Ars Operatio Gratia Aris Operatio: What We Can Learn about the Operational Art from the British and Boer War
Abstract
As the United States begins its sixth year of combat operations in Iraq, it finds itself in a similar situation faced by the British Army during the Boer War. That is, the world's preeminent power dug in for a long hard slog against a tough enemy fighting asymmetrically and motivated by a volatile combination of religious fanaticism and nationalist furor. It also faces a significant logistics challenge of manning, training, and equipping its forces over several thousand miles of ocean and rough terrain while simultaneously facing an equally daunting challenge at home of maintaining public support. This paper defines elements of the operational art and shows how British and Boer commanders applied it to their particular situations. It explains how the operational art can be used in guerrilla warfare and provides a basic idea of how insurgencies are begun, maintained, and ultimately defeated. Finally, the paper draws some conclusions about the lessons that the British Army learned in the Boer War and how those lessons might be applied by American forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 23, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA484440
Entities
People
- Dominic R. Lovello
Organizations
- Naval War College