Developing strategy that achieves aims: negotiations of an operational artist
Abstract
This monograph seeks to answer what the implications are for the operational artist negotiating for strategy to achieve political aims. The forthcoming understanding of the operational artists authority, responsibility, and location will aid in future emergent strategy negotiations between military and political entities used for military application in limited war. Using comparative analysis to identify and contrast the failed and successful negotiations of two operational artists with policy shows that successful discourse enables application of emergent strategy to achieve time and space for political aims. The failure of General MacArthur in Korea, 1950, represents the artists inability to accurately interpret policy and the changing conditions of the operating environment. Furthermore, it highlights the failure to identify an appropriate strategy and lack of ability to influence approval of emergent strategy for achieving military objectives in support of United States policy. The success of General Abrams in Vietnam, 1970, exemplifies the artists ability to accurately identify a change in the environment and political aims, develop an acceptable emergent strategy of military objectives, and negotiate for the approval of those means and ways to achieve time and space for political aims. Comparing these two examples highlights the positive and negative attributes for emulation and avoidance for current and future operational artists application through authority, responsibility, and location. Developing military strategy in concert with policy results in effective military objectives achieving time and space for political aims.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 24, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1071512
Entities
People
- Trent W. Talley
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College