Science, Strategy and War The Strategic Theory of ... - Boekje Pienter

Fuller’s book), since ‘both treat conflict, survival and conquest in a very fundamental way’ 35 .Boyd then offers the notion, not more than that, thatit may be advantageous to possess a variety of responses that can be applied rapidly togain sustenance, avoid danger and diminish an adversary’s capacity for independentaction.Organisms must also cooperate and harmonize their activities in their endeavors tosurvive as an organic synthesis.Furthermore to shape and adapt to change, one cannot be passive, but instead one musttake the initiative.Thus variety, rapidity, harmony and initiative seem to be the key qualities that permitone to shape and adapt to an ever-changing environment 36 .The entire presentation that follows is an elaboration of these ideas. He explains the workingof the mechanism, the process and, using history as illustration and as a source forcredibility, he applies it to several levels; the individual, the tactical, the operational (or grandtactical) on to the grand strategic level. So in a very few slides Boyd unfolds the basiccontours of his entire strategic theory. And from here on he proceeds with a long sectioncontaining historical snapshots aimed at revealing patterns of winning and losing.Historical SnapshotsFrom Sun Tzu to Napoleon. The fundamental influence of several key theorists, mostnotably of Sun Tzu becomes evident right away for it is indeed with Sun Tzu that Boydbegins his investigations after having presented us this basic outline of his theory. Startingwith Sun Tzu was not incidental nor only inspired by the chronological ordering of hissubject matter. In Sun Tzu Boyd discovered an idiom and themes that reflected his ownthoughts. Comparing the classical commanders Alexander, Hannibal to Tamerlane (all ofwhich he calls Eastern commanders) with the Western commanders, he states that thephilosophy of the Eastern commanders seems more consistent with ideas of Sun Tzu intheir attempts to shatter the adversary prior to battle. The approach advanced by Sun Tzuthus amounts to a distinct pattern in military history, and one which serves to contrast thepattern of attrition warfare. The following themes, taken from Sun Tzu’s famous but oftenmisinterpreted work The Art of War, characterize this pattern: Harmony deception, swiftness of action fluidity of action, dispersion/concentration surprise shockAccording to Boyd, Sun Tzu advocates a strategy with four key elements:probe the enemy’s organization and dispositions to unmask his strengths, weaknesses,patterns of movement and intentions.“Shape” the enemy’s perception of the world to manipulate his plans and actions.35 Ibid. p.11.36 Ibid, p.12.187