1986 · printed slide 45

Jomini · The Art of War · 1836

Critique

  • Preoccupation with form of operations, spatial arrangement of bases, formal orders of battle, and tactical formations.
  • Lack of appreciation for the use of loose, irregular swarms of guerrillas and skirmishers to mask own dispositions, activities, and intentions as well as confuse and disorder enemy operations.

Likely result

  • Operations become stereotyped—unless one can appreciate Jomini’s ideas outside their formal underpinnings.

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