THE ROLE AND USE OF

MILITARY HISTORY

Integrate Historical Awareness and

Critical Thinking Skills Derived fro
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 &
Campaigns
Strategy & Tactics
Doctrine & Training
Organizations

Logistics
Military & Society
Weapons &
Technology
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

Learn from past
experience
Understand
military concepts
Study lives of
soldiers in the past
Understand
doctrinal evolution

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 mans 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

History provides understanding, not
proof.
History provides insight, not analogy.

METHODOLOGIES
The Ten Threads of Continuity.

Battle Analysis.

TEN THREADS OF
CONTINUITY
19TH CENTURY

1800----1850-----1899

Military Theory & Doctrine ----+------------------------------------------>

Military Professionalism---------+------------------------------------------>
Generalship------------------------+------------------------------------------>
Strategy-----------------------------+------------------------------------------>
Tactics------------------------------+------------------------------------------>
Logistics----------------------------+------------------------------------------>
Technology-------------------------+----------------------------------------->
Political Factors--------------------+----------------------------------------->

Military Theory &

Doctrine
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
PROVIDES THE BRIDGE BETWEEN
THE CONCEPT OR IDEA AND THE
ACTUAL APPLICATION OF THE IDEA

Military Professionalism
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

Military Professionals share a body of

specialized knowledge.
The study of Military History is essential
to Military Professionalism.
Defined in Samuel Huntingtons The
Soldier and the State.

Expertise:
Responsibility:
Corporateness :

Generalship
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
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
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
Supply, Transportation, Evacuation
and Hospitalization, Service and
Personnel Management.
Relationship between the states
Economic capacity and its capability
for supporting military forces.
In the last century has developed
into one of the dominant factors of
warfare.

Technology
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
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
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 nations people.

Economic Factors
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
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

ARMYS 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

Learn from past

experience
Understand military
concepts
Study lives of
soldiers in the past
Understand doctrinal
evolution

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
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)
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)
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
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

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
Context
Objectives
Additional factors (alliances, tactics,
doctrine, and personalities)

Basic Battle
Analysis

Battle Analysis:
Step 2--Set the Stage-Tactical Situation

Alternatives
Area of Operations
Weather
Terrain

Basic Battle
Analysis

Battle Analysis:
Step 2--Set the Stage-Compare Forces
Size &
composition
Technology
Logistics
C3

Intelligence
Doctrine &
training
Condition &
morale
Leadership

Basic Battle
Analysis

Battle Analysis:
Step 3--Describe the
Action

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
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
Who won? Who lost?
What were the constants that
affected the outcome?

Basic Battle
Analysis

Battle Analysis:
Step 4--Draw Lessons &
Insights-Military Lessons
Principles of War
Tenets of Airland Operations
Battlefield Operating Systems

Principles of War

Objective
Offensive
Mass
Economy of Force
Maneuver

Unity of Command
Surprise
Security
Simplicity

Dynamics of Combat Power

MANEUVER
FIREPOWER
PROTECTION
LEADERSHIP
INFORMATION