DOCSLIB.ORG

Marie Von Clausewitz: the Omw an Behind the Making of on War, by Vanya Eftimova Bellinger John T

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Marie Von Clausewitz: the Omw an Behind the Making of on War, by Vanya Eftimova Bellinger John T Naval War College Review Volume 69 Article 10 Number 3 Summer 2016 Marie von Clausewitz: The omW an behind the Making of On War, by Vanya Eftimova Bellinger John T. Kuehn Follow this and additional works at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review Recommended Citation Kuehn, John T. (2016) "Marie von Clausewitz: The omW an behind the Making of On War, by Vanya Eftimova Bellinger," Naval War College Review: Vol. 69 : No. 3 , Article 10. Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol69/iss3/10 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Naval War College Review by an authorized editor of U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 146 NAVALKuehn: WAR COLLEGEMarie von REVIEW Clausewitz: The Woman behind the Making of On War, by V challenges in the Gulf of Guinea� Indeed, international cooperation� (4) Prevailing the book may be viewed as a compen- regional cooperative processes lack coor- dium of the existing legal regimes in the dination and have suffered several set- Gulf of Guinea� This legal landscape is backs� (5) International support for mar- important to understand as efforts pro- itime security cooperation in the Gulf ceed to combat maritime insecurity and of Guinea is inadequate, uncoordinated, enhance maritime governance through and in some cases driven by national in- cooperation� The section on emerging terests that affect its overall effectiveness� jurisdictional issues and legal com- These conclusions, as well as the analysis plexities is particularly significant, as it that led to them, serve as an invaluable provides a helpful warning of problems aid in the ongoing effort to secure the that are likely to arise as the coopera- maritime domain of West and Central tive architecture continues to develop� Africa� This book is a must-read for Naturally, one of the challenges of writ- maritime security scholars and anyone ing an analysis of real-world issues is —from policy makers to industry that they do not remain constant� If one leaders to students—working on mari- were to attempt to identify a criticism time matters in the Gulf of Guinea� of the book, it is that it is already out of IAN M� RALBY date on a few specific issues, although one hardly can blame that on the author� For example, the section on private security companies or private maritime security companies, if written today, Marie von Clausewitz: The Woman behind the likely would include a number of new Making of On War, by Vanya Eftimova Bellinger� issues as well as new accountability Oxford Univ� Press, 2015� 312 pages� $29�95� mechanisms� But the analysis and les- One is tempted to ask why naval officers sons that can be gleaned remain sound should be interested in reading a biog- and important, even if additional facts raphy of the wife of the famous Prussian exist that could enhance the discussion� philosopher of war Carl von Clausewitz� The book expressly arrives at five main In answer we might go to the words of conclusions: (1) Current processes for Marie von Clausewitz herself, from her maritime security cooperation in the letter of dedication to Carl’s unfinished Gulf of Guinea do not address adequate- masterpiece On War: “Readers will be ly the multiple security threats in the rightly surprised that a woman should region� (2) Poor governance contributes dare to write a preface for such a work significantly to maritime security threats as this� My friends will need no explana- in the Gulf of Guinea, but the current tion� � � � Those who knew of our happy cooperative framework does not address marriage and knew that we shared every- the land-sea nexus of maritime security thing, not only joy and pain but also concerns� (3) The relevant legal frame- every occupation, every concern of daily work for maritime security in the Gulf of life, will realize that a task of this kind Guinea is poorly developed, and this un- could not occupy my beloved husband dermines the effectiveness of maritime without at the same time becoming security enforcement and regional and Published by U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons, 2016 1 NWC_Summer2016Review.indb 146 6/8/16 3:58 PM Naval War College Review, Vol. 69 [2016], No. 3, Art. 10 BOOK REVIEWS 147 thoroughly familiar to me” (preface to times until now� As advertised, though, Carl von Clausewitz, On War, ed� and the book is centered on the life of his trans� Michael Howard and Peter Paret companion and lifelong love, Countess [Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ� Press, Marie von Brühl� With her formidable 1986], p� 65 [emphasis in original])� language skills, Bellinger does exception- In other words, to understand better al work in bringing the history, and even On War’s hidden treasures, it helps the prehistory, of the Brühl family to life� to understand the formidable woman Many surprises await the reader regard- behind On War� We historians have ing Marie’s background and influence� this quaint notion that understanding For example, she was no “ordinary” the context for things helps one bet- Prussian countess, but rather a daugh- ter understand the things themselves� ter of an imperial count of the Holy For naval professionals, especially at Roman Empire� As an imperial aris- the Naval War College, which owes tocrat, she frequented only the very so much to the Prusso-German intel- highest social circles in Europe� Her lectual tradition, to understand better friends and acquaintances were queens, the genesis of the greatest philosophy