Designing a Campaign: Forbes' March to the Ohio
Abstract
Brigadier General John Forbes' march from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to the Ohio River in 1758 was the first successful campaign in North America. Furthermore, it became one of the major operations during the Seven Years' War that decided control of the continent in favor of the British at the expense of the French. Winston Churchill later referred to this conflict as the first global war. As such, this campaign is worthy of further study. This paper analyzes the Forbes campaign through the lens of the elements of operational design, as explained in Joint Publication 5-0, to determine the reasons for success. The paper also seeks to synthesize some of the lessons learned from the campaign so they can be applied to contemporary operations. The Forbes campaign was a multinational coalition operation conducted over more than 200 miles of wilderness that required significant planning and preparation. As such, it is an excellent case study in designing a successful campaign.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 14, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA563292
Entities
People
- Scott W. Heintzelman
Organizations
- United States Army War College