Rise of the Western Way of War

Rise of the Western Way of War

Major Wendell B. Taylor

3. Given the changes in warfare over the past 150 years, is the study of Fredrick the Great, Napoleon, Ulysses Grant and the other "great captains" still valid for a current military professional?

When I think about warfare and it's evolvement over the past centuries I can't help but to wonder about

the influences that prompted the evolvement and the time it took change to actually manifest. History has always accounted for contributions that made such a significant impact on a society or culture; it forced change and drove evolution. Academic institutions teach history because it provides guidance, understanding and evidence of the ever changing world we live in. Studying significant events and lives of others, from the past, helps us identify and explain the distinctions and tendencies of humanity which make up character. The Western Way of War theoretic influences continue to be respected and essential references in current military professional development through studies of historical campaigns, great military leaders and their impact on warfare evolvement.

History serves as a database of stored experiences and we use it to measure evolution, evaluate progress and to make necessary changes. Growth would be nearly impossible without it. For example, we can't exactly evaluate war if the nation is at peace. We must use historical materials and recordings from people who have experienced war first hand. Until around World War I, the theory of war in European countries basically revolved around Carl Von Clausewitz (1780-1831) and Antoine de Jomini (1779-1869), two of the most notable writers from the Napoleonic Era. Jomini's numerous writings influenced military leaders in both Europe and North America for much of the nineteenth century. His best known are Principles of Strategy and Summary of the Art of War. He was the first to fix divisions between strategy, tactics and logistics and his systematic attempt to define the principles of warfare made him a founder of modern military thought. His systematization of Napoleon's modus operandi became accepted military doctrine during the U.S. Civil War. At West Point Military Academy the writings of Jomini were used as a textbook through Henry W. Halleck's "Elements of Military Art and Science", which was essentially a translation of Jomini. When the curriculum at West Point leaned more towards engineering most cadets were drawn to this text because it was one the only resources on military strategy.

Clausewitz was an outstanding general officer as well as an educator. He was tutor to a prince, a teacher of cadets, director of a military academy, and a remarkable military historian. Clausewitz studied total war and addressed the fundamental problems of warfare and strategy. He knew first hand from combat how wars kill, confuse, and terrify. His theories, in his book On War, are often discussed and referenced in other recent books and studied in military academies. Clausewitz compared war with commerce and alliances as a business deal. "Rather than comparing war to art we could more accurately compare it to commerce, which is also a conflict of human interests and activities; and it is still closer to politics, which in turn may be considered as a kind of commerce on a larger scale." Clausewitz's philosophy doesn't attempt to provide strategist with a solution but provide them with a capacity or guide to develop their own strategy and solutions suitable for the issues they will face as warfare evolves. Similar to what the bible does for Christians. The foundation of The United States Of America is based on Holy Bible beliefs notably the US Constitution. Fifty-two of the fifty-five signers of the Declaration of Independence were Christians. The Bible is a compilation of gospels, testaments, letters and Revelations. Some would argue that it is not considered a history book but from it comes our standard for morality and laws. It is the recorded origin of the universe, time and humanity as we know it. Those of us who believe in the Holy Trinity depend on the bible for strength and guidance for living. Now I AM NOT suggesting that Clausewitz and Jomini's theories are by any means comparable to the Holy Bible. The Bible is the origination of essential truths that serve as stepping-stones leading to salvation. Theories and philosophies are merely a comprised general understanding of analysis based on a sphere of activity. But like the bible, used as a base for moral living, philosophical teachings help to avoid repeating failures and increase the chance for success while serving as a planner and contemplating courses of action.

History provides us lessons of caution as well as proven direction. However, even walls of caution are not enough sometimes for an overambitious and determined warrior spirit. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 - 5 May 1821) was a distinctive military and political leader of France whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century. His campaigns are studied at military academies all over the world and he is generally regarded as one of the greatest commanders to have ever lived. Over the course of a little more than a decade, he fought virtually every European power and acquired control of most of the western and central mainland of Europe by conquest or alliance. We study the life and times Napoleon for his large offensive oriented armies and his organization of the corps system. He envisioned his campaigns as a complete sequence of events leading to his main objective: the destruction of the enemy's army or will-to-fight in one great decisive battle, followed by vigorous pursuit. Careful planning, combining deception and rapid movement, was designed to compel the enemy to fight the battle at a disadvantage. However one of Napoleon's shortcomings was not training his senior subordinates for independent command; consequently, their performance was often faulty. He often acted as his own operations officer and made all major decisions. After his death Napoleon became a worldwide cultural icon who symbolized