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

standing in a direct theoretical line with that of Liddell Hart. Boyd was to include most if notall of the principles in Patterns of Conflict, mingling them with the practice of Blitzkriegobserved during the Second World War. What Liddell Hart terms the Indirect Approach,Boyd refers to as Maneuver Conflict, one of three kinds of human conflict. Moreover, Boydincluded the ideas concerning grand strategy and the virtue of short wars in his own work.Although Boyd conceptually expands considerably on Liddell Hart’s ideas, the parallelsbetween Boyd and Liddell Hart run deep.Boyd’s conceptual father: Sun TzuThe final strategist surveyed is Sun Tzu, who must be considered the true conceptual albeitancient father of Boyd’s work. Already in 1981 Michael Gordon noted in an article on theMilitary Reform Movement that ‘Patterns of Conflict draws on the writings of Chinesephilosopher Sun Tzu’ 59 . Indeed, this presentation in various places presents ideas of Sun Tzuand Sun Tzu’s ideas form one of the starting points of the briefing as well as reappearing atthe beginning of the concluding part. Coram claims that The Art of War became Boyd’sRosetta stone, the work he returned to again and again. It is the only theoretical book on warthat Boyd did not find fundamentally flawed. He eventually owned seven translations, eachwith long passages underlined and with copious marginalia 60 . Sun Tzu’s book encapsulatesmany elements of theories developed by Fuller and Liddell Hart who even paid tribute toSun Tzu in Strategy. Moreover, in contrast to the others, in The Art of War Boyd found thecore concepts for Maneuver Conflict as well as for Moral Conflict, which captures theessence of revolutionary war. In effect, Boyd was to adopt Sun Tzu’s entire philosophy ofwar and a somewhat elaborate discussion on Sun Tzu’s ideas is therefore warranted, if notfor the reason that without detailed discussion of several concepts parts of Patterns of Conflictwill remain unclear 61 .The first is one of several strategic ideas is the one of preservation. War is the mostimportant issue a state should concern itself with, according to Sun Tzu. It is a matter of lifeand death and it will determine the fate of a state. A state should be able to wage wareffectively. A state should therefore always be prepared for war, be vigilant and possess aready, capable force for deterrence as well as for war fighting. War is to be avoided as muchand as long as possible because inherent in war is the chance of catastrophe for the state.Besides, war is a very costly affair for all involved. Therefore statecraft should aim to avoidwar. To solve crisis it should use regular diplomatic means, as well as irregular, what wewould perhaps consider devious and illegitimate means, such as assassination of the enemy’sruler or his generals, bribing key figures around the ruler and persuading his allies to changesides. War was only justifiable when all possible alternatives have been exhausted and mustbe entertained with the utmost seriousness and restraint. The commander must be in pursuitof a quick termination and preservation of life and resources, not only one’s own but alsothose of the opponent. If war must be fought, it must be fought at a minimum of cost. Warmust constantly be fought with the need to be able to resume normal life and relations afterhostilities in mind 62 .59 In Hammond, p.105.60 Coram, p.331.61 The following is based on my chapter titled ‘Asymmetric Warfare: Rediscovering the Essence ofStrategy’, in John Olson, Asymmetric Warfare (Oslo, 2002).62 In an agrarian society, which cannot replenish lost crops and lost labor force rapidly, serious losseshad possibly serious repercussions. This lies behind familiar statements such as: 'To win a hundredvictories in a hundred battles is not the pinnacle of excellence. Subjugating the enemy's army without56