The Center of Gravity Concept: A Study of Its Description and Application in Two Different Eras
Abstract
The center of gravity (COG) concept is internationally recognized and a foundational pillar of military success. Given that COG remains a key concept in U.S. military doctrine, understanding the concept's use and application in both the classical and modern eras will help operational planners bring the concept forward into the future. This paper explores how Carl von Clausewitz and the modern U.S. military use and describe COGs, how they differ, and what factors influence changes to the U.S. military doctrinal version of COG. Both versions facilitate the employment of force to achieve a specific effect - defeat of the enemy's combat forces. However, Clausewitz's COG refers to a "focal point" while the U.S. version refers to "sources of strength or power."Five major factors provide insight into doctrinal changes: linguistic challenges, the evolution of the modern American way of war, clarity in definition, a preference for analytical simplicity, and theories on the evolution of ideas. Analyzing these factors provide several plausible theories to explain how and why U.S. doctrine's version of the COG is different and prepares the reader to draw his or her own conclusions regarding if the changes are a natural evolution or diverse enough to alter Clausewitz's original intent.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 10, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA606275
Entities
People
- Shayla D. Potter
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College