As the march is the instrument by which strategy apportions its active
elements, the combats, but these last often only appear by their
results and not in the details of their real course, it could not fail
to happen that in theory the instrument has often been substituted for
the efficient principle. Thus we hear of a decisive skilful march,
allusion being thereby made to those combat-combinations to which these
marches led. This substitution of ideas is too natural and conciseness
of expression too desirable to call for alteration, but still it is
only a condensed chain of ideas in regard to which we must never omit
to bear in mind the full meaning, if we would avoid falling into error.
We fall into an error of this description if we attribute to
strategical combinations a power independent of tactical results. We
read of marches and manœuvres combined, the object attained, and at the
same time not a word about combat, from which the conclusion is drawn
that there are means in War of conquering an enemy without fighting.
The prolific nature of this error we cannot show until hereafter.
But although a march can be regarded absolutely as an integral part of
the combat, still there are in it certain relations which do not belong
to the combat, and therefore are neither tactical nor strategic. To
these belong all arrangements which concern only the accommodation of
the troops, the construction of bridges, roads, &c. These are only
conditions; under many circumstances they are in very close connection,
and may almost identify themselves with the troops, as in building a
bridge in presence of the enemy; but in themselves they are always
activities, the theory of which does not form part of the theory of the
conduct of War.
Camps, by which we mean every disposition of troops in concentrated,
therefore in battle order, in contradistinction to cantonments or
quarters, are a state of rest, therefore of restoration; but they are
at the same time also the strategic appointment of a battle on the
spot, chosen; and by the manner in which they are taken up they contain
the fundamental lines of the battle, a condition from which every
defensive battle starts; they are therefore essential parts of both
strategy and tactics.
Cantonments take the place of camps for the better refreshment of the
troops. They are therefore, like camps, strategic subjects as regards
position and extent; tactical subjects as regards internal
organisation, with a view to readiness to fight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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