of princesses, and various types of grand war is no small thing� (Readers inter- duchesses—all themselves politically ested in evidence for this idea should influential women, in an age when few consult Ronald H� Spector, Professors women wielded such influence� of War: The Naval War College and the Marie’s elevated background raises Development of the Naval Profession the book’s first major question, which [Honolulu, HI: Univ� Press of the Pacific, Bellinger poses in this way (p� 47): “How 2005; originally published by the Naval and why did a countess raised in the War College Press, 1977], pp� 14–17)� highest social circles ever allow herself Additionally, Bellinger’s biography is to consider marrying a man with con- the result of a fruitful collaboration spicuously less social standing?” Carl’s with Donald Stoker, who has published family had only a dubious claim to the a companion biography of Marie’s “von”—which denoted nobility—in front more-famous husband� Together they of his name, he being a son of (at best) a mined a treasure trove of recently very minor provincial official� Bellinger uncovered correspondence between answers the question in this way (p� 8), Carl and Marie held in Germany by the and it tells one much about both Carl (now) famous couple’s descendants� and Marie: “Indeed, from the very Marie von Clausewitz is more than just beginning of their romance, the couple a biography of a woman married to an determinedly defied the parochial at- officer and military theorist; it covers the titudes of the time and strived to build a spectrum of relevant social, intellectual, relationship if not equal in status, then military, political, and feminist history� at least equal in nature� � � � [I]t was Carl’s It is truly a synthesis of all these forms, promise to treat her as an independent much like Peter Paret’s Clausewitz and and free individual that made this for- the State (1976), which has held the field midable countess decide upon marriage on the details of Clausewitz’s life and with a man of lesser social standing�” https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol69/iss3/10 2 NWC_Summer2016Review.indb 147 6/8/16 3:58 PM 148 NAVALKuehn: WAR COLLEGEMarie von REVIEW Clausewitz: The Woman behind the Making of On War, by V In other words, Carl and Marie man- might miss� Her text is full of interest- aged to rise above the social norms of ing insights and observations on the their times� Until now we have had only extraordinary couple, but also includes Carl’s perspective, as it were—the one details that even sailors will recognize, we read in On War� By telling the story such as the fact that Marie and Carl of the collaboration between the two, numbered all their letters when he was Bellinger’s book makes clear that the real in the field so they could tell if some political animal in the family was Marie, were missing� (The reviewer used this not Carl� Her influence can be judged by very technique with his spouse during the fact that after Carl resigned his com- his many cruises in the U�S� Navy�) mission in the Prussian army and left Readers looking for new insights on for Russia to join its army—without the the Prussian perspective from inside Prussian king’s written permission—the the Prussian court during the Napole- king still acknowledged Marie, and even onic Wars will be well rewarded, as will nodded to her at court functions� As for those interested in how little or how Carl, the king never forgave him com- much Marie played a role in the genesis pletely; he did allow him to rejoin the and writing of On War, the subject that Prussian army later, but never gave him occupies roughly the last quarter of the a position of real influence� Again, this book� Addressing Marie’s pivotal role in misfortune is our good fortune, since getting Carl’s work published, Bellinger it probably allowed Carl the extra time, leaves little doubt that without Marie beyond that required
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Civilization of War Edited by Alessandro Dal Lago and Salvatore Palidda Conflict, Security and the Reshaping of Society the Civilization of War
    Conflict, Security and the Reshaping of Society This book is an examination of the effect of contemporary wars (such as the ‘War on Terror’) on civil life at a global level. Contemporary literature on war is mainly devoted to recent changes in the theory and practice of warfare, particularly those in which terrorists or insurgents are involved (for example, the ‘revolution in military affairs’, ‘small wars’, and so on). On the other hand, today’s research on security is focused, among other themes, on the effects of the war on terrorism, and on civil liberties and social control. This volume connects these two fields of research, showing how ‘war’ and ‘security’ tend to exchange targets and forms of action as well as personnel (for instance, the spreading use of private contractors in wars and of military experts in the ‘struggle for security’) in modern society. This shows how, contrary to Clausewitz’s belief that war should be conceived of as a ‘continuation of politics by other means’, the opposite statement is also true: that politics, insofar as it concerns security, can be defined as the ‘continuation of war by other means’. This book will be of much interest to students of critical security studies, war and conflict studies, terrorism studies, sociology and international relations in general. Alessandro Dal Lago is Professor of Sociology of Culture and Communica- tion at the University of Genoa. Salvatore Palidda is Professor of Sociology in the Faculty of Education at the University of Genoa. Routledge studies in liberty and security Series editors: Didier Bigo, Elspeth Guild and R.B.J.
