H107: Explaining the Revolution - Jomini

1. H107: Explaining the Revolution - Jomini

2. Jomini Career Outline 1779: Born 1798: Captain, Swiss Army 1802: Resigned; moved Paris 1805: Treatise on 7-Yrs War; protégé of Marshall Ney 1805: Colonel, French Army 1806: Napoleon’s HQ; present Jena-Auerstadt 1807: Legion of Honor at Eylau; made Baron, Ney’s CoS 1808: Served in Spain 1813: Ney’s CoS; entered Russian service 1815: Aide to Czar Alexander 1823: Promoted General 1838: Published Art of War 1869: Died at age 90

3. Identification of Principles “There exists a small number of fundamental principles of war, the application of which has been in almost all time crowned with success.”

4. Four Fundamental Principles Objective Offensive Mass Maneuver

5. Jomini’s Principles “There have existed in all times fundamental principles, on which depend good results in warfare. ... These principles are unchanging, independent of the kind of weapons, of historical time and place.”

6. Concentration Interior Lines Unity of Command Offense Decisive Point Surprise Levels of War Logistics Jomini’s Major Concepts

7. Principles of War Today “(The Principles of War) are fundamental truths governing combat operations. These principles are the enduring bedrock of Army doctrine … they have stood the tests of analysis, experimentation and practice. They are not a checklist and their degree of application varies with the situation. Blind adherence to these principles does not guarantee success, but each deviation may increase the risk of failure.” FM 3-0

8. US Army Principles • Objective • Offensive • Mass • Economy of Force • Maneuver • Unity of Command • Security • Surprise • Simplicity

9. Jomini on the 1812 Campaign JOMINI (Ch. 3, Art. 29) “The 1812 campaign, although so ruinous to Napoleon, was a model for a distant invasion. His care in leaving Prince Schwarzenberg and Reynier on the Bug, while Macdonald, Oudinot, and Wrede guarded the Dwina, Victor covered Smolensk, and Augereau was between the Oder and Vistula, proves that he had neglected no humanly possible precaution in order to base himself safely; but it also proves that the greatest enterprises may fail simply on account of the magnitude of the preparations for their success.”

10. Clausewitz on the 1812 Campaign CLAUSEWITZ (Ch. 17) “The Russian campaign of 1812 demonstrated in the first place that a country of such size could not be conquered ... and ... the prospect of eventual success does not always decrease in proportion to lost battles, captured capitals, and occupied provinces. On the contrary, the Russians showed us that one often attains one’s greatest strength in the heart of one’s own country; when the enemy’s offensive power is exhausted, and the defensive can then switch with enormous energy to the offensive.”

11. FM 3-0 - Clausewitz or Jomini? • End state and military conditions • Center of gravity • Decisive points and objectives • Lines of operation • Culminating point • Operational reach, approach, and pauses • Simultaneous and sequential operations • Linear and nonlinear operations • Tempo

12. Jomini vs. Clausewitz JOMINI Rational Optimistic War is controlled by principles War is largely self contained Follows French Enlightenment Commander needs principles and genius CLAUSEWITZ Skeptical Pessimistic War escapes control War is dominated by externals Follows German Enlightenment Commander needs genius