Center of Gravity: Dispelling the Myths.

Abstract

The term 'center of gravity', first coined by the nineteenth century military strategist, Carl von Clausewitz, seems to be somewhat misunderstood. In discussions with senior military officers, you can easily find many different interpretations of the term. It has tremendous utility when correctly applied to the planning process, at any level of war. Unless everyone has the same understanding of the term, you run the risk of misinterpretations. The purpose of this paper was to dispel the myths surrounding the concept of center of gravity and in the process, clarify exactly what the term means. The paper analyzes Clausewitz's meaning of the term center of gravity. Next, it shows how the concept was applied to a real-world situation featuring Operation Desert Shield/Storm. Finally, it concludes by addressing the common misconceptions or myths, associated with the term.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1996
Accession Number
ADA309295

Entities

People

  • Bruce L. Kidder

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Center Of Gravity
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Civil War
  • Cohesion
  • Command And Control
  • Economic Sanctions
  • Governments
  • Landing Forces
  • Leadership
  • Neurobehavioral Manifestations
  • Public Opinion
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Southwest Asia
  • United States
  • War
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Systems Analysis and Design