第617章

第617章oneofthemostconspicuousandadvantageousdeparturesfromtheso-calledrulesofwarfareistheindependentactionofmenactingseparatelyagainstmenhuddledtogetherinamass.suchindependentactivityisalwaysseeninawarthatassumesanationalcharacter.inthiskindofwarfare,insteadofforminginacrowdtoattackacrowd,mendisperseinsmallgroups,attacksinglyandatoncefly,whenattackedbysuperiorforces,andthenattackagain,whenanopportunitypresentsitself.suchwerethemethodsoftheguerillasinspain;ofthemountaintribesinthecaucasus,andoftherussiansin1812.

warofthiskindhasbeencalledpartisanwarfareonthesuppositionthatthisnamedefineditsspecialsignificance.butthiskindofwarfaredoesnotfollowanyrulesofwar,butisindirectcontradictiontoawell-knownruleoftactics,regardedasinfallible.thatrulelaysitdownthattheattackingpartymustconcentratehisforcesinordertobestrongerthanhisopponentatthemomentofconflict.

partisanwarfarealwaysessful,ashistorytestifiesactsindirectcontradictionofthisrule.

militaryscienceassumesthattherelativestrengthofforcesisidenticalwiththeirnumericalproportions.militarysciencemaintainsthatthegreaterthenumberofsoldiers,thegreatertheirstrength.lesgrosbataillonsonttoujoursraison.

tosaythisisasthoughonewereinmechanicstosaythatforceswereequalorunequalsimplybecausethemassesofthemovingbodieswereequalorunequal.

forcethevolumeofmotionistheproductofthemassintothevelocity.

inwarfaretheforceofarmiesistheproductofthemassmultipliedbysomethingelse,anunknownx.

militaryscience,seeinginhistoryanimmensenumberofexamplesinwhichthemassofanarmydoesnotcorrespondwithitsforce,andinwhichsmallnumbersconquerlargeones,vaguelyrecognisestheexistenceofthisunknownfactor,andtriestofinditsometimesinsomegeometricaldispositionofthetroops,sometimesinthesuperiorityofweapons,andmostofteninthegeniusoftheleaders.butnoneofthosefactorsyieldresultsthatagreewiththehistoricalfacts.

onehasbuttorenouncethefalseviewthatglorifiestheeffectoftheactivityoftheheroesofhistoryinwarfareinordertodiscoverthisunknownquantity,x.

xisthespiritofthearmy,thegreaterorlessdesiretofightandtofacedangersonthepartofallthemencomposingthearmy,whichisquiteapartfromthequestionwhethertheyarefightingunderleadersofgeniusornot,withcudgelsorwithgunsthatfirethirtytimesaminute.themenwhohavethegreaterdesiretofightalwaysputthemselves,too,inthemoreadvantageouspositionforfighting.thespiritofthearmyisthefactorwhichmultipliedbythemassgivestheproductoftheforce.todefineandexpressthesignificanceofthisunknownfactor,thespiritofthearmy,istheproblemofscience.

thisproblemcanonlybesolvedwhenweceasearbitrarilysubstitutingforthatunknownfactorxtheconditionsunderwhichtheforceismanifested,suchastheplansofthegeneral,thearmingofthemenandsoon,andrecognisethisunknownfactorinitsentiretyasthegreaterorlessdesiretofightandfacedanger.thenonlybyexpressingknownhistoricalfactsinequationscanonehopefromcomparisonoftherelativevalueofthisunknownfactortoapproachitsdefinition.tenmen,orbattalionsordivisionsarevictoriousfightingwithfifteenmenorbattalionsordivisions,thatis,theykillortakeprisonerallofthemwhilelosingfouroftheirownside,sothatthelosshasbeenfourononesideandfifteenontheother.consequently,fourononesidehavebeenequivalenttofifteenontheother,andconsequently4x=15y.consequentlyx/y=15/4.thisequationdoesnotgiveusthevalueoftheunknownfactors,butitdoesgiveustheratiobetweentheirvalues.andfromthereductiontosuchequationsofvarioushistoricalunitsbattles,campaigns,periodsofwarfareaseriesofnumbersareobtained,inwhichtheremustbeandmaybediscoveredhistoricallaws.

thestrategicprinciple,thatarmiesshouldactinmassesontheoffensive,andshouldbreakupintosmallergroupsforretreat,unconsciouslyconfirmsthetruththattheforceofanarmydependsonitsspirit.toleadmenforwardunderfireneedsmoredisciplinewhichcanonlybeattainedbymarchinginmassesthanisneededforself-defencewhenattacked.butthisrule,whichleavesoutofsightthespiritofthearmy,iscontinuallyprovingunsound,andisstrikinglyuntrueinpracticeinallnationalwars,whenthereisagreatriseorfallinthespiritofthearmies.

thefrench,ontheirretreatin1812,thoughtheyshould,bythelawsoftactics,havedefendedthemselvesindetachedgroups,huddledtogetherinacrowd,becausethespiritofthemenhadsunksolowthatitwasonlytheirnumberthatkeptthemup.therussiansshould,onthecontrary,bythelawsoftactics,haveattackedtheminamass,butinfactattackedinscatteredcompanies,becausethespiritofthemenransohighthatindividualmenkilledthefrenchwithoutorders,andneedednocompulsiontofacehardshipsanddangers.