...American way of war? If so, has it existed consistently throughout the period covered or has it evolved? If you say it has not existed throughout why not? Before I go into why or why not, it is best to describe the American Way of War? I must first get some definitions and history behind an American Way of War. First off There aren’t no authoritative listing that describe the Way of War.? But there are different perspectives on the American Way of War. One will define it as two major parts tactical way of battle and a strategic way of War. The tactical way of battle is an aggressive style were Us Military uses force to overwhelm the enemy forces, while using quick and decisive victories with minimal causalities. They are well trained in military that uses maneuvers, speed, flexibility, and the element of surprise, which relies upon fire-power and technology as their main. On the Strategic way of war, America seeks more of an independent strategic policy success. “ The strategic way of war also includes alternative national strategies such as deterrence and a war of limited aims.” (keravouri) Weigley who was the pioneer in the book American Way of War in 1973. Described it as “Consisted of a unique American methodology: One of attrition and annihilation.” (Weigley) Also Brian Mcallister Linn describes it one step further with the attrition and annihilation. In the book the Echo of Battle: the Army’s Way of War, Linn States “appreciating a national way of war requires going...
Words: 1587 - Pages: 7
...“Wars and warfare changed very little in response to the Atlantic Revolutions and the Industrial Revolution” In response to the Atlantic Revolutions and the Industrial Revolution, wars and warfare have changed significantly. Each revolution changed not only how war and warfare was conducted but had a remarkable impact on the character of war itself. Both of the Atlantic Revolutions and the Industrial Revolutions shaped warfare by instigating the implementation of a sense of nationalism, advanced technology, and tactics. The Napoleonic Wars, American Civil War, and the Crimean War are very good examples of how the Atlantic Revolutions and the Industrial revolutions influenced wars and warfare. Nationalism, an emerging movement, became increasingly noteworthy throughout the Napoleonic Wars, which was derived from the Atlantic Revolutions. The industrialization period prominently impacted on the American Civil War by bringing about vast improvements in technology and transportation, which deemed to have a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the time. Enhanced technology and the evolution from pre modern warfare tactics are evident in Russia’s defeat by the British in the Crimean War. This again shows a direct correlation on how each revolution had a significant impact on how warfare is conducted. Throughout the Napoleonic period there was an immense surge in the numbers that armies were yielding. The growth in armies is parallel to the sense...
Words: 1562 - Pages: 7
...I & I L Capstone: War and Culture Abstract Statement Although culture is a key topic in the purview of theoretical discussions, the concept of war and culture is a new notion that has not been engaged by many analysts. Indeed Adrian Lewis underscores the importance of war and culture in "The American Culture of War in the Age of Artificial Limited War" when he posits that culture decisively influences the way nation-states conduct war (Lewis 226). This work aims to shift focus from the traditional focus on culture as a method of analysis and instead examine various commentary on the military and its application as a form of cultural activity. America's Self-Imposed Cultural Attitude Towards War There have been widespread calls to consider the normative cultural interpretations of war. Most notably, the works of Adrian Lewis as demonstrated in his treatise The American Culture of War, are a classic pointer of the dynamic and contested nature that culture assumes in the interpretation of war. Lewis poignantly articulates the need to apply such cultural interpretations in a deterministic fashion (Lewis 225). In writing The American Culture of War, Lewis depicts war as a systematic orchestrated phenomenon, which in essence is a prolongation of culture through other techniques (Lewis 227). To prove this argument Lewis presents two cardinal subjects. First he provides an explicit analysis of the transformations that America has undergone since...
Words: 2206 - Pages: 9
...stalemate of World War I that an estimated 35 million plus casualties occurred? It could be argued that new military technology changed the dynamics of the battlefield, ignoring Clausewitz principle on war. Clausewitz saw defensive war stronger than offensive war, thereby the inability to quickly adapt offensive war to new defensive technology and tactics led to the stalemate of World War I. This essay will look at Clausewitz principles on war as it pertains to offensive and defensive war. How new defensive weaponry began the transformation of warfare in World War I. Finally, defensive tactics used in trench warfare limited the mobility of the offensive attack. II Prior to World War I the European...
Words: 1645 - Pages: 7
...Before the First World War, the Franco-Prussian War died out a year after it started in 1870 along with its old tactics and its use of weaponry bayonets, cannons, and horses for mobility. France faced defeat, once again, controlled by the Prussian (what is known today as Germany) regime run by the leadership of Otto Von Bismarck. The old ways of warfare were becoming obsolete. The laborers of the Allied forces helped to supplement the need to resupply on innovative equipment used during the First World War; the equipment was never utilized in the past, which changed the standard mindset of how war was to be fought. The change of warfare devastated the world and altered how war was fought in the modern world; technology and industrial advances...
