Keegan states that the distinction between strategy and tactics is "elusive and artificial." Please explain.
Printable View
Keegan states that the distinction between strategy and tactics is "elusive and artificial." Please explain.
One could see strategy as the set of actions and planning to achieve a grand goal; and tacticts as the set of procedures to gain the upper hand in a confrontation...
While Keegan points out how the distinction between the two is something "feeble" and "constructed"...
Imo it's all down to a personal view...
That's not very satisfying. :shrug:
Correction: Face of Battle. Oh dear.
I don't know how to make it clearer :S
It's like this: tacticts are used to win a battle, while strategy to win the war; Keegan says that it's all the same...
This is very simplistic though...
That's what I was referring to.Quote:
Imo it's all down to a personal view...
Yes, I see that you yourself provided a reasonable distinction. So why doesn't Keegan see one?
Ohhhhhh :P
That in your quote was how I see it :D (there's a distiction or not depending on one's opinion)
To me they are two different things: for example one can have in mind a set goal, but rely on opportunism or is powerless to mold reality to his favour, even if he can achieve victory on the battlefield...
First to my mind is Spartacus...
I read "A History of Warfare" by Keegan, didn't read "Face of Battle" yet (you gave me another one to add to the list ^^), so I can't say...
Doesn't he go further with his idea in the book?
As far as I remember, he just mentions it offhand in the first chapter.
Further: Strategy - Army Group A and Army Group B will coordinate to encircle enemy capital
Tactics - Deploy armor in echelon and with overlapping lines of sight
Well uhm... that's clearly seeing them as two concepts :P
Unless he consider the whole picture as military operations at macro or micro levels...
I hope someone with better knowledge than mine can enlight this...
I haven't read the book, but the distinction has always revolved around planning and execution in my mind.
Off topic, but you should try it. I found it the most interesting analytical book I have read about war.Quote:
Originally Posted by PanzerJaeger
Ther Face of Battle is an excellent book.
The best explanation of strategy vs. tactics I ever read was in a Guns & Ammo column by Col. Jeff Cooper:
"Strategy is getting the girl to go out with you, picking her up on time, taking her to dinner, cataloguing her charms, and then finding a nice dark, quiet place to park afterwards - from that point on it's all tactics."
Ahahahahahahah priceless Beirut ^^