Lectures on Land Warfare | Page 2

Foch; Marshal Haig)--Necessity for Study (Gen. Sir E. B. Hamley; Marshal French; Marshal Foch; Napoleon)--"Common Sense" (Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis; General Grant)--"Higher Ranks" Fallacy (Col. Henderson; Gen. Sir E. B. Hamley)--Necessity for Study proved (Col. Henderson).
STRATEGY AND TACTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Definitions--Theatre of Operations the Kingdom of Strategy; Field of Battle the Province of Tactics--Tactics subservient to Strategy (Lord Roberts's Advance; First Battle of Somme; First Battle of Cambrai; Gen. Lew Wallace at the Monocacy; Marshal Grouchy at Wavre)--Moral--Idiosyncracies of leaders (Napoleon at Austerlitz; Wellington at Sauroren; Lee and Jackson versus Abraham Lincoln)--National Moral (Foch, quoted)--Discipline and Mobility (Battle of Hastings)--Marching Power (Stonewall Jackson)--Time--Weather--Health--Human Nature (Fabius and Roman people; McClellan and his Government; Thomas at Nashville; Roberts in South Africa)--The Spirit of France ("Nous sommes trahis" of 1870 and cheers of the poilus in 1917)--Great Britain--America--Lord Roberts's previous warning ("Germany strikes when Germany's hour has struck")--Col. Henderson on moral of British and American troops--"The Contemptible Little Army"--The New Armies (Tribute from Marshal Haig endorsed by Marshal Foch)--Changes in Methods of Warfare--Value of official Text-books.
THE BATTLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-32
The Battle is the "only argument" of War--Characteristics of the Battle (Issue uncertain; Human factor; Value of Reserves; Superiority at point of Attack)--Lee's "partial attacks" at Malvern Hill of no avail--Phases of the Battle--Information and the Initiative (Salamanca; First Battle of the Marne; Battle of Baccarat)--Development of the Battle (Surprise; "Like a bolt from the blue" as at Chancellorsville or First Battle of Cambrai; Marshal Foch on value of Surprise)--The Decisive Blow--Arbela.
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HOW BATTLES ARE INFLUENCED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33-44
Commander's influence by his Orders and by his employment of Reserves--Subordinates must "bring to fruit the scheme of the higher command"--The "fog of battle"--Information--Co-operation (on grand scale at First Battle of the Marne; on minor scale at Gneudecourt)--Fire Tactics--Value of withholding fire (Heights of Abraham; Bunker Hill; Fredericksburg; Retreat from Mons)--Enfilade and Reverse Fire (The Bluff in Ypres Salient)--Movement--Advancing under Fire--Withdrawing under Fire in "Delaying Action"--Holding on (Untimely surrender at Soissons; Stubborn defence at First and Second Battles of Ypres; Tr?nes Wood; Bourlon Village; Polygon Wood; Givenchy)--Covering Fire--Fire and Movement inseparably associated.
TYPES OF BATTLE ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45-50
Three distinct systems--The Defensive Battle seldom effects positive results (Gettysburg; Fredericksburg)--The Offensive Battle (Marlborough; Frederick the Great; Napoleon; Wellington; Grant; Franco-Prussian War; Battle of Blenheim described)--The Defensive-Offensive Battle (Marengo; Austerlitz; Dresden; Vittoria; Orthez; Toulouse; Waterloo; Final Battles of the Great War; Battle of Waterloo described)--Opportunities for "restoring" the battle (Antietam)--Chancellorsville a great Defensive-Offensive Battle--Passing from the "guard" to the "thrust" (Second Battle of the Marne).
THE ATTACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51-69
Culminating point of all manoeuvres--Quick decision required or "Position Warfare" will supervene--Second Battle of the Somme--Methods of Attack--Two plans--Decisive blow on pre-determined spot or in direction ascertained by fighting--Strength of the Attack--Disposition of the Troops--Forward Body, Supports and Local Reserves--General Reserve--The Commander's Plans--The Position of Assembly (Banks's single column defeated by Forrest in Red River Valley)--The Attacking Force (St. Privat; Plevna)--The Decisive Attack--Advantages and Disadvantages of Frontal and Flank Attacks--Decisive Attack must be followed up (Gettysburg; Chattanooga)--Detailing the Units--Artillery in Attack (Verneville; Colenso; mobility and protection of modern Artillery)--Cavalry in Attack (Appomattox and Paardeberg; Ramadie; Bagdadieh; Gaines's Mill; Gettysburg; First Battle of Cambrai; Battle of Amiens; Second Battle of Le Cateau; Archangel Front; Battle of the Sambre)--Royal Engineers--Medical Arrangements--Supply--Commander's Position--Battle Reports--Reorganisation and Pursuit ("Success must be followed up until the enemy's power is ruined.")
FORMATION OF INFANTRY FOR THE ATTACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70-75
The Platoon (Square and Diamond Formations; Ground Scouts; Flank Scouts; Behind a Barrage)--The Platoon Commander ("Appreciating the situation")--The Company--The Company Commander--The Battalion--The Battalion Commander (Personal examples; Monchy le Preux; Battle of Cambrai; Second Battle of the Somme).
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DEFENSIVE ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76-97
Counter-attack the soul of Defence--Reasons for adopting defensive attitude (Chancellorsville)--Defensive-Offensive Battles (Marengo, Austerlitz, and Waterloo)--Obligatory Defensive--(Nachod; Thermopylae; Horatius Codes; Second Battle of the Somme; Rorke's Drift; Le Quesnoy)--Voluntary occupation for future use (Salamanca; Soissons; Hal and Tubize)--Delaying Action--The Offensive Spirit--Defence in Modern Warfare--Inventions have strengthened the Defence (Quotations from Marshals Foch and French and from "F. S. R.")--Position Warfare and its characteristics--Entrenchments (Torres Vedras)--Defensive Systems--Choosing a position