    [Show full text]
  • Three Theories of Just War: Understanding Warfare As a Social Tool Through Comparative Analysis of Western, Chinese, and Islamic Classical Theories of War
    THREE THEORIES OF JUST WAR: UNDERSTANDING WARFARE AS A SOCIAL TOOL THROUGH COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF WESTERN, CHINESE, AND ISLAMIC CLASSICAL THEORIES OF WAR A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I AT MĀNOA IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN PHILOSOPHY MAY 2012 By Faruk Rahmanović Thesis Committee: Tamara Albertini, Chairperson Roger T. Ames James D. Frankel Brien Hallett Keywords: War, Just War, Augustine, Sunzi, Sun Bin, Jihad, Qur’an DEDICATION To my parents, Ahmet and Nidžara Rahmanović. To my wife, Majda, who continues to put up with me. To Professor Keith W. Krasemann, for teaching me to ask the right questions. And to Professor Martin J. Tracey, for his tireless commitment to my success. 1 ABSTRACT The purpose of this analysis was to discover the extent to which dictates of war theory ideals can be considered universal, by comparing the Western (European), Classical Chinese, and Islamic models. It also examined the contextual elements that drove war theory development within each civilization, and the impact of such elements on the differences arising in war theory comparison. These theories were chosen for their differences in major contextual elements, in order to limit the impact of contextual similarities on the war theories. The results revealed a great degree of similarities in the conception of warfare as a social tool of the state, utilized as a sometimes necessary, albeit tragic, means of establishing peace justice and harmony. What differences did arise, were relatively minor, and came primarily from the differing conceptions of morality and justice within each civilization – thus indicating a great degree of universality to the conception of warfare.
    [Show full text]
  • The Strategic Paradox of Truly Autonomous Weapons
    The strategic paradox of autonomous weapons ZIPAR Policy Brief February 2018 Marko Kovic ZIPAR About ZIPAR The Zurich Institute of Public Aairs Research is devoted to identifying and addressing the major challenges for humankind in the short-term, in the medium- term, and in the long-term future. ZIPAR is an independent nonprot think tank based in Zurich, Switzerland. Recommended citation Marko Kovic (2018): The strategic paradox of autonomous weapons systems. ZIPAR Policy Brief. Zurich, Switzerland. Copyright This document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives 4.0 International license. You can freely distribute this document and reference it in other works. For any questions about copyright, feel free to contact the author ([email protected]). 2 The strategic paradox of autonomous weapons ZIPAR Policy Brief Abstract Progress in articial intelligence makes the technology increasingly relevant to military applications. In particular, autonomous weapons could be of great military use: Autonomous weapons could achieve goals more ef- fectively and more eciently than humans or human-operated weapons. In this policy brief, the potential impact of implementing autonomous weapons on the behavior and decision-making of the military is discussed. The most probable positive impact, greater adherence to humanitarian law on the battleeld, is outweighed by the most probable negative impact, a disruption of the military chain of command and the security risks that follow from that disruption. This creates a strategic paradox: Even though autonomous weapons could help the military achieve goals more eectively and more eciently, autonomous weapons would strategically undermine the military by disrupting the chain of command and by creating a great security risk.
