Strategic Synchronization of Political Objectives and Military Strategy: Grant, Lincoln, and Operations to End the Civil War
Abstract
Historians have analyzed LTG Ulysses S. Grant's decisions, generalship, and styles of warfare for the past 150 years. Images and perceptions of Grant, and issues within the political, social, and economic domains, have evolved and coincided with revised social constructs throughout the years. While historians have examined Grant's Overland and Petersburg Campaigns through the lenses of three traditional, prevailing strategic arguments, their analysis is inconsistent and does not fully support Grant's operations as standalone strategies. These views fail to portray Grant's approach, inadequately exploring his efforts to continuously reframe the problem based on the operational and strategic environments. Instead, Grant's ability to understand, interact, and shape the operational environment was due to his capacity to grasp President Abraham Lincoln's political objectives. This appreciation ultimately enabled Grant to force Lee out of his defenses at Petersburg by altering his military strategy as circumstances dictated. He transitioned from an approach of persistent conflict to one of raiding and collective effects. Through these actions, Grant presented Lee with too many problems to address, ultimately compelling him to evacuate Petersburg after nearly ten months to finally break the rebellion and force the Army of Northern Virginia's surrender on 9 April 1865. Although unfamiliar to the American military during the Civil War, Grant's application of operational art provides numerous applicable lessons for today's military leaders, including the relationship between the executive and the military, the dynamic interaction between political and military objectives, and how to set conditions to end wars and achieve the objectives beyond it.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 21, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1158971
Entities
People
- Jeffrey A. Feser
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College