Discussion on the Profession of Arms
In this #DefineStrategy entry, Philip Dolitsky provides his observations on Colin S. Gray's definition, contrasted with comments from Hew Strachan on Clausewitz. "Strategy is the employment of force and the threat of force in a dialectical battle with an adversary to compel the enemy to do our will for the ultimate purpose of securing a … Continue reading #DefineStrategy. Coloring In the Gray Zones: On Colin S. Gray’s Definition of Strategy
Nobody really knows what strategy is. The concept of the ‘bigger picture' seems to be broadly understood among practitioners in the profession of arms, yet a single definition for ‘strategy’ still eludes us. Ask 100 people to define it and you’ll likely receive 100 different answers. Each may be right, but none would be complete. … Continue reading #DefineStrategy Series: Part 1
Phillip Dolitsky recently critiqued my four part series of articles titled “How to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons” here on Chesterfield Strategy (see “Why Nuclear Weapons are Here to Stay.”) Dolitsky’s response is well researched, cogent, and clear. He is an able scholar, but we do have some points of disagreement. People often think that because I … Continue reading Why Nuclear Weapons Are Going to Go
The more one reads about strategic studies and strategic history, the more one finds that the old Latin adage, Si vis pacem, para bellum, has rightly dominated the minds of the world’s greatest statesmen and strategists. In a world that has known war longer than it has known peace, strategists are obligated to think through … Continue reading Why Nuclear Weapons Are Here to Stay
The global intervention in Libya has been characterized by most as being a failure. I myself was too young to truly recall the incident beyond that a political figure had been removed from power in an African country. Most everyone seems to regard it as a failure and, after researching the event more in-depth, I … Continue reading Seven Months in Libya: A Reconsideration of Canada’s Endeavor in Libya
Confess: it’s my professionthat alarms you.This is why few people ask me to dinner,though Lord knows I don’t go out of my way to be scary. - Margaret Atwood, “The Loneliness of the Military Historian” As someone studying strategy and warfare, I often remark that I’m not too fun to be around at dinner parties. … Continue reading Thoughts from a Budding Strategist
This article is a collation and edit of emails sent to Army members selected for attendance on the Australian Command and Staff Course for 2021 by an Army member attending the 2020 course as it happened. It contains the opinions of the author and completely unofficial in its content. Introduction Firstly, congratulations on your selection for … Continue reading The War College Diaries: An Unofficial Guide to the Australian Command and Staff Course
Military reading lists always seem to generate debate in the military blogosphere. The choice of books that individuals or organisations recommend to their people says a lot about who they are and what they hold dear. Similar to our doctrine, they are almost a representation of our belief system, so it’s natural for them to … Continue reading Finding a place for ‘Once an Eagle’
‘Nor can technology abolish war’s central essence as the realm of uncertainty and of the clash of wills. Processing power can no more replace discernment and sheer guts at the strategic level than on the battlefield itself.’ - The Dynamics of Military Revolution As more have come to accept that our global society is on … Continue reading Winning Wars: Technological advantage or the will to fight?
By Richard Barrett "Either war is obsolete or man is"Richard Buckmeister Fuller History is the story of politics and war, dominated by men. Thucydides said that war is a part of the human condition, but what if the gender/power structure changed? Would war be a part of the human condition in a female dominated power … Continue reading ‘The Program’