History of Maneuver Warfare & Operational Art

Although QuikManeuvers focuses on crucial events that occurred within the most important wars during the 66, years that we consider most significant to America’s future (1940-2006), we cannot ignore a central historical figure whose influence on the 20th and 21st century is far greater than most people recognize.

“The French military genius, Napoleon Bonaparte, is a historical figure of supreme importance to the development of modern, twentieth century maneuver warfare. He is both the father of strategy and the most excellent historical model for maneuver warfare. His combat skill at an infinite variety of force deployments and maneuvers has never been equaled. That skill enabled him to overrun most of Europe in a few years. Few commanders of any era can match Napoleon in military insight or combat experience; he commanded over sixty battles. When he led his army groups into Russia in 1812, Napoleon led the largest, best-organized army the world had seen in either the 18th or 19th centuries. His twelve all-arms corps (many the size of armies), one artillery corps, and his four cavalry corps (45,000 horsemen), included an elite Imperial Guard of over 75,000 men. With 614,000 infantry, 152,000 cavalry and 1,266 guns, Napoleon's army group had a higher mobility ratio, 40% cavalry, than did Adolph Hitler's forces that invaded Russia 129 years later.” (excerpt from Center of Gravity)

Napoleon Bonaparte was the first general to develop the modern concept of operational level warfare. Creating unique combined arms corps, another pioneering innovation; he moved them into combat along several parallel avenues of approach. When he converged on the enemy, his battles were usually marked by operational holding action coordinated with enveloping maneuvers by corps not yet engaged in combat.

It is appropriate that QuikManuevers’ publication, Center of Gravity, begins its discussion of maneuver warfighting with Napoleon. If you are interested in reading more, go to http://www.quikmaneuvers.com/center_of_gravity.html