Strategy

• Napoleonic Wars

  He planned his strategy in advance

  Napoleon’s strategy was to destroy the enemy quickly

  With the naval defeat =Trafalgar 1805, BATTLE, naval strategy couldn't defeat GB so turned to economic warfare – it was in retaliation to British blockades ​

  Flaw = trying too hard to hold Spain, Portugal and Russia to block British trade
• American Civil War


  Economic strategy: Block southern trade

  Anaconda plan: Scott to Lincoln, suffocate south and block naval ports. Blockade – 3300 miles of coastline. BATTLE of Vicksburg (crucial for north due to Mississippi river). Plan was seen as too passive and not manned enough so failed

  BUT cotton embargo stopped Southern trade

  Physical strategy: Shermans march = $ 100 mil damage
• Small Wars


  Strategic use of Railways: The General staff realised the importance of railways- integrating rail and telegraph into the core of their planning

  Moltke advocated railways not fortresses

  Moltke also rehearsed rail mobilisation with large military exercises.

  The central nature of Prussia in Europe made railways all the more important.
• WW1

  The Schlieffen Plan assumptions - the FR were slow and disorganised and RU would take ages to mobilise (not 2 months) - too planned so struggled to alter the plan. Failed BATTLE of the Marne

  The French Plan 17 tried a frontal assault that was easily repelled with 300,000 casualties

  The Russian attack was smashed by the Germans at the Battles of Tannenberg and Masaurian Lakes.
• WW2


  Blitzkrieg: attacked with speed and surprise - panzer armies

  Air: ‘Bomber’ Harris and strategic Bombing – Dresden BATTLE

  2nd Front – agreed at Casablanca by Churchill and Roosevelt. D Day saw a shift in the strategy as air support was vital and the complete destruction of the Luftwaffe was given the highest priority.

  After the Mediterranean the Allies would advance from France and Russia to defeat Germany before swinging focus to the Far East and Japan

  The Atomic bombs although effective were not part of the Grand Strategy.