“War is a science for those who are outstanding; an art for mediocrities; a trade for ignoramuses.” Frederick II, aka Frederick the Great (1712 to 1786) The King of Prussia from 1740 until 1786, he is renowned for his reorganisation of the Prussian Army and military victories.
“Organizations created to fight the last war better are not going to win the next.” Lieutenant General James Maurice Gavin (1907-1990), …”a top Army administrator, a diplomat and a leading management consultant…” (Fowler, 1990) Sometimes presented as “Generals always fight the last war.” Of course, this does not take account of the fact that sometimes… Read More
“A good general not only sees the way to victory; he also knows when victory is not possible.” Polybius (200 B.C. to 118 B.C.; Greek historian of the Hellenistic period noted for his work, The Histories, which covered the period of 264–146 BC in detail) The Rise of the Roman Empire, circa 125 BC
“Any general who needs to rely on his opponent being an idiot is in sore trouble.” (Gemmell, 2014, p.214). Reference Gemmell, D. (2014) The Hawk Eternal. London: Orbit.
“‘First weigh the considerations, then take the risks.’ is a German adage first coined by Field-Marshal Moltke.” (Guderian, 1990, 439). Heinz Guderian, a World War I junior officer and World War II General. Creator, trainer and leader of Germany’s armoured forces during the Second World War. Reference Guderian, H. & Fitzgibbon, C. (trans) (1990) Panzer Leader.… Read More
“A lesson learned from the First World War had taught us that it is necessary to be patient about committing new weapons and that they must be held back until they are being produced in such quantities as to allow their employment in mass. In the First World War the French and British used their… Read More
“Their caution was not Montgomery’s, who obviously considered that insistence on 100 per cent certainty was to be preferred to a policy of boldness, which is true in questions of strategy, although certainly not in tactics.” (Rommel, 1953, p.515). Field-Marshal Erwin Rommel (the Desert Fox), World War I junior officer and World War II… Read More
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