While 'winning' might be considered a fundamental part of the human objective, what constitutes winning and how one might achieve it remain somewhat abstract, in war as in any other human endeavour. 'Winning' militarily at the tactical level - in a firefight or a battle - has always been more quantifiable than at the strategic level. At the strategic level, success might be measured by means of three big ideas: ownership; intervention for effect; and fighting for ideas. The divergence between success at the tactical level and the political context of the war creates a challenge at the operational level when it relates to political and strategic matters. The result of a research project carried out by the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research for the British Army, this book analyses the philosophical constituents of what may comprise 'victory' or 'winning' and then travels, chronologically, through a wide set of historical case studies, exploring those more philosophical components and weaving them into the factual discussion. Thus the factual relation and analysis is the vehicle for a deeper exploration of the concept of success or 'winning', rather than a narrative end in itself.
Matthias Strohn, MSt (Oxon), DPhil (Oxon), FRHistS, is Head of Historical Analysis at the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research, the British Army's strategic think tank, Visiting Professor of Military Studies at the University of Buckingham, and a member of the academic faculty at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Matthias was educated at the universities of Munster (Germany) and Oxford. He holds a commission in the German Army and is a member of the military attache reserve, having served on the defense attache staffs in London, Paris and Madrid. Prior to this, he served as Military History Instructor at the German Staff College in Hamburg. He deployed to Iraq (with the British Army) and Afghanistan (with both the British Army and the German Bundeswehr). Matthias has published widely on 20th-century German and European military history; he has authored and edited 14 books and numerous articles.
Title: Winning Wars: The Enduring Nature and Changing Character of Victory from Antiquity to the 21st Century
Author:
ISBN: 9781952715006
Binding:
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Publication Date: 2021-03-28
Number of Pages: 336
Weight: 0.5263 kg
Although much of the book's focus is about winning in conventional wars, the insights about the components in measuring effectiveness in such warfare also apply to assessing effectiveness in counterterrorism. * Perspectives on Terrorism 05/07/2021 *
Comprising sixteen excellent and thought-provoking essays by eighteen noted military historians and former warriors, the book comprehensively examines the realities of war and the wide-ranging concepts of victory. At the same time, it offers a very good general history of warfare. * Baird Maritime 05/07/2021 *
...a salutary reminder that it is all too possible to win the war but lose the peace. * Miniature Wargames - Arthur Harman 24/05/2021 *
...an extremely rich book, containing a multitude of insights. * Militaire Spectator 02/08/2021 *
...extremely readable and jargon-free. [...] very instructive collection. * RUSI Journal 05/07/2021 *