Without Coup D'oeil, but with Responsibility: Determining Tactical Centers of Gravity and Decisive Points.
Abstract
In 1986, the US Army introduced Carl von Clausewitz's concept of center of gravity in Field Manual 100-5-Operations (FM 100-5(Operations), and defined it as the "hub of all power and movement upon which everything depends." The manual explicitly stated that the concept was applicable at all levels of war. The 1993 revision of FM 100-5- Operations kept the concept of center of gravity; however, it suggested that it was not applicable at the tactical level of war. This study examines the relevance of Clausewitz's concept of center of gravity and Antoine Henri Jomini's concept of "Decisive Point" at the tactical level of war (according to FM 100-5-Operations, the two concepts are inextricably linked). It determines that the center of gravity is that source of power most critical to mission accomplishment. Decisive points grant a commander an opportunity to indirectly attack a center of gravity; thus, they provide a marked advantage. Both concepts are valid at the tactical level of war.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 17, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA289142
Entities
People
- Todd J. Ebel
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College