Page 232 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

warfare, comparative 2009

True War

In his survey of war in preliterate societies, Harry
Holbrook Turney-High proposed that true war—as
opposed to combat or feuding—has five key German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was considered
elements: one of the greatest tank commanders of all time. His

record was impressive from 1939 to 1943, with great vic-
1. Tactical operations.
tories during German invasions of France and Benelux
2. Definite command and control.
(Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) to start the war
3. Ability to conduct a campaign for the reduc-
and further victories with the Afrika Corps of panzer
tion of enemy resistance if the first battle
tanks in North Africa. Yet, he and his invincible Panzer
fails.
Corps failed to take the Suez Canal in Egypt and eventu-
4. A group motive rather than an individual
ally lost control of North Africa entirely. Later his “Fortress
one.
Europe” fortifications would fall to the Allied invasions on
5. Adequate supply.
D-Day, 6 June 1944. Eventually he was forced to take poi-
Source: Turney-High, H. H. (1949). Primitive war: Its practices and concepts. son after being implicated in a plot to kill Hitler.
Columbia: University of South Carolina Press.
The French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was a clas-
sic megalomaniac. Genius and defender of the French
Revolution, he scored a series of brilliant victories, such
conquered. High-quality German tanks, troops, com- as at Austerlitz, with a mixed peasant and professional
mand, and weapons proved inadequate in the environ- army. His attempts to establish sea power against the
ment of Yugoslavia. English proved fruitless in his 1798 invasion of Egypt
The experience of United Nations (U.N.) forces in and at Trafalgar, Spain.The sale of the Louisiana Territory
Mogadishu,Somalia,inAfrica during the 1990s is another to the United States in 1803 and later attempts to re-
classic example.The inability of rebel forces to stop fight- acquire it were followed by larger catastrophes. French
ing among each other in parts of EastAfrica seemed to pro- revolutionary fervor favored Napoleon throughout
vide the perfect opportunity for the U.N. forces to enter Europe, yet he alienated all by placing his own relatives
Africa and utilize special troops and weapons to disarm on thrones and enforcing Napoleonic codes and trade
local warlords and bring peace to the region.Instead,U.N. across Europe. His invasion of Russia is one of the great
forces appeared improperly armed and directed for the military catastrophes of all time, with most of the
type of guerrilla combat they encountered. Rebel forces 500,000-man Grand Armee being killed without losing
often united against the U.N.,whereas the U.N.seemed to a major battle. He then lost the Battle of Waterloo in
splinter at the most inopportune of moments. 1814 and died in exile on Elba, off the coast of Italy.
In both examples the best professional forces and the Many famous commanders have had military records
best military technology of the time performed poorly in that are not so impressive: Hannibal of Carthage,
nonconventional environments. Guerrilla and rebel Quetzalcoatl of the Toltecs, Viracocha of the Incas,
forces, well adapted to their environments, utilized appro- Pyrrhus of the Greeks, Julius Caesar of Rome, Harsha of
priate weapons in such settings. Motivations and goals of India, Ramses II (the Great) of Egypt.
the forces on all sides also likely played a role. The infantry legions of the Roman republic and
empire are perhaps the best example of supposedly invin-
Great Leaders, Invincible cible forces that won decisive battles. Certainly they won
Forces, and Decisive Battles important victories, but they had more impact as engi-
The image of the heroic, genius leader who can direct neers and Latinizers of the provinces. Roman sea power
invincible forces toward decisive victories that alter the and siege warfare were much more impressive than the
course of history is still with us today. Yet, comparative performance of the legions on the battlefield. Republican
historical evidence does not support this image. Rome’s forces suffered defeats to the Italic Celts who