generalship (GWU)

• Moltkes military plan is an example of the importance of general, what is it?


  In 1864 he created a military plan to flank the Danish army to prevent their retreat to the islands to the north where they were safe. His plan was sound but the generals in charge bungled the plan while he remained in Berlin and they escaped
• Rather than a battlefield commander Moltke was a what?


  Manager of war
• How did Moltkes leadership affect the nature of the GWU?


  He made army reforms and improvements such as his heavy use of defensive firepower. It made it safer to split a defensive army without the remainder being crushed, and the larger number of soldiers in modern war made flanking manoeuvres far more useful. He organised separate corps as he saw they were too big to travel together without delays and road blocks, and that trains and transport meant faster movement. Plans involved armies being some distance apart like in APW corps were 100 miles apart but ready to quickly rejoin for battle.
• How did Moltke make use of mission tactics and how did this affect the nature?


  Decision making became more independent. He recognised the size and separation of armies that commander in chiefs could focus more on the overall plan but not micro-manage battles. He prepared plans which laid out the overall intentions and movements but allowed his senior commanders independence to decide on how they carried out their orders. This required good training and communication
• How did Moltke demonstrate his skills as a general the APW 1866?


  He was outnumbered- his army was around 326,000 strong whilst his 2 enemies had 270,000 (Austrians) and 120,000 (North-German state). He used his principle of heavy use of defensive firepower, leaving only 48,000 to defend against the N-G states. The remainder went against the Austrians and using 5 railway lines to coordinate movement of his forces he defeated them by frontal attack with one army, whilst the second attacked from the side. His 48,000 defeated the Northern German army and captured Hanover.
• What was Moltkes overall theory?

  To use small defensive forces with high power