
Letter From Military History – November 2016
The figurative "fog of war" — e.g., poor communications, inept training and leadership, mass panic — is often a decisive factor in the course of military operations
The figurative "fog of war" — e.g., poor communications, inept training and leadership, mass panic — is often a decisive factor in the course of military operations
America venerates its war dead by recovering and identifying remains, respectfully interring those remains and honoring our service members' sacrifice
Motivations both sacred and profane drive the human tendency toward warfare
Where the power resides in a military force is paramount
No great nation leaves its missing or dead behind
Withdrawal or retreat? Commanders through the ages have decided to their army's betterment or destruction
War is the realm of uncertainty
Nations that revel in the conduct of war for its own sake seldom survive.
The determining factors in the outcome of warfare are as varied as the root causes themselves. But determination to see it through, to vanquish one's enemy, is paramount.
In exploring the root of human conflict throughout history one cannot ignore the power of belief in a nation's or an individual's particular cause.
How often does human conflict, absent more compelling causes, stem from simple cultural misunderstanding?
The study of military history is useful in many regards, as long as we don't lose sight of the fact that war, in the end, is about killing people and destroying things.
Warfare is often predicated on unwavering belief in the spiritual or political righteousness of one's individual cause.
Successful military operations depend on thorough planning and fall apart under poorly reasoned assumptions
The eyewitness accounts and images from wars past offer insight into the the hows and whys of human conflict.