Winfield Scott's Mexico City Operation: The Genesis of American Operational Art

Abstract

This monograph addresses the beginning of the American version of operational art. Winfield Scott's participation in the Mexican War is analyzed to determine whether his activity constitutes the genesis of American operational art; joint operations, distinct lines of operation, multiple field armies, operational intelligence, deep strikes, acceptance of risk, and distributed operations. The Mexican War is assessed using the definitions of article, The Loose Marble--and the Origins of Operational Art . The war is analyzed on two levels: the overall planning and execution and the specifics of Scott's Mexico City Operation. Schneider's eleven characteristics of emerging operational art are the theoretical bases of this analysis. Keywords: Operational art; Joint operations; Amphibious operations; Winfield Scott; General Grant; General Lee.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 12, 1989
Accession Number
ADA215568

Entities

People

  • James A. Cope

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amphibious Operations
  • Army
  • Civil War
  • Civil War (United States)
  • Classification
  • Employment
  • Field Army
  • Military Education
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • New York
  • Operational Intelligence
  • Security
  • United States
  • War
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.