Insights from Military History Lecture

Sep 9, 2024

Lecture Notes: Military History Lecture at the Dole Institute

Introduction

  • Speaker: Alec Feather, member of the Dole Institute's Student Advisory Board.
  • Event: Program presented by the Department of Military History at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.
  • Feedback & Archive: Feedback via social media or email (thedoleinstitute@ku.edu). Video archive available at doleinstitute.org.
  • Friends of the Dole Institute: Encouragement to join for supporting free programs and research.
  • Questions: Post-presentation Q&A with a microphone facilitated by student workers.
  • Summer Programs: Information on programs available online.
  • Reminder: Turn off cell phones during the presentation.

Main Speakers and Topics

  • Speakers: Dr. Sean Kalic and Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Johnson.
  • Discussion Subjects: Antoine Jomini and Carl von Clausewitz, two theorists often debated at CGSC.
  • Historical Context: Both theorists operated in the same era, using Frederick the Great as a reference, participating in the Napoleonic Wars.

Antoine Jomini

  • Background: Swiss origin, from a banking family, early military experience in Swiss militia.
  • Career: Significant military theorist, staff officer for Napoleon, later joined Russian army.
  • Philosophy: War as a scientific process with clear principles: objective, offense, mass, maneuver.
  • Legacy: Influenced US Army doctrine, known for simplifying war into fundamental principles.

Carl von Clausewitz

  • Background: Prussian, military engagement from the age of 12, tutored by Scharnhorst.
  • Career: Fought in major battles, captured once, tutored Prince Auguste of Prussia, and worked on army reforms.
  • Philosophy: War is complex with human elements—emphasizes moral component, uncertainty, and friction.
  • Key Concepts: War is a continuation of politics by other means, paradoxical trinity (chance, reason, violence).

Key Discussion Points

Nature of War

  • Clausewitz: War's nature includes moral components and chaos.
  • Jomini: Views war as state-on-state violence, with clear objectives and strategies.

Military Genius

  • Clausewitz: Military genius involves courage, moral strength, and ability to adapt to chaos.
  • Jomini: Genius is often innate, involving understanding of the principles and battlefield intuition (coup d'oeil).

Uncertainty in War

  • Clausewitz: Emphasizes friction, fog of war, complexity, and the role of chance.
  • Jomini: Acknowledges uncertainty but focuses on the commander's ability to use principles.

Modern Applicability

  • Clausewitzian Approach: Useful for understanding complexity and strategic planning.
  • Jominian Approach: Helpful for operational planning and tactical execution.

Discussion and Q&A

  • Historical Influence: Jomini's principles significant in the US Civil War, Clausewitz post-1870.
  • Contemporary Warfare: Relevance in modern conflicts and media's role in public perception.
  • Military Genius Today: Addressing how military genius is understood and nurtured in the current era.

Closing Remarks

  • Integration of Theories: Suggestion to blend both theorists for a comprehensive understanding of war.
  • Educational Approach: Using both Jomini and Clausewitz to teach military students at CGSC.

These notes summarize the key aspects of the lecture, capturing the main ideas and details discussed about the military theorists Jomini and Clausewitz, their philosophies, historical context, and relevance to modern military thought.