Military Strategy

Military Strategy is a policy implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals.  Military strategy deals with the planning and conduct of  campaigns, the movement and disposition of forces and the deception of the enemy.

The Oxford English Dictionary describes strategy as "Generalship, the art of war, management of an army in a campaign, the art of so moving or disposing troops or ships as to impose on the enemy the place and time and conditions for fighting preferred by oneself ".

In fact, strategy, so commonly used  in business organization nowadays, is derived from the military jargon.  The purpose of the military strategy is to surprise the enemy forces to win the war for political ends.

There are also 'tactics' and 'logistics' involved in a strategy.  Strategies define the goals to achieve, while 'tactics' are the means by which to achieve the goals.  Tactics is the art of using troops in a battle.  Strategy is the art of using battles to win the war.

 In the 17^th and 28^th century, strategy meant fortification, maneuver and supply.  In the 20^th century with the rise of mass idealogies, global alliances, technological changes, military strategy became difficult to distinguish from national policy or “grand strategy”, that is,  proper planning and utilization of entire resources of the society, military, technological and economic and political.

Tactics and strategies have become totally inter-dependent.  In the last century, tactics have been termed as 'operational strategy'.  Strategy is also limited by what tactics are possible.

In fact, strategic considerations dictate the tactics depending upon the size of troops, training, morale of forces, type and number of weapons available, terrain, weather, quality and location of enemy forces.

There are certain strategic principles of war.   These are:-

• Objective
• Offensive
• Surprise
• Security
• Unity of Command
• Economy of force
• Mass
• Maneuver
• Simplicity

Most of these are interdependent.

Questions:

• Define 'Military Strategy'.
• What are the strategic principles of war?