Historical pattern

18th-century theoreticians

  • Saxe
  • Bourcet
  • Guibert
  • Du Teil
Opposing association bracesTheoreticians and themes are associated as groups, not one-to-one pairs.

Theme

  • Plan with several branches
  • Mobility/fluidity of force
  • Cohesion
  • Dispersion and concentration
  • Operate on a line to threaten alternative objectives
  • Concentrate direct artillery fire on key points to be forced
Action grouping braceA lower brace gathers both groups toward Action.

Action

  • Napoleon was deeply influenced by the ideas of the above men. In early campaigns (as a general) he exploited these ideas of variety and rapidity with harmony for ambiguity, deception, and rapid/easy movement in order to surprise and successively defeat fractions of superior forces. In later campaigns (as emperor) he exchanged variety and harmony for rigid uniformity via massed direct artillery fire, dense infantry columns, and heavy cavalry going against regions of strong resistance—that resulted in an ever higher and crippling cost in casualties.
  • American colonists, Spanish and Russian guerrillas exploited variety and rapidity associated with environmental background (terrain, weather, darkness, etc.) and mobility/fluidity of small bands with harmony of common cause against tyranny/injustice as basis to harass, confuse, and contribute toward the defeat of the British and French under Napoleon.
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