An Indirect Assessment of the War Against Iraq

Abstract

Was the 1990-1991 war against Iraq a Clausewitzian style quest for annihilation? At first blush, it may seem so. Did alliance forces not, after all, seek out and annihilate Iraqi forces in decisive battles? General Schwartzkopf's statement of intent reveals that his strategy for the conduct of operations reflected an appreciation for the "indirect approach," of Sun Tzu and his erstwhile protege, B. H. Liddell-Hart. How well did the CINC do in his use of "indirectness?" How would Sun Tzu, who understood the difference between national strategy ("calculations in the temple") and military strategy, view policy and strategic decisions made at the national level by President Bush and other national leaders? My intent is to examine these questions using some of the principles of Sun Tzu as a framework for the assessment".

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 07, 1992
Accession Number
ADA440729

Entities

People

  • C. M. Ferguson Jr.

Organizations

  • National War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Defense
  • Air Power
  • Command And Control
  • Deception
  • Governments
  • Information Operations
  • International Organizations
  • Military Art
  • Military Strategy
  • New York
  • Psychological Operations
  • Security
  • United States
  • Universities
  • War
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Strategic Security Studies