush insurrection.

What further reforms were made during The
nineteenth century?
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The Media and Public Opinion
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Napoleon had been careful to groom the media.
What was the effect of this?
William Russells Crimean despatches marked a
change in the way the public heard about
war. What was the impact of this change? How did
governments subsequently seek to harness the
media in their own propaganda? What other
propaganda methods did governments use?
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What measures were employed to generate support
for the war effort in the First and Second
World Wars? List examples of success and failure
in these measures.