Military Strategy & Policy Alignment

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary risk associated with political leaders micromanaging military tactics?

It fosters better communication and collaboration between political and military strategists.
It ensures that military actions are always aligned with public opinion.
It can lead to ineffective military interventions due to a disconnect from military realities. (correct)
It enhances the adaptability of military operations to changing political goals.

According to Hew Strachan, what is the primary consequence of conflating strategy with policy and grand strategy?

It disconnects military operations from political objectives, resulting in ineffective planning and execution. (correct)
It enhances diplomatic efforts, leading to more peaceful resolutions.
It ensures military operations are precisely aligned with economic goals.
It allows for quicker military responses to emerging global threats.

In Strachan's analysis, what was a key flaw in the U.S. grand strategy during the Vietnam War?

The grand strategy allowed military leaders to dictate political decisions, prolonging the conflict.
The grand strategy focused on containment but failed to align military tactics with clear objectives. (correct)
The grand strategy maintained a clear distinction between military means and political ends.
The grand strategy successfully integrated economic and diplomatic tools.

What does the text suggest is a key problem when political rhetoric dictates military strategy, as exemplified by the 2003 Iraq War?

It causes a disconnect between the stated political objectives and the actual military capabilities and long-term planning. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does Strachan identify as the main problem with viewing the operational level as a 'politics-free zone'?

It isolates military campaigns from political objectives, leading to tactical successes but strategic failures. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of civil-military relations, what is the most significant risk of military leaders influencing policy decisions?

It can lead to conflicts that are more aligned with military objectives but less attuned to broader political and social considerations. (B) Signup and view all the answers

According to Strachan, what is the appropriate balance of power between generals and politicians in strategic decision-making?

Generals should control strategy, while politicians should set policy. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What should be the primary focus of a 'rediscovered' military strategy?

Ensuring military means are directly related to achievable objectives, reclaiming strategy from vague political discourse. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Strachan critiques the 2003 Iraq War for which of the following strategic errors?

The misconception of strategy as ideological, demonstrated by the 'strategy of freedom'. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How did the U.S. political leadership's approach to the 2003 Iraq War exemplify a confusion of strategy with policy?

By focusing on detailed operational planning while neglecting the broader strategic implications and long-term vision for post-war Iraq. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What critical oversight does Strachan point out regarding the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War?

The lack of a political plan for Iraq's stability following the military victory in Kuwait. (B) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the Afghanistan War (2001-2021), what strategic deficiency does Strachan highlight?

The war lacked clear military objectