WEEK ONE

Introduction to Policy and Strategic Studies

What is Policy and Strategic Studies
 Policy and Strategic studies is an interdisciplinary
academic field centered on the study of security,
war, peace and management sciences.
 It focuses on the relationship between politics,
economics, geography, natural resources and
military power.
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In addition, it also examines the roles of
intelligence, diplomacy, international cooperation
for security and defense.
The Concept of Strategy
According to Carl von Clausewitz, Strategy is the
use of engagements for the object of war.
To Von Moltke, Strategy is the practical
adaptation of the means placed at a general’s
disposal to the attainment of the object in war.
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While Liddell Hart defines Strategy as the art of
distributing and applying military means to fulfill the
ends of policy. Logically, Strategy is a broad plan of
war for the purposes of defense and security.

Policy and Strategic Studies scholars assert that to

understand the dimensions of strategy, it is necessary to
know something about politics, economics,
psychology, sociology, geography, as well as
technology, force structure and tactics.
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Today, the concept of Strategy has fallen into
common usage, people speak of political strategy,
business strategy, economic strategy, military
strategy, etc.
One element that is common to all forms of strategy
is Plan. Each of them involves a series of advanced
and well-articulated decisions formulated in a more
or less fixed coherent plan.
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This means that strategy is policy oriented. Once
there is policy, it is logical that there is a goal.
Therefore, it is strategy which establishes the link
between policy and goal desired.
In this way, strategy is both a theory and the
practical use of appropriate means to achieve
policy objectives within a set time limit and at the
minimum cost possible.
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Strategy is essentially a pragmatic and practical
activity. This is summed up in Bernard Brodie’s
comment that ‘Strategic theory is a theory of action’.
It is a ‘how to do it’ study, a guide to accomplishing
objectives and attaining them efficiently.
As in many other branches of politics, Strategy always
seek to know if an idea will work, therefore making it
a concept that is ‘policy relevant’.
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It can be an intellectual aid to official
performance.
Policy and Strategic Studies is a subject with a
sharp focus on the role of military power in
international politics and it relies upon arts,
sciences and social sciences subjects for ideas
and concepts.
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Elements of Strategy
The elements of strategy include the following:
a)Clear definition of vision, goal or objective sought,
b)Policy formulation or legislation to give force of law to
the ends desired;
c)A broad plan of action which serves as a link between
policy and ends desired, as well as a theoretical guide
toward implementation and monitoring of programmes of
action;
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d) Strategy as a plan seeks to control timely and
accurate information for crucial decision making.
e) Strategy is about time-frame (precision) to
achieve set goals and objectives.
f) Strategy seeks to achieve goals with minimum
cost possible in finance, energy, time and perhaps
blood.
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g) Implementation and monitoring constitute
another set of elements that ensures that target is
met or that the plan of action follows the
theoretical values of strategy.

The most recent research finding has added

maintenance as the ultimate objectification of
policy.
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Military Strategy
The etymology of the word ‘strategy’ is derived
from the Greek word strategos, which means the
‘art of war’ or ‘the art of generalship’. ‘Stratos’
in Greek means army and ‘ago’ means lead.
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Military Strategy is the most exceptional of all
forms of strategy in human endeavours.

It is the only form of strategy which establishes

the link between life and death on one hand;
war and peace on the other hand.
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Technically, military strategy is a broad plan
embodying a set of doctrines, principles and tactics on
how to ensure defense and security by fighting and
winning war or at any rate, deterring war or threat of
aggression.

This is why military strategy is otherwise known as

War Studies or Military Art and Science.
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Operationally, military strategy is all about the
development and use of military force to
achieve military objectives of national defense
and security, and by extension, political
interests.

Military strategy also involves the

establishment of institutional frameworks
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