A Brief Overview of Mobile Warfare

Introduction Mobile warfare (Chinese: 运动战; pinyin: yùndòngzhàn) is a military strategy of the People’s Republic of China employing conventional forces on fluid fronts with units manoeuvring to exploit opportunities for tactical surprise, or where a local superiority of forces can be realised. Refer to People’s War. Outline One of early CCP leader Mao Zedong’s three… Read More

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Force of Arms & Not Force of Arms…

“The goal of this kind of warfare will encompass more than merely using means that involve the force of arms to control the enemy to accept one’s own will. Rather, the goal should be to use all means whatsoever-means that involve the force of arms and means that do not involve the force of arms,… Read More

Manoeuvre Warfare: Destruction vs Irrelevance…

“In maneuver warfare, we attempt not to destroy the entire enemy force but to render most of it irrelevant.” Robert R. Leonhard (1870 to 1924) Lieutenant Colonel Robert R. Leonhard, Ph.D. is a retired US Army officer and is a research analyst at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. He is the author of… Read More

Changing: History & Warfare

“Throughout the entire course of history, warfare is always changing.” André Beaufre (1902-1975) André Beaufre was a French Army officer and military strategist who attained the grade of Général d’Armée before his retirement in 1961.

British Soldier: Virtues & Faults

“This [Guards] brigade was almost a living embodiment of the virtues and faults of the British soldier – tremendous courage and tenacity combined with a rigid lack of mobility.” (Rommel, 1953, p.222). Field-Marshal Erwin Rommel (the Desert Fox), World War I junior officer and World War II General, considered a brilliant military commander; adored by… Read More

Prepared Positions: Motorised vs Non-motorised

“Non-motorised infantry divisions are only of value against a motorised and armoured enemy when occupying prepared positions. If these positions are pierced or outflanked, a withdrawal will leave them helpless victims of the motorised enemy, with nothing else to do but hold on in their positions to the last round.” (Rommel, 1953, p198). Field-Marshal Erwin… Read More

Manpower & Position Warfare vs Material & Mobile Warfare

“In this assault we lost more than 1,200 men killed, wounded and missing. This shows sharply how the curve of casualties rises when one reverts from mobile to position warfare. In mobile action, what counts is material, as the essential complement to the soldier. The finest fighting man has no value in mobile warfare without… Read More