Questions tagged [strategy]
Questions related to the history of the practice of the formulation of a plan of actions designed to produce a desired outcome, often with regards to political or military goals, or with regards to sports or gaming activities.
33
questions
-1
votes
1
answer
145
views
Why did USA agree that early in 1941 about the Germany First strategic plan (if so)?
I have read a surprising information on some websites that apparently are truthsworthy enough:
One unknown site
During the first three weeks of January 1941 the planners of the Joint Board completed ...
- 6,794
1
vote
0
answers
41
views
Strategy and organization during the civil rights movement [closed]
After watching the movies Selma and Rustin, I couldn't help but appreciate the strategic thinking and organizing that happened during the civil rights movement. What are some of the books that talk ...
- 291
-3
votes
3
answers
293
views
If WW2 trench warfare really was a poor use of outdated tactics then what what would have been more appropriate tactics to employ? [closed]
I'm no historian, but I've heard many times claims that WW2 trench warfare lead to mass death with no real progress because commanders were trying to keep using WW1 tactics despite WW2 technology (...
- 771
-1
votes
1
answer
188
views
How well were early WW2 naval tactics and strategy accounting for the importance of aircraft carriers? [closed]
I'm not an expert in WW2, but I've heard some conflicting claims about aircraft carriers and how they changed the nature of naval warfare. I know carriers entered wide use in WW2, but not how their ...
- 771
1
vote
0
answers
113
views
Is there a source for this anecdote about Chandragupta Maurya, battle strategies and hot rice? [closed]
An anecdote (1) about Chandragupta Maurya indicates he learnt that attacking margins is a better battle strategy than attacking the center, and that this insight came from a hot dish (possibly hot ...
- 21
0
votes
0
answers
154
views
Did soldiers ever use wooden pillows to hear attacks?
I remember reading somewhere that since sound travels way faster through the ground as compared to air, soldiers back in the day used wooden pillows that were hard. So if the enemy started marching in ...
- 109
2
votes
1
answer
441
views
Why did Allied Command maintain passive, especially Indian units in Middle East during the years 1942 and 1943?
I have found, going through stack exchange questions, a pair of links that speak about the presence.
Those links are: Statistics on the number of divisions during WWII and the deployment of a (mostly ...
- 6,794
10
votes
1
answer
8k
views
How important was the Suez Canal to the Allies during WWII?
The Suez Canal allows one to travel from the Mediterranean or North Atlantic to the Indian Ocean without having to circumvent the continent of Africa. A ship traveling from the UK to India could ...
user27618
6
votes
1
answer
304
views
How was the Karwendel railway important to Germany's plans for WW1?
While reading Max Hastings' book "Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes To War", I was surprised by the following paragraph (emphasis added):
In 1912-13 Germany had declined to support a tough Austrian ...
- 165
0
votes
2
answers
777
views
How did Red Army achieve to manipulate German Army in 1942 and 1943?
I had read during past days some books and internet texts about the East front campaign, during WW2. I took some information out of that, and it is very surprising to me.
First, I read that Russian ...
- 6,794
-3
votes
1
answer
334
views
What are tanks for? [closed]
I asked myself the simple question: "what is the purpose of tanks?", and I came up short.
It is said that a common misconception of tanks is that they are designed to destroy other tanks. That is ...
- 1,326
8
votes
1
answer
653
views
Where and when has Thucydides been studied?
Thucydides' history of the Peloponnesian war between Sparta and Athens, of which he was a contemporary and participating general, is studied still today in war academies and by political scientists ...
- 1,327
14
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Did Nazi leaders consider continuing guerrilla warfare after the collapse of Germany?
In July 1944, von Rundstedt was relieved of command in the Western front for expressing the opinion that the war was lost. This opinion must have been shared by the most of (the reasonable part of) ...
- 968
8
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Did imperialist Japan ever want to annex Hawaii because of the Japanese minority living here?
Hawaii had been colonized by Japanese people during the 19th century, before it became an American territory. There was an estimated 40% of Japanese in Hawaii in 1900 and 43% in 1920; thus we can ...
- 5,334
10
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Why did Coloman of Slavonia leave Sajó bridge weakly defended against the Mongols?
During the beginning hours of the Battle of Mohi, Coloman of Slavonia was able to repulse the Mongol attempt to secure the bridge for their safe crossing over the river.
But within two hours after ...
- 8,195
3
votes
2
answers
450
views
Was Falkenhayn the first commander to recommend defeating an enemy by bleeding them to death?
