Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

2 THE ART OF WAR.history contain only the rehearsal ofwars held together by anetwork of political conditions influencing these struggles.It is indeed peculiarly in the fact that war is now subordinatedto peace that our modern civilization differs from thatof the ancients ; and but within a couple of generations canit be truly claimed that the arts of peace have assumed moreprominence than the arts of war. So long as war remainsthe eventual arbitrament of all national disputes, so longmust the arts of peace contribute to the art of war, and solong must this be studied, and an activeinterest in the deedsof the great captains be maintained.The art of war has been created by the intellectualconceptions of a few great captains. It is best studied inthe story of their triumphs. The memorizing of technicalrules can teach but the detail of the art. The lessons containedin what the masters did can be learned only by anintelligent analysis of the events themselves ; the inspirationessential to success can be caught only by assimilation of theirmethods. Nothing is so fruitful to the soldier as to studyclosely the character and intellect ofthese great men, and tomake himself familiar with the events which they have illustrated.Few topics have greater interest for the layman.Less than a generation since, we Americans were a nation ofsoldiers. In four years something like four millions of menhad worn the blue or gray. In the autumn of their lifemany of these veterans may enjoy the comparison of theirown campaigns with those ofthe men whom all unite in callingthe masters of the art. To such my work is principallyaddressed.Strategy has been aptly described as the art of makingwar upon the map. Nor is this a mere figure of speech.Napoleon always planned and conducted his campaigns onmaps of the country spread out for him by his staff, and into