There are many options when it comes to military strategy. Key among the strategies that have been widely adopted in the battlefield for hundreds of years is maneuver warfare. It is one that has been practiced from the Napoleonic War era to modern times. In this strategy, the team that deploys it focuses on defeating the enemy by negatively affecting its decision making capability. It adopts a shock and awe technique to do so.
Without a doubt, warfare is largely based on movement and attrition. Each side attempts to cover more ground with the ultimate aim being the capitulation or killing of the other group. Over the course of its deployment in battle, strategists have established that the technique is most effective when deployed by several splintered units that have the right technical training. This is primarily due to the fact that scattered units pose a less significant attrition risk that full blown armies. They can also deploy the element of surprise through flanking, which needless to say creates confusion amongst belligerents.
In most battles, success is usually gauged by the number of enemy equipment destroyed, territory occupied and combatants killed. Attrition battles portray a general lack of creativity from both opposing groups. A shock and awe attack, on the other hand, often causes the party being attacked to panic and make a retreat. This way, the attacking force gets sufficient latitude to reoccupy seized ground and attain its primary objectives.
Napoleon is one of the generals who are recorded in history as being successful in the deployment of this strategy in war. It is a known fact that he was able to overwhelm armies that were numerically superior. In his approach, he would charge rapidly against his enemies, leaving them shocked and immobile while at it.
This is an aspect that was well manifested in the France versus Austria war in Northern Italy. Despite the numerical superiority of the Austrian forces, the French overwhelmed them and gave them little chance to reorganize. This victory served as a benchmark for other generals in future battles.
The mechanization of movement in the 1850s brought about a new challenge to the implementation of the strategy. Warring factions could finally match their speeds. This development necessitated the creation of a new battle plan, albeit based on the same strategy. Attacking troops would encircle their enemies and quickly destroy their strong points, thereby rendering them incapacitated.
Much of the success that the German army enjoyed in the first half of the Second World War can be directly attributed to the adoption of rapid maneuvering techniques. By then, tanks were the core of the modern infantry. German panzer units, under the command of Erwin Rommel, would attack enemy infantry units in rapid unexpected bursts. This tactic was later called the Blitzkrieg or Lightning Attack.
Nevertheless, the strategy is not short of limitations. It primarily relies on precision, both in terms of enemy personnel and equipment. The Israelis deployed it during the 2006 Lebanon War against Hezbollah. However, they lacked the intelligence to locate the top command of Hezbollah and obliterate it.
Without a doubt, warfare is largely based on movement and attrition. Each side attempts to cover more ground with the ultimate aim being the capitulation or killing of the other group. Over the course of its deployment in battle, strategists have established that the technique is most effective when deployed by several splintered units that have the right technical training. This is primarily due to the fact that scattered units pose a less significant attrition risk that full blown armies. They can also deploy the element of surprise through flanking, which needless to say creates confusion amongst belligerents.
In most battles, success is usually gauged by the number of enemy equipment destroyed, territory occupied and combatants killed. Attrition battles portray a general lack of creativity from both opposing groups. A shock and awe attack, on the other hand, often causes the party being attacked to panic and make a retreat. This way, the attacking force gets sufficient latitude to reoccupy seized ground and attain its primary objectives.
Napoleon is one of the generals who are recorded in history as being successful in the deployment of this strategy in war. It is a known fact that he was able to overwhelm armies that were numerically superior. In his approach, he would charge rapidly against his enemies, leaving them shocked and immobile while at it.
This is an aspect that was well manifested in the France versus Austria war in Northern Italy. Despite the numerical superiority of the Austrian forces, the French overwhelmed them and gave them little chance to reorganize. This victory served as a benchmark for other generals in future battles.
The mechanization of movement in the 1850s brought about a new challenge to the implementation of the strategy. Warring factions could finally match their speeds. This development necessitated the creation of a new battle plan, albeit based on the same strategy. Attacking troops would encircle their enemies and quickly destroy their strong points, thereby rendering them incapacitated.
Much of the success that the German army enjoyed in the first half of the Second World War can be directly attributed to the adoption of rapid maneuvering techniques. By then, tanks were the core of the modern infantry. German panzer units, under the command of Erwin Rommel, would attack enemy infantry units in rapid unexpected bursts. This tactic was later called the Blitzkrieg or Lightning Attack.
Nevertheless, the strategy is not short of limitations. It primarily relies on precision, both in terms of enemy personnel and equipment. The Israelis deployed it during the 2006 Lebanon War against Hezbollah. However, they lacked the intelligence to locate the top command of Hezbollah and obliterate it.
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