In his book The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916, Alistair Horne describes the memorandum introducing Erich Von Falkenhayn's plan to compel France to throw all its men into the defense of Verdun, because (...
- 4,279
-3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Why didn't the Allies attack Germany from the South? [closed]
I was thinking about how and when Italy was captured and converted into a Pro-Allies country. Once the Germans were pushed out of Italy and it was completely under Allied control, why did the Invasion ...
- 313
2
votes
1
answer
141
views
Was Isserson a good commander on the field?
Isserson is one of the fathers of the deep battle doctrine and was one of the most brilliant minds of the Soviet Army. (According to Joukov's memoir)
However, Isserson was also described as an awful ...
- 343
1
vote
2
answers
958
views
Did anyone ever try to beat the Great Wall of China by digging secret tunnels under it?
I know the Great Wall was useful to defend against enemies on land, but is there any record that people ever tried to beat the Great Wall by digging tunnels under it? If not, why didn't it happen?
- 135
36
votes
2
answers
23k
views
Normandy: Why did the landing craft open on the front?
I assume this beach scenario was typical on D-Day. (Graphic violence)
It shows a landing craft reaching the shore, where it lowers a hatch on the front of the craft, exposing the invading soldiers to ...
- 462
3
votes
1
answer
286
views
Military Strategy of Carnot
I'm listening to Mike Duncan's podcast, Revolutions, episode 3.44, and in it, he details the misfortunes of the French bumbling about the wrong side of the Rhine.
According to Duncan, Carnot, now a ...
- 141
28
votes
7
answers
12k
views
Why did trench warfare accept deadlocks?
As someone who has never studied military history or strategy I find it very hard to understand how and why both sides got locked into relatively short lines of heavily defended trench warfare with ...
11
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Why didn't the Allies wait for the nuclear bomb before invading Normandy?
Congruent to the argument that dropping the bomb on Japan saved US and axis lives.
-4
votes
2
answers
123
views
What is the benefit of historical studies for the process of creating tactics and strategies in foreign policy? [closed]
What products of historical working are considered valuable and/or critical to be considered as part of the process of creating political strategies that deals on an international level?
In other ...
- 525
30
votes
5
answers
14k
views
Was the Italian campaign a strategic mistake?
Background
In September 1943, the Allied forces invaded Southern Italy in combined airborne/amphibious operations in Reggio di Calabria (Operation Baytown), Salerno (Operation Avalanche) and Taranto (...
- 3,623
2
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Can we classify holocaust as Hitler's war time strategic mistake?
Can we classify the Holocaust as one of Hitler's war time strategic mistake?
- 2,675
6
votes
5
answers
2k
views
What were General Johnston's options during the Atlanta campaign?
A Confederate death knell in the Civil War was the capture of Atlanta by the North's General William T. Sherman. Arguably the turning point of the Atlanta campaign was when Confederate President ...
- 104k
7
votes
3
answers
4k
views
What was the reason for the Ottoman invasion of Otranto?
In 1480, the Ottomans invaded Otranto and briefly occupied it. However, it didn't seem that the city was strategically important or held particular value to the Ottomans, nor did they seem to follow ...
- 6,875
21
votes
4
answers
3k
views
What made Alexander great?
Historians have titled Alexander III of Macedon "the Great". In a very short period of time he conquered one of the largest empires in ancient history and was undefeated in battle.
What I'd like to ...
- 5,961
31
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Which war games did Napoleon practice with his generals?
I have read that Napoleon actively used to play strategy games with his generals in order to understand how they act in a range of situations. The generals also learned the same thing about each other....
- 1,676
5
votes
2
answers
9k
views
What effect did tanks have on warfare strategies upon their introduction?
After the introduction of the tank in WW1, what effect did their introduction have on how battles were carried out, and strategies were formulated?
- 1,398
10
votes
1
answer
299
views
What Factors Contributed to the Success of Certain "Long March" Strategies?
In the middle of the 100 years' War, France's Bertrand du Guesclin reportedly used "countermarch" tactics successfully against the English. Another example was General National Greene's "March to the ...
- 104k
18
votes
2
answers
10k
views
Did Sun Tzu's "Art of War" influence Napoleon's philosophy of war and strategy?
The "Art of War" by Sun Tzu is to my knowledge one of the most important and oldest books (besides Clausewitz, Machiavelli) about the philosophy of war and military strategy.
Were historians able to ...
- 4,234