Words: 1998 - Pages: 8
...How World War II Changed Warfare How World War II Changed Warfare A man wearing olive drab pants and jacket slowly props the muzzle of his Thompson .45 Caliber Sub Machine Gun on a window seal of a half decimated apartment building. He lines up his sights and waits for the signal. He wears the “Screaming Eagle” patch of the United States Army’s 101st Airborne Division. Inserted into Bastogne, France via aerial assault from a C-47 Sky Train, in December 1944. Barrels pointed downward onto the rubble covered road. Passing over the road is a German Panzer Tank followed by a platoon of German soldiers carrying MP-40 Machine Pistols. As, the 101st nervously prepares to engage a Panzer Tank, which has them outmanned and outgunned, they hear a whistling sound in the distance believed to be an aircraft. Before they know a P-51 Mustang fighter plane, also known as a “Tank Killer” swoops in and knocks the Panzer out. Unexpectedly, the airborne troops open fire. A few long seconds later, the Panzer Tank sits smoldering in flames and a platoon of Nazis lays dead all around. Never before has the world, scene such a vast arsenal of weapons and tactics used. This will be reflected on the amount of lives, military and civilian, lost in the short span of 1939-1945. The devastation that took place would not just be repaired and forgotten. There is still evidence all over the Europe, North America, and Asia, of World War II and the lives that were lost. Not only was this the...
Words: 2620 - Pages: 11
...Drones, Ethics, and the Armchair Soldier This is an article by the philosopher John Kaag about how the military is dealing with the changes in today’s environment with military warfare and the affects it has on the ground pilots that are driving drones to eliminate targets and terrorists. 10 years ago the Iraq invasion was a remote control game for the soldiers, very similar to how we use our remote controls for channel surfing on the TV or video games today. Many people use remote controls to play games, shoot animals, and blow up buildings to entertain themselves. The military uses similar remote controls to direct and deliver devastating military assaults against enemies and terrorists. Today the operations of the traditional chain of command is similar to writing directions for robots but without having to think about ethics behind it. Now soldiers do not have to be carrying pounds of gear while fighting and fearing for their lives, instead they do their jobs sitting down, they have something in common with philosophers who do their job sitting down. John quoted, “For the first time in history, soldiers have something in common with philosophers: they can do their jobs sitting down.” This provides the remote control soldier additional time and ability to think about how they will use a drone to eliminate a target. Soldiers today need to work their way through arriving at the logical answer of their orders and decisions while working through existential responsibility...
Words: 1225 - Pages: 5
...New technology shaped war to become more complex and gruesome than ever before. Technological advancements in engineering, chemistry, and other studies had created weapons more lethal than anything prior. Millions had died pointlessly because military leaders were too slow to adapt their old fashioned strategies and tactics, to the new weapons of World War One. Out of all the new weapons in World War One. Three of the most fatal were poison gas, aircrafts, and tanks. Poison gas was created by chemist Fritz Haber. This can be seen in the following quote. “During the war Haber threw his energies and those of his institute into further support for the German side. He developed a new weapon—poison gas, the first example of which was chlorine gas”...
Words: 1296 - Pages: 6
...Discussing the History, Training and Methodology of the Rhodesian Selous Scouts in Counterterrorist Operations during the Rhodesian Bush War Discussing the History, Training and Methodology of the Rhodesian Selous Scouts in Counterterrorist Operations during the Rhodesian Bush War When discussing the effectiveness and impact of properly trained, motivated and supported counterterrorist units, one must look to the Rhodesian Selous Scouts. Although the Rhodesian government did not survive, the name of the Selous Scouts did. Through this paper you will learn some of the methods and tactics that led them to be considered by many as the best Counterterrorist unit in the world. First, a differentiation must be made between the terms of antiterrorism and counterterrorism. While both of these strategies attempt to prevent terrorist activities, antiterrorism is a defensive strategy and counterterrorism is offensive. Antiterrorism tactics focus on limiting the terrorist’s abilities of attacking specific areas. This would entail erecting barriers around critical buildings and increasing security at airports. These are attempts to make specific areas more difficult for terrorists to attack them. Counterterrorism is an offensive tactic with the goal of eliminating the terrorists themselves. The Rhodesian military’s focus was almost strictly on counterterrorism. The Rhodesian Selous Scouts (named after the famous British hunter Frederick Courtney Selous) origins started with the British...
