What is War?

Reality of Warfare

• War will happen…

• At the worst possible time
• In the worst possible place
• With the worst possible enemy
• YOUR job is to wage war…better than the
enemy
 Overview

• Definition
• The Nature of War (Enduring Truth #1) “War is an instrument
of policy.”
• Basic Themes of War
• Levels of War
• The Nature of War (Enduring Truth #2) “War is a complex and
chaotic human endeavor.”
• Factors that Dominate War
• The Nature of War (Enduring Truth #3) “War is a clash of
opposing wills.”
• Forms of War
• Competition Continuum
 Definition of War

“War is nothing but a duel on an

extensive scale… Each strives by
physical force to compel the other to
submit to his will… War therefore is
an act of violence to compel our
opponent to do our will.”
- Carl von
Clausewitz
 Clausewitz: Enduring Truths

1. War is an instrument of policy

2. War is a complex and chaotic human
endeavor
3. War is a clash of opposing wills
 Enduring Truth #1

• National Policy pursued

through War
• War is a failure of diplomacy…a
continuation of policy by
different means
• Success in war measured by Neville Chamberlain

policy objectives achieved

• Objectives shape scope and
intensity

Japan surrenders after WWII

 War: Two Basic Themes

“POLICY” “VIOLENCE”
The POLITICAL Side The MILITARY Side

Meeting of The Big Three at Yalta, 1945 Union Council of War, Gettysburg 1863
 Political Objective…
a Better State of Peace
Sir Liddell Hart 1895 - 1970
• “Civilized Manner of War”
• Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC)
• The Hague and Geneva
Conventions
• Rules of Engagement (ROEs)
• Failure leads to unstable peace!
• Leave combat zone better than
when we entered it
 Levels of War

In General Terms:
• Strategic – WHY we & enemy fights
• Operational – WHAT action / WHAT resources
• Tactical – HOW we fight

• Level not determined by a specific weapon or

target, but on the desired effect
 Enduring Truth #2

War is a complex and

chaotic human endeavor
 Factors Dominating War

• Fog
• Friction
• Chance
 “Fog of War”

• Difficulty to see and understand what’s

happening in battle
• Once a literal “fog”
• Now more figuratively:
• Too much happening
• Misinformation
• Conflicting information Battle of Waterloo, 1815
• Overwhelmed with too much info
 Friction of War

• Murphy’s Law at its worst!

• Bombs miss their target
• Enemies don’t act as expected
• Sound doctrine, good leadership, effective
organization, moral values, and realistic
training can lessen the effects of uncertainty
• Friction is that which seems easy in war
planning made difficult in reality!
“Everything in war is very simple, but the
simplest thing is difficult.” - Clausewitz
 “Chance” in War

• Plain “dumb luck” and fortune.

Operation “Valkyrie” Sinking of USS Indianapolis

Col Claus von

Stauffenberg

Operation URGENT FURY

 Enduring Truth #3

War is a clash of
opposing wills
 Forms of Warfare

• Traditional Warfare: Force-on-force military

operations using conventional capabilities
• Focuses on dominance over adversary’s ability to
sustain war-fighting capability
 Forms of Warfare

• Irregular Warfare: Struggle for influence

over relevant populations which favors
indirect and asymmetric approaches
• Focuses on population-centric approaches that
affect actors, behaviors, relationships, and stability
in the area

Operating with guerilla forces Bolster local government capabilities

 Forms of Warfare

• Traditional Warfare / Irregular Warfare

• Actual warfare seldom fits neatly into categories
• Combination of both usually most effective
• Can rapidly evolve into the other
 Competition Continuum

“Our adversaries have studied our military strengths and way of

war. They have implemented approaches that pursue their
strategic objectives while avoiding the deterrent tripwires upon
which our national security posture is based. Simply put, US
adversaries intend to ‘win without fighting.’”

• This has caused the DoD to:

• Expand the Competitive Mindset
• Shape the Competitive Space
Competition Continuum
 Summary

• Definition
• The Nature of War (Enduring Truth #1) “War is an instrument
of policy.”
• Basic Themes of War
• Levels of War
• The Nature of War (Enduring Truth #2) “War is a complex and
chaotic human endeavor.”
• Factors that Dominate War
• The Nature of War (Enduring Truth #3) “War is a clash of
opposing wills.”
• Forms of War
• Competition Continuum