    [Show full text]
  • Wiest Must Have War and Society List
    War and Society Graduate Reading List Drs. Allison Abra, Mao Lin, Heather M. Stur, Kenneth Swope, Susannah Ural, Andrew A. Wiest, & Kyle F. Zelner NOTE: In addition to the titles listed below, students should familiarize themselves with the important journals in the field, especially The Journal of Military History and War & Society, in addition to relevant articles in more general history journals. VALID DATES: Approved for students entering program in 2010 and forward (or by agreement with faculty advisor). * designates a classic, must-read, essential work. (67 total) ************************************************************************************* HISTORIOGRAPHICAL WORKS: The following—required—historiographical works offer students a firm understanding of current issues in the field of war and society: *Black, Jeremy. Rethinking Military History. New York: Routledge, 2004. *Citino, Robert M. “Military Histories Old and New: A Reintroduction.” American Historical Review 112, no. 4 (2007): 1070-1090. *Grenier, John. “Recent Trends in the Historiography on Warfare in the Colonial Period (1607-1765)” History Compass 8 no. 4 (2010): 358-367. *Hughes, Matthew and William Philpott, eds. Palgrave Advances in Modern Military Histor. New York: Palgrave Macmillian, 2007. *Kohn, Richard H., “The Social History of the American Soldier: A Review and Prospectus for Research.” American Historical Review 86, no. 3 (1981): 553-67. *Lee, Wayne E. “Early American Ways of War: A New Reconnaissance, 1600-1815.” The Historical Journal 44, no. 1 (2001): 269-289. *Lee, Wayne E. “Mind and Matter - Cultural Analysis in American Military History: A Look at the State of the Field.” Journal of American History 93, no. 4 (2007): 1116-1142. *Linn, Brian McAllister. “‘The American Way of War’ Revisited.” Journal of Military History 66, no.
    [Show full text]
  • The Public Morality of Carl Von Clausewitz
    DRAFT The Public Morality of Carl von Clausewitz A Paper for Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association 24-27 March 2002 Suzanne C. Nielsen Assistant Professor Department of Social Sciences West Point, NY 10996 [email protected] The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Department of the Army, the U.S. Military Academy, or any other U.S. government agency. Please do not cite or reproduce without permission from the author. DRAFT “Nowadays, anyone reflecting on war and strategy raises a barrier between his intelligence and his humanity.” - Raymond Aron Clausewitz, Philosopher of War (1976) Introduction The ideas of Carl von Clausewitz, Prussian soldier and scholar, have been the subject of endless controversy since the posthumous publication of his great work, On War , in 1832. Did he produce a timebound and even faulty analysis of the wars of his age, or a classic that provides timeless insights? Was he an objective analyst of the complex nature of war, or an advocate of absolute wars of annihilation? Characterizations of Clausewitz and his writings vary tremendously. In the wake of the First World War, Liddell Hart attributed at least indirect responsibility for its destructiveness to Clausewitz. To Hart, Clausewitz was the “evil genius of military thought” and the “apostle of total war” who advocated mass and offensive above all else. 1[1] Bernard Brodie gave a quite different interpretation in the 1970s. He emphasized Clausewitz’s denial that war could be waged according to a list of axioms, and his belief that even valuable generalizations admit exceptions.
    [Show full text]
  • Book Review Essay
    Cliodynamics: the Journal of Theoretical and Mathematical History War Games: Simulating Collins’ Theory of Battle Victory Jesse B. Fletcher, Jacob Apkarian, Anthony Roberts, Kirk Lawrence, Christopher Chase-Dunn, and Robert A. Hanneman University of California, Riverside Collins’ recent theory on battle dynamics is converted into a system of interconnected equations and simulated. Between evenly matched armies, initial advantages are shown to be difficult to overcome due to the numerous reinforcing pathways throughout the model. Morale advantages are shown to lead to quick victories, while material advantages lead to longer wars often won through attrition. A simulation of the Civil War is provided that appears to coincide with historical reality. The implications of these simulations for Collins’ broader theory are briefly discussed. Introduction Randall Collins’ (2010) recent publication in Cliodynamics (“A Dynamic Theory of Battle Victory and Defeat”) provides a new sociological theory of how battles (and by extension, wars) are won and lost. His theory has implications for military effectiveness, geopolitics, history, and the broader study of conflict in sociology. In conjunction with his 2008 book Violence, this publication furthers his attempt to unify his earlier passion for conflict sociology with his later focus on emotional energy and micro-sociological interaction processes. Collins’ model focuses on battles between armies on land. It has implications for sea and air battles, but these are beyond the scope of the present inquiry. This paper adapts Collins’ model of battle dynamics into a simulation model, a fully-mathematized translation of his “boxes and arrows” models, to test the theory’s assumptions and assertions. The authors have worked in conjunction with Collins through personal communications to best represent the intent and meaning of his theory.
