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Theory and Nature of War. Modern Theorists I. Latter 19 th 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.
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Theory and Nature of War Modern Theorists I
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
Modern Theorists I:Naval - Mahan and Corbett 8801: Lesson 8
Overview • Maritime strategy in early 20th Century • Influence on strategic thinking today
Educational Objectives • Compare the basic theories • Describe how they were influenced by earlier strategists • Relate “Forward…From the Sea” to these theories • Explain the use of sea power as an element of military force • Identify six elements that influence sea power
Background • Late 19th century • Rising power and a declining power • Two views of Britain’s success • Two historians with different • approaches to the past • views of sea power
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?
Alfred Thayer Mahan • Background • Dennis Hart Mahan • Major works • Insight • Purpose
Mahan’s Significance • First general theory of war at sea • War at sea is a political act • Defined mission for the Navy • Boosted PME
Alfred Thayer Mahan • Influence of historical setting?
1840-1865 Expansion West War with Mexico Civil War Industrialization 1866-1914 Closing of the Frontier Imperialism Spanish-American War Isthmian Canal Naval Competition Strategic Environment
Strategic Environment • Technological Change • Sail to Steam • Armor • Ordnance • U.S. Navy Revival
Alfred Thayer Mahan • Use of historical analysis?
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
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
Mahan’s Theory of Sea Power • “That overbearing power on the sea which drives the enemy’s 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 enemy’s shores.”
Mahan’s 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
Mahan’s Theory of Sea Power • Production • Shipping • Colonies
Mahan’s Theory of Sea Power • Battleships and Merchantmen • Sea Lines of Communication • Overseas Bases • Concentration of Forces • Decisive Battle
Mahan’s Theory of Sea Power Battleships and Merchantmen Sea Lines of Communication Overseas Bases Concentration of Forces Decisive Battle
Mahan’s 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.
Principles of Naval Warfare • Central Position • Interior Lines • Secure SLOCs
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
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
Alfred Thayer Mahan Mahan • Build on or react to previous theorists? • Jomini? • Clausewitz?
Mahan the Jominian • Scientific, Prescriptive • Enduring Principles • Objective - Enemy Battle Fleet • Concentrate Forces at the Decisive Point • Decisive Battle • Lines of Communication
Alfred Thayer Mahan Mahan • Affect on later theorists and practitioners of war?
Mahan’s 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
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
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
Critique of Mahan • Use of history • Over-emphasis on sea power • Necessary v sufficient cause
Mahan’s Relevance Today? • Merchant Marine • SLOCs, Overseas Bases • Concentration, Decisive Battle • Sea Power and Great Power • Sea Power and National Strategy
Sir Julian Corbett • Background • Briton • Works • Purpose
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?
Sir Julian Corbett • Influence of historical setting?
Sir Julian Corbett • Use of historical analysis?
The British Way In Maritime Warfare • Limited, not absolute war
Requirements for Limited War • Object must be limited in area • Of limited political importance • Remote or capable of being isolated:
Limited Wars • Maritime Nations • Eighteenth Century Wars of England • Crimean War (1854-1856) • Spanish-American War (1898) • Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
Sir Julian Corbett • What are his ideas about? • The fundamentals of strategy
What a maritime strategy must do • Support or obstruct diplomacy • Protect or destroy commerce • Further or hinder military operations ashore
Corbett’s Trinity • Support diplomacy • Protect or destroy commerce • Support or defeat shoreoperations
Sir Julian Corbett • What are his ideas about? • Civil-military relations
Sir Julian Corbett • What are his ideas about? • The importance of material and moral factors
Sir Julian Corbett • What are his ideas about? • The ability of individuals to affect events
Sir Julian Corbett • What are his ideas about ? • Relationship between offense and defense
Sir Julian Corbett • What are his ideas about? • The importance of chance in war
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
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