•Sun Tzu (around 400
B.C.)
–Probe
enemy to unmask his strengths, weaknesses, patterns of movement and
intentions. Shape enemy’s
perception of world to manipulate/undermine his plans and actions. Employ Cheng/Ch'i maneuvers
to quickly and unexpectedly hurl strength against weaknesses.
•Bourcet
(1764‑71)
–A
plan ought to have several branches ... One should ... mislead the enemy and
make him imagine that the main
effort is coming at some other part. And ... one must be ready to profit by a
second or third branch of
the plan without giving one’s enemy time to consider it.
•Napoleon
(early‑1800’s)
–Strategy
is the art of making use of time and space. I am less chary of the latter than
the former. Space we can
recover, time never ... I may lose a battle, but I shall never lose a minute.
The whole art of war consists in
a well reasoned and circumspect defensive, followed by rapid and audacious
attack.
•Clausewitz
(1832)
–Friction
(which includes the interaction of many factors, such as uncertainty,
psychological/moral forces and
effects, etc.) impedes activity. “Friction is the only concept that more or
less corresponds to the factors
that distinguish real war from war on paper.” In this sense, friction
represents the climate or atmosphere
of war.
•Jomini (1836)
– By free and
rapid movements carry bulk of the forces (successively) against fractions of
the enemy.