Military theory

Military theory is the study of the theories which define, inform, guide and explain war and warfare. Military theory analyses both normative behavioral phenomena and explanatory causal aspects to better understand war and how it is fought. ^[1] It examines war and trends in warfare beyond simply describing events in military history. ^[2] While military theories may employ the scientific method, theory differs from military science. Theory aims to explain the causes for military victory and produce guidance on how war should be waged and won, ^[3] rather than developing universal, immutable laws which can bound the physical act of warfare or codifying empirical data, such as weapon effects, platform operating ranges, consumption rates and target information, to aid military planning.

Military theory is multi-disciplinary drawing on social science and humanities academic fields through the disciplines of political science, strategic studies, military studies and history. It examines the nature of war, and the conclusions of wars. ^[4]

Military philosophy likewise studies questions such as the reasons to go to war, jus ad bellum , and just ways to fight wars, jus in bello. Two of the earliest military philosophers date from antiquity; Thucydides and Sun Tzu. ^{[5] [6]} While military theory can inform military doctrine or help explain military history, it differs from them as it contemplates abstract concepts, themes, principles and ideas to formulate solutions to actual and potential problems concerning war and warfare. ^[7]

Use of military theory

Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz wrote,

'The primary purpose of any theory is to clarify concepts and ideas that have become, as it were, confused and entangled. Not until terms and concepts have been defined can one hope to make any progress in examining the questions clearly and simply and expect the reader to share one's views.' ^[8]

Military theory informs the political, strategic, operational and tactical levels of war. ^[9] It does so by contributing to knowledge on the subjects of war and warfare. This aids in understanding why and when force is used and what forms the use of force may take. It also aids in identifying and explaining practical outcomes to help determine how force may be applied. ^[10] Military theories can be divided into several categories, such as operational theory and tactical theory. ^{[11] [12] [13]} They may also be categorised by environment or domain, such as space power or astronautics. ^[14]

See also

• Military doctrine
• Military science
• List of military writers

References

Notes

1. Angstrom, Jan and, Widen, J.J. (2015). Contemporary Military Theory: The Dynamics of War. New York: Routledge. pp. 4–9. ISBN   9780203080726.
2. Lider, Julian (1983). Military Theory: Concept, Structure, Problems (1st ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 1–5. ISBN   9780312532406.
3. Angstrom and Wider. Contemporary Military Theory. pp. 8–9.
4. Lider, Julian (1980). "Introduction to Military Theory". Cooperation and Conflict. XV (3): 151–168. doi:10.1177/001083678001500303. JSTOR   45083282.
5. Thucydides (June 1998). The Peloponnesian War. Hackett. ISBN   978-1-60384-805-3.
6. Sunzi (7 June 1996). The Complete Art of War. Basic Books. ISBN   978-0-8133-3085-3.
7. Angstrom and Wider. Contemporary Military Theory. pp. 4–6.
8. von Clausewitz, Carl (1976). tr. Michael Howard and Peter Paret (ed.). On War (Indexed ed.). Princeton: Princeton University Press. p. 132. ISBN   9780691018546.
9. Gray, Colin S. (2010). The Strategy Bridge-Theory for Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 14–15. ISBN   9780199579662.
10. Evans, Michael (2004). "The Continental School of Strategy: The Past, Present and Future of Land Power" (PDF). Australian Army Research Centre. pp. 17–9. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
11. Oliviero, Charles (2022). Strategia – A Primer on Theory and Strategy for Students of War (1st ed.). Toronto: Double Dagger. pp. 11–13. ISBN   9781990644245.
12. Yarger, Harry R. (2006). Strategic Theory for the 21st Century: The Little Book on Big Strategy. Leavenworth: US Army War College War College Press. pp. 8–9. ISBN   1584872330.
13. Vego, Milan (2011). "On Military Theory". Joint Force Quarterly. 3 (62): 59–67. ProQuest   877014867.
14. Evans, Michael. The Continental School of Strategy. pp. 10–11.

Bibliography

• Angstrom, Jan and Widen, J.J. (2015) Contemporary Military Theory: The Dynamics of War. New York: Routledge. ISBN   978-0-203-08072-6
• Clausewitz, Carl von (1976). On War. Edited and translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret (Revised 1984 ed.). Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN   0-691-05657-9.
• Evans, Michael, (2004), Land Warfare Studies Centre Study Paper No. 305, The Continental School of Strategy: The Past, Present and Future of Land Power, Canberra: Land Warfare Studies Centre. ISBN   0642296014.
• Gray, Colin S. (2010). The Strategy Bridge-Theory for Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-957966-2
• Lider, Julian (1980). 'Introduction to Military Theory', Cooperation and Conflict, XV, 151–168.
• Lider, Julian (1983). Military Theory: Concept, Structure and Problems (1st ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN   978-0-312-53240-6
• Oliviero, Charles. (2022) Strategia – A Primer on Theory and Strategy for Students of War. Toronto: Double Dagger. ISBN   978-1-990644-24-5
• Sun Tzu (2003). The Art of War . New York City: Barnes & Noble Books. ISBN   978-1-59308-016-7.
• Vego, Milan (2011). 'On Military Theory', Joint Force Quarterly, Vol. 3, Issue 62, pp. 59–67.
• Yarger, Harry R. (2006). Strategic Theory for the 21st Century: The Little Book on Big Strategy. Leavenworth: US Army War College War College Press. ISBN   1-58487-233-0

External links

• Media related to Military theory at Wikimedia Commons