Title: | Military power : Explaining victory and defeat in modern battle |
Authors: | Stephen Biddle |
Material Type: | Books |
Publisher: | New Delhi, India : Manas Publications, 2005 |
Article on page: | xi, 337 p. |
ISBN (or other code): | 978-81-7049-230-6 |
Languages: | English |
Class number: | 355.02 |
Tags: | Military history, Modern--20th century ; Military art and science--History--20th century ; Deployment (Strategy) ; Offensive (Military science) |
Abstract: |
Contents:
Introduction -- A literature built on weak foundations -- The modern system -- The modern system, preponderance, and changing technology -- Operation Michael-the second battle of the Somme : March 21-April 9, 1918 -- Operation Goodwood : July 18-20, 1944 -- Operation Desert Storm : January 17-February 28, 1991 -- Statistical tests -- Experimental tests -- Conclusion -- Appendix : a formal model of capability. Abstract: In war, do mass and materiel matter most? Will states with the largest, best equipped, information-technology-rich militaries invariably win? The prevailing answer today among both scholars and policymakers is yes. But this is to overlook force employment, or the doctrine and tactics by which materiel is actually used. In a landmark reconception of battle and war, this book provides a systematic account of how force employment interacts with materiel to produce real combat outcomes. Stephen Biddle argues that force employment is central to modern war, becoming increasingly important since 1900 as the key to surviving ever more lethal weaponry. Technological change produces opposite effects depending on how forces are employed; to focus only on materiel is thus to risk major error--with serious consequences for both policy and scholarship. In clear, fluent prose, Biddle provides a systematic account of force employment's role and shows how this account holds up under rigorous, multimethod testing. The results challenge a wide variety of standard views, from current expectations for a revolution in military affairs to mainstream scholarship in international relations and orthodox interpretations of modern military history. Military Power will have a resounding impact on both scholarship in the field and on policy debates over the future of warfare, the size of the military, and the makeup of the defense budget. |
Copies (2)
Barcode | Call number | Media type | Location | Section | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
311117 | 355.02 BID M | Book | Royal Military Academy | Bibliothèque ERM | Available |
301072 | 355.02 BID M | Book | Royal Military Academy | Army department | Due for return by 12/31/2025 |