Map of force movements and major engagements of the Waterloo campaign June 15-18, 1815 – by Ipankonin for Wikipedia “Military Strategy” and licensed for use https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
(6) STRATEGY & TACTICS
In a nutshell, tactics win battles while strategy wins wars.
Yes, that omits the operational level of war which falls between them – “that connects the details of factics with the goals of strategy” – as I prefer the sharper duality of tactics and strategy without the more nebulous operational level between them.
And yes – strategy and tactics are fundamental elements or levels of war rather than types of war as such, although I’d argue some wars are more strategic in nature while others are more tactical, barely transcending the tactical level if at all.
Hence, strategy and tactics earn their special mention entry for my types of war – indeed each of strategy and tactics could well be the subject of top tens lists of their own, or several top ten lists divided between defensive or offensive strategy and tactics. It’s apt that strategy and tactics – essentially out-thinking your enemy – follow after psychological warfare, but some may query they follow after espionage and intelligence, even as fundamental as the latter are for strategy and tactics. However, I’m going to go out on a limb with a hot take here and speculate that stategy and tactics evolved out of espionage and intelligence rather than the other way round. Prior to drilled infantry fighting in formation, my speculation is that prehistoric or the earliest historical warfare was not particularly strategic or tactical (outside of surprise through ambush or raid) but rather a matter of which combatant had the fiercest or strongest warriors – or probably most of all, the most warriors.
Strategy is not so much concerned with individual battles – indeed Sun Tzu famously propounded strategy or the art of war as winning without fighting – but understanding the nature of war, and above all, your purpose in waging it.
“Military tactics encompasses the art of organizing and employing fighting forces on or near the battlefield…the application of four battlefield functions which are closely related – kinetic or firepower, mobility, protection or security, and shock action.”
RATING: 5 STARS*****
S-TIER (GOD TIER)