Words: 2667 - Pages: 11
...1962. The significant loss of army men, resources and territories during the battle in Algiers did not deter the will of the FLN to fight which proves how this strong strategy of defense used by the weak is key to securing victory. Record includes Ivan Arreguin-Toft’s theory of how a specific strategy used by both sides greatly affects the outcome. He...
Words: 1222 - Pages: 5
...Robert S. Henzerling Strategy and Tactics Henley-Putnam University Author Note This paper was prepared for HIS 350, Open Sources Research, taught by Leland Erickson Abstract "Everything in war is simple, but the simplest thing is difficult. The difficulties accumulate and end by producing a kind of friction that is inconceivable unless one has experienced war." -Carl von Clausewitz When one talks of those who fought in war, names like Patton, Churchill, Napoleon, and Gallic comes to mind. But the words and strategy of Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz works appear more than anyone in history of war. Although separated by centuries between them, their principles, ideas, and theories are studied thoroughly by militaries across the world. Although they shared many of the same ideas, does not mean they were in total agreement. In fact their theories diverge in certain areas. The most diverged area amongst the two was their idea of reaching the end of victory. Sun Tzu defines victory as taking a state intact. He says it is better to capture the enemy then to destroy them. “To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme skill.” Sun Tzu also states that you should not allow your enemies to come together; you should severe and destroy your enemies’ alliances. The preferred methods for success in these matters would be the use of diplomacy, propaganda, and secret agents. By undermining the enemy’s plans and allies in this way, the need for actual battle...
Words: 2281 - Pages: 10
...Derrick Western Civilization II Professor February 4, 2012 Napoleon was born August 15, 1769 in the city of Ajaccio. He started his military prowess young attending the French military school for aristocrats. He was made fun of and called little corporal. In 1785 he was a second lieutenant in the French army. He was born into a poor family and was subject to the education of the public. Napoleon was known for his military feats in during and after the French revolution. He conquered Austrian generals during his reign. He installed the Napoleonic code which is just and fair still used today by the United States of America. With his reform of government and economy along with his military strategies being his two greatest accomplishments, I believe Napoleon gathered pride and monetary funds and transformed that pride to the nation from his military accomplishments however he may have taken them too far but his accomplishments with the everyday life of the French peoples such as great governing, justice, and a great economy stuck for generations to come. One of Napoleon’s greatest accomplishments was the transformation of the French government, economy, and most important of all the Napoleonic code. While his military dreams may have put him over the edge his changes in the legal system, the administration of the government, and education boded well for the French people. In the code people were created equal not counting whether...
Words: 868 - Pages: 4
...Strategy Research Project CLAUSEWITZ AND 21ST CENTURY WARFARE BY COLONEL CHRISTOPHER J. PAPAJ United States Marine Corps DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for Public Release. Distribution is Unlimited. USAWC CLASS OF 2008 This SRP is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Strategic Studies Degree. The views expressed in this student academic research paper are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA 17013-5050 Report Documentation Page Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 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. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control...
Words: 7711 - Pages: 31
...The Vietnam War started in 1955 after the Ho Chi Minh rose to power. More than three million people died in the war (History). The Vietnam War proceeded over a long period of time. The war changed the United States’ role in the world because it was the first time that people argued that Americans “lost” (English). Soldiers all over America either volunteered or were drafted into the war. It was a war between North and South Vietnam. The United States was trying to keep the South from becoming communist. The Vietcong were successful because they were on their homeland, the United States had not jungle combat experience, and the Vietcong were skilled at using Guerilla Warfare and booby traps. At first, Americans thought it was a good idea to...
Words: 1917 - Pages: 8
...important as its physical dimension and psychological Operations (PSYOPs) have become even more relevant in this age of information, especially for a nation-state where the threat in the socio-psychological domain is more pronounced. While combating the menace of terrorism, the psychological dimension assumes great significance, as terrorists use violence as a psychological weapon by terrorising the multitude, rather than physically affect a few, and in this sense, they fight a psychological war also. The relevance of psychological operations is much greater than the successful conduct of tactical operations. This article is an attempt to conceptualise the term PSYOPs in the Indian context. The changed dynamics of international relations following the end of the Cold War and changes in the South Asian strategic landscape, postSeptember 11, have made PSYOPs more relevant for the region. It is also important to know that differences between various related concepts like Propaganda, Information Warfare, and Perception Management are waferthin, and may lead to contested perceptions amongst various agencies working under the overall ambit of national security, if not viewed in the current perspective. Therefore, clarity of the concept will set the stage for an effective implementation of policies and help in setting up of a policy structure in India (which does exist today in loosely knit shape) for national level coordination of PSYOPs. Alongside the need for a disciplined, trained, and...
Words: 5267 - Pages: 22