    [Show full text]
  • From Balletics to Ballistics: French Artillery, 1897-1916
    FROM BALLETICS TO BALLISTICS: FRENCH ARTILLERY, 1897-1916 From Balletics to Ballistics: French Artillery, 1897-1916 JONATHAN KRAUSE* University of Wolverhampton Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT The fighting on the Western Front during the First World War was characterized by the mass use of artillery and, thanks to scholarship from recent decades, is now understood as a crucible for learning and innovation. This article follows the trajectory of French artillery capabilities, mental and mechanical, from the late 19th century through to 1916. Introduction The First World War, fundamentally, was an artillery war. Central to every tactical question was the use of artillery: that of the attacker and the defender. The reason for this is largely technological. With the development of accurate, quick-firing artillery field armies would possess an unprecedented level of firepower. The 1890s introduced an era in which massed infantry charges could be largely turned back by artillery alone. These modern field guns could, if they chose, engage their targets from four to six kilometres away, thus freeing them from the constraints of their counterparts in the 1860s and 1870s, whose shorter ranges exposed them to deadly small arms fire. Against this new killing power there was little that infantry could do; little, that is, except dig. Trenches have always provided soldiers with protection from firepower. The same basic principles which Vauban had perfected in the 17th Century remained of vital importance well into the 20th. That the war on the Western Front was essentially a siege operation of unprecedented complexity and duration was not lost on the leadership of the French army.
    [Show full text]
  • An Actor-Centric Theory Of
    he United States, the most power- Soldiers and Afghan National Police coordinate ful nation in the world, is reas- security for Afghan national election, September 2010 sessing its approach to war. With TAmerica entering the 10th year of what was originally called the global war on terror, the Nation finds itself engaged in con- flicts in Central Asia and the Middle East that challenge decades of planning, training, and doctrine. Although collectively this series of campaigns recently crossed the marker-point for America’s longest combat engagement ever, arguments persist—even in the pages of this publication—as to whether we have the correct approach.1 This debate is, for the most part, limited in scope.2 In general, it can be summarized as revolving around one contentious point: whether one agrees with the idea that the United States must redefine its fighting capacity based upon irregular threats—such as insurgency—or not. On the one hand, we have the proponents of a counterinsurgency, or COIN, approach often associated with U.S. Army (Chris G. Neeley) one of Washington’s newest think tanks, the Center for a New American Security, and its energetic president, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel John Nagl.3 In brief, the An Actor-centric argument on this side of the current debate is that the U.S. Army (note, not the U.S. Marine Corps) deliberately shunned irregular warfare, and counterinsurgency in particular, Theory of War after it was “not allowed” (politically) to win the Vietnam war.4 Only when faced 30 years later in Iraq with an insurgency that seemed Understanding the Difference to be winning did the uniformed establish- ment return to the library of irregular warfare Between COIN and Counterinsurgency and, under the leadership of General David Petraeus, rewrite and embrace this form of war in the shape of revised Field Manual 3–24, Counterinsurgency.5 This doctrinal By SEBASTIAN L.v .
    [Show full text]
  • Prospect Theory and the Defence in Clausewitz's on War Paper
    Prospect theory and the defence in Clausewitz’s On War Paper presented to the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, 16 March 2016, Atlanta, Georgia. Kenneth Payne, KCL It is quite clear how greatly the objective nature of war makes it a matter of assessing probabilities.1 Carl von Clausewitz, somewhat cryptically, argued that defence in war was stronger than attack. This seems to jar with much military writing then and now which praises the dynamism of the offensive and advocates using surprise as a means of overcoming an adversary’s strengths. Seizing the initiative, particularly when done by bold, visionary generalship, is the way to win victory in battle. By contrast, the defence seems reactive and passive, not commonly traits praised in military commanders or strategists. Waiting, Clausewitz averred, is the ‘leading feature’ of the defence.2 Passivity in the face of enemy hostility is not commonly remarked upon as a feature of martial prowess. Even when an attack was underway, the defensive force would remain on the back foot, reacting to events, rather than shaping them decisively; passively enduring the blows of the assaulting armies. As Clausewitz saw it, ‘prudence is the true spirit of defence, courage and confidence the true spirit of the attack’.3 How then could defence be the stronger of the two forces in war? Nonetheless, I argue here that Clausewitz was essentially correct, and for reasons that modern psychology would recognize. Specifically, I claim that the defence is stronger because we have an innate aversion to losing possessions, and this causes us both to fight more tenaciously to hold on to what we have, and to risk more to secure it.
