Intelligent Military Strategy - The military strategies of renowned French general Antoine-Henri Jomini influence the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
In his youth, Antoine-Henri Jomini had the chance to be part of Marshal Ney's inner circle, a man whom Napoleon referred to as "the bravest of the brave." Jomini then participated in France's conflict against Prussia, with a position on the staff and witnessed the double battle of Jena and Auerstedt, as well as the downfall of Prussia's ancient regime.
Later, he joined the service of the Tsar, a common occurrence at that time given the frequent switching of allegiances. Jomini, however, was not French but Swiss. The prolific military theorist published more than 30 books on the subject of warfare, his most significant work being "Précis de l'art de la guerre," ("The Art of War"). In the following years, Jomini emerged as the leading military theorist of the 19th century, and his influence can still be seen in many ways.
In Germany, Jomini's significance was hardly acknowledged, primarily because Clausewitz was also around. These two contemporaries could not have been more dissimilar. Clausewitz was a war philosopher focusing on practical solutions, whereas Jomini took a more practical approach. He didn't write books meant for reflection, but instead produced textbooks for use in his day's military engagements. The essential difference was that Clausewitz died in 1831 and remained a one-book phenomenon, while Jomini lived a long life, propagated his method, and was not merely a gifted soldier but also a highly skilled entrepreneur.
Antoine-Henri Jomini's Theory of the Box
One of Jomini's ideas had a significant impact on the conflict in Ukraine: the theory of the box, a rectangular area with four sides. Jomini viewed every battlefield as a large box. The intriguing part was this: in order to master the battlefield, you didn't need to occupy it, only dominate its edges. This idea stemmed from one of Jomini's observations during the Napoleonic era. He believed that the objective of a campaign was not a particular battle, but rather its course. During the initial stages of a war, Jomini observed that both parties would usually occupy two lines of defense. In Jomini's instance, these could be rivers, mountain ranges or clusters of towns connected by roads. His groundbreaking insight was the following: by gaining control of a third line, the campaign's outcome would be determined. If you controlled three of the four sides, the space within the box would become part of your domain.
Jomini and the Art of Flanking
Jomini also realized the importance of supply lines. If an enemy held three sides of the box, their supply routes would be directly threatened, as they could only exit the box through one side. If you reached your foe's rear along the lines, that foe would be compelled to retreat from the terrain and hand over the box to you.
Jomini's Command of Tactics
In the Ukraine conflict, the Rhine or Mississippi River in other wars shrinks down to tactical dimensions, becoming rows of trees, small hills, and small towns and villages. The participants were not armies with tens of thousands of soldiers anymore, but rather battalions and individual assault groups. Despite the scale reduction, Jomini's strategy remains consistent. When the Russians managed to encircle their foes on three sides, they effectively weakened and eventually overpowered them. Difficult to capture positions became less secure over time, as the Russians could fire at the open side and support their own progression from all three sides. Applying Jomini's ideas, it can be said that the value of the contents within the box diminishes if three sides are lost. It's evident that the Russians may not be entirely cognizant of Jomini's theories, but his insights remain relevant in the realm of warfare.
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Source: www.stern.de
