THE ROLE AND USE OF
MILITARY HISTORY
Integrate Historical Awareness and
Critical Thinking Skills Derived from
Military History Methodologies into
the Training and Education of Self
And Subordinate Leaders
What is Military History?
The record of all activities of all
armed forces (including armies,
navies, and air forces) in war and
peace.
WHY DO YOU STUDY
MILITARY HISTORY?
HOW DO YOU STUDY
MILITARY HISTORY?
VERY CAREFULLY AND
METHODICALLY
Activities Included in the Study of
Military History
Battles &
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Logistics
Campaigns
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Military & Society
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Strategy & Tactics
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Weapons &
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Doctrine & Training
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Organizations
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Technology
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Military Leaders
STUDY CAUSE AND
EFFECT
TO DIRECT AND CONTROL
FUTURE EVENTS
STUDY: IN WIDTH
OBSERVE EVENTS OVER A
LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO
OBSERVE CHANGE
STUDY: IN DEPTH
STUDY IN ENOUGH DETAIL TO
GET BEHIND ANY
GENERALIZATIONS
Using Military History
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Learn from past
experience
Understand military
concepts
Study lives of
soldiers in the past
Understand
doctrinal evolution
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Broaden knowledge
of military subjects
Understand
leadership issues
Learn about strategy
& tactics
STUDY: IN CONTEXT
ARMIES REFLECT BOTH THEIR
ERA AND THEIR SOCIETY
“I am convinced that much
more emphasis should be
placed on history. The
purpose of history is to learn
how human beings react when
exposed to the danger of
wounds or death...”
General George S. Patton, Jr.
“Nothing is done in war,
except by calculation. Every
enterprise should be
conducted according to a
system. Chance alone can
never bring success.”
Napoleon
“A man’s greatest pleasure is to defeat
his enemies, to drive them before him,
to take from them that which they
possessed, to see those whom they
cherished in tears, to ride their horses,
to hold their wives. I forbid you to
show mercy to my enemies. Leave
nothing but uninhabited ruins, neither
a cat nor a dog.”
Genghis Khan
HISTORY SHARPENS
JUDGMENT
Critical Thinking SkillsBased on Study of Operational
Military History
HISTORY IMPROVES
PERCEPTION
Critical Thinking SkillsBased on Study of Institutional
Military History
HISTORY BROADENS
PERSPECTIVES
Critical Thinking SkillsBased on Study of Biographical
Military History
Misusing Military History
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History provides understanding, not
proof.
History provides insight, not analogy.
METHODOLOGIES
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The Ten Threads of Continuity.
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Battle Analysis.
TEN THREADS OF
CONTINUITY
19TH CENTURY
1800----1850-----1899
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Military Theory & Doctrine -----+------------------------------------------>
Military Professionalism----------+------------------------------------------>
Generalship-------------------------+------------------------------------------>
Strategy------------------------------+------------------------------------------>
Tactics-------------------------------+------------------------------------------>
Logistics-----------------------------+------------------------------------------>
Technology--------------------------+----------------------------------------->
Political Factors---------------------+----------------------------------------->
Social Factors------------------------+----------------------------------------->
Economic Factors-------------------+----------------------------------------->
Military Theory & Doctrine
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Ideas about War.
Doctrine = Generally accepted body of
practices that govern Organization,
Training, and Fighting.
Military Theorists: Those who THINK
deeply about war and INFLUENCE others.
They SEEK solutions, CREATE
frameworks & ADVANCE new concepts.
Military Doctrine
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PROVIDES THE BRIDGE BETWEEN
THE CONCEPT OR IDEA AND THE
ACTUAL APPLICATION OF THE IDEA
Military Professionalism
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Attitude or state of mind.
Military professional is an expert in the
management of violence.
Functions of the professional army include
organizing, equipping, training, planning
and directing forces, in and out of combat.
Military Professionalism
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Military Professionals share a body of
specialized knowledge.
The study of Military History is essential to
Military Professionalism.
Defined in Samuel Huntington’s The Soldier
and the State.
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Expertise:
Responsibility:
Corporateness :
Generalship
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Art of command high levels.
Functions include Forming, Organizing,
Equipping, and Training armies and/or
major portions of them.
Involves the detailed Strategical, Tactical
and Logistical planning to insure success of
the mission. Entails Leadership and
Management.
Strategy
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Preparation for and the waging of war.
Dynamic in nature and has evolved with the
complexities of weapon technology.
Grand Strategy: Coalition level
National Strategy: Similar to Grand
Military Strategy: Derived from National.
Tactics
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The Preparation and actual conduct of
Combat on the battlefield.
The employment of units in combat , the
ordered arrangement and maneuver of units
in relation to each other to utilize their full
potential.
Close connection with Technology,
Logistics and Strategy.
Logistics & Administration
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Supply, Transportation, Evacuation and
Hospitalization, Service and Personnel
Management.
Relationship between the state’s Economic
capacity and its capability for supporting
military forces.
In the last century has developed into one of
the dominant factors of warfare.