    [Show full text]
  • How and Why Did Changes in Warfare Affect Diplomacy, the European
    How and why did changes in warfare affect diplomacy, the European state system, and the balance of power? AP European History Lesson Plan Seven “Cs” Analysis STATES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS OF POWER “Clausewitz wants us to accept the practical reality that these dynamic forces are ever-present and constantly interacting in the everyday world… " Ellen Resnek Downingtown East High School FPRI Conference Why Does America Go To War? Lesson Plan Objectives: Evaluate how the emergence of new weapons, tactics, and methods of military organization changed the scale and cost of warfare, required the centralization of power, and shifted the balance of power. Analyze the role of warfare in remaking the political map of Europe and in shifting the global balance of power in the 19th and 20th centuries. Assess the impact of war, diplomacy, and overseas exploration and colonization on European diplomacy and balance of power until 1789. Explain how the French Revolution and the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars shifted the European balance of power and encouraged the creation of a new diplomatic framework. Explain the role of nationalism in altering the European balance of power, and explain attempts made to limit nationalism as a means to ensure continental stability. Evaluate how overseas competition and changes in the alliance system upset the Concert of Europe and set the stage for World War I. Explain the ways in which the Common Market and collapse of the Soviet Empire changed the political balance of power, the status of the nation- state, and global political alliances. NCSS Standard VI. Power, Authority, and Governance.
    [Show full text]
  • Reflections Upon a Paradigm of Military Strategy Within the European Common Security and Defense Policy (ESDP)
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Calhoun, Institutional Archive of the Naval Postgraduate School Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2001-06 Clausewitz and the theory of military strategy in Europe : reflections upon a paradigm of military strategy within the European Common Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) Hartmann, Uwe. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/2213 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS CLAUSEWITZ AND THE THEORY OF MILITARY STRATEGY IN EUROPE – REFLECTIONS UPON A PARADIGM OF MILITARY STRATEGY WITHIN THE EUROPEAN COMMON SECURITY AND DEFENSE POLICY (ESDP) by Uwe Hartmann June 2001 Thesis Advisor: Donald Abenheim Co-Advisor: Daniel Moran Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited i REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED June 2001 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: Title (Mix case letters) 5.
    [Show full text]
  • The Information-Based RMA and the Principles of War
    The Information-Based RMA and the Principles of War by Maj Leonard G. Litton, USAF Abstract The US military is currently experiencing a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) which has the potential to increase its combat capability "orders of magnitude" over any potential adversary. The essence of this "revolutionary" affair is that the character and conduct of warfare is undergoing a significant change driven primarily by the ability to acquire, collect, disseminate, and employ information in a very rapid manner. Conversely, there are many reasons to believe that warfare is more evolutionary than revolutionary. There is a body of thought that suggests that there has always been in existence certain "principles of war" that are immutable, timeless, and independent of place or situation. If the information-based RMA really has the potential to deliver on its promises, we must begin to embrace it by reexamining the underlying elements of our doctrine, the principles of war, and insure they lay the proper foundation for the military of the 21st century. We should challenge the current paradigms we hold and begin to think of these principles in new ways, some being radical departures from the "old school" solution. We must choose the words and definitions in our publications carefully, for they serve to convey to our soldiers what we hold to be true about the ways in which we wage war. Introduction One cannot read many articles in today’s military, strategic, or national security journals without stumbling upon the topic of an emerging Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). Many writers are promoting the idea that the character and conduct of warfare is undergoing a significant change driven primarily by the ability to acquire, collect, disseminate, and employ information in a very rapid manner.
    [Show full text]