Rethinking strategy: Art Lykke and the development of the ends, ways, means model of strategy.
Abstract
The "Ends, Ways, Means" model is the U.S. military's strategy model. Despite its prominence, there is little in the existing literature that explains the model's origins, theoretical basis, or development by its author, Arthur F. Lykke, Jr. Using a historical evaluative approach, I examine the development of the "Ends, Ways, Means" model using Lykke's Senate testimony, versions of his 1989 Military Review article, and the course reference text he edited at the U.S. Army War College. I place the model's gradual acceptance in the context of the 1980s global security environment, changes within the U.S. Army, and the Weinberger Doctrine that established conditions for the use of military force by the U.S. Secretary of Defense. I argue that Lykke's "Ends, Ways, Means" model gained acceptance in the U.S. Army not because of the soundness of the model but instead as a result of Lykke's incidental emergence as an expert, his control of the primary strategy course text at the U.S. Army War College, and because of the specific circumstances of the 1980s. I conclude that the inherent flaws in "Ends, Ways, Means" make it a problematic model for the current and future strategy needs of the U.S. military.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 14, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1111146
Entities
People
- Andrew C. Webb
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College