Boyd and the Past: A Look at the Utility of Ancient History in the Development of Modern Theories of Warfare

Abstract

What utility does ancient military history have for the development of modern theories of warfare? This monograph discusses the development of warfare theory from ancient history by examining the theories and writings of United States Air Force Colonel (retired) John Boyd. Ancient history is useful for developing modern military theories of war. Ancient history played a significant role in the development of Colonel Boyd's theories on maneuver warfare. The abstract concepts he synthesized provide valuable instruction to modern operational artists on how to use ancient history in the development of their own theories and doctrine. Boyd arrived at the past with his theories in mind and then went searching for proof. He effectively linked concepts from the Battle of Cannae and the Mongol invasion of Europe. From these historical examples, Boyd shows how maneuver and moral warfare developed, and how inferior forces used these styles of warfare to defeat superior opponents.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 23, 2013
Accession Number
ADA583870

Entities

People

  • Richard M. Fournier

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Air Force
  • Bibliographies
  • Command And Control
  • Doctrine
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Instructions
  • Maneuvers
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • New York
  • Organizational Structure
  • Reliability
  • Schools
  • Uncertainty Principle
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

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