Technology
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The Application of science to war.
Accounts for new weapons and the entire
range of new equipment.
The Industrial Revolution caused whole
chains of technological advances in the
fields of weapons, transportation,
communication, construction and medicine.
Political Factors
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Characteristic elements or actions of
governments that affect warfare.
Provide the forces and trends that shape
warfare and the goals for which wars are
fought.
Difficult to distinguish the military
objective from the political goal. Often
political goals drive military goals.
Social Factors
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Human relationships that affect warfare are
social factors.
Includes concepts, such as, popular
attitudes, revolution, militarism,
psychological warfare, amd combat
psychology.
Combatants have aimed at inflicting Total
War on a nation’s people.
Economic Factors
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Elements that affect warfare, such as,
Production, Distribution, and Consumption
of the resources of the state.
Economic warfare possible through
blockade.
Different types of economies affect warfare.
Interrelationship of Factors
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Political, Social and Economic Factors are
all interrelated.
They are so complex that studying each one
separately is impossible.
These forces provide the foundation of
national power.
OUR ONLY VERIFIED DATA ON
COMBAT COMES FROM HISTORY.
TIDY SOLUTIONS TO
BATTLE ON COMPUTER
PRINTOUTS IS A
DELUSION- HISTORICALLY
ALL WARS WERE VERY
UNTIDY.
MILITARY HISTORY
PROVIDES THE ARMY’S
INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY.
MILITARY HISTORY
PROVIDES A GUIDE TO
HOW TROOPS BEHAVE IN
BATTLE.
THE PRINCIPLES OF WAR
PROVIDE A SENSE OF
DIRECTION.
MILITARY HISTORY
REVEALS THE PATTERNS,
TRENDS & RELATIONSHIPS
NECESSARY FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF
DOCTRINE.
DOCTRINE PROVIDES THE
BRIDGE BETWEEN THE
CONCEPT OR THEORY AND
THE APPLICATION OF THAT
THEORY.
THE ROLE OF MILITARY
HISTORY IS TO PROVIDE A
METHOD TO LOOK BACK
IN ORDER TO LOOK
AHEAD.
BATTLE
ANALYSIS
TASK
Integrate Historical Awareness and Critical Thinking
Skills Derived from Military History Methodologies
into the Training and Education of Self and
Subordinate Leaders.
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Apply knowledge of military history and battle
analysis to the professional development of self and
subordinate leaders.
BATTLE ANALYSIS
Role and Use
LTG George S. Patton, Jr.:
“To be a successful soldier,
you must know history.”
Role and Use
Using Military History
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Learn from past
experience
Understand military
concepts
Study lives of soldiers
in the past
Understand doctrinal
evolution
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Broaden knowledge of
military subjects
Understand leadership
issues
Learn about strategy &
tactics
Basic Battle Analysis
Military History and the
Conduct of Battle
Basic Battle Analysis
What is Battle Analysis?
A method used by the U.S. Army
to provide a systematic approach to
the study of battles, campaigns,
and other operations.
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis Steps
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Define the subject.
Set the stage.
Describe the action.
Draw lessons and insights.
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 1 -- Define the Subject
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 1--Define the Subject
(what, where, when, who)
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Pick a subject appropriate to the level of
operations of interest.
Select a topic related to the types of
lessons desired.
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 1--Define the Subject
(determine sources)
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Quantity and type of sources (books,
articles, and other).
Quality of sources (content, bias, and
intent).
BATTLE ANALYSIS
METHODOLOGY
STEP I
EVALUATE THE HISTORICAL RESOURCES
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Determine the research sources
Evaluate the research sources
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 2 -- Set the Stage
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 2--Set the Stage-Strategic Factors
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Type of conflict.
Objectives of the principal antagonists.
Military systems.
Previous experience of forces.
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 2--Set the Stage-Operational Setting
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Context
Objectives
Additional factors (alliances, tactics, doctrine,
and personalities)
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 2--Set the Stage-Tactical Situation
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Alternatives
Area of Operations
Weather
Terrain
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 2--Set the Stage-Compare Forces
•Size & composition
•Intelligence
•Technology
•Doctrine & training
•Logistics
•Condition & morale
•C3
•Leadership
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 3--Describe the Action
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State missions of opposing forces
Describe initial disposition of forces
Describe opening moves
Detail major phases
State outcome
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 4--Draw Lessons & Insights
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Why did events turn out the way they
did?
What is relevant about this study to
current operations?
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 4--Draw Lessons & Insights-Cause & Effect
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Who won? Who lost?
What were the constants that affected
the outcome?
Basic Battle Analysis
Battle Analysis:
Step 4--Draw Lessons & Insights-Military Lessons
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Principles of War
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Tenets of Airland Operations
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Battlefield Operating Systems
Principles of War
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Objective
Offensive
Mass
Economy of Force
Maneuver
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Unity of Command
Surprise
Security
Simplicity
Dynamics of Combat Power
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MANEUVER
FIREPOWER
PROTECTION
LEADERSHIP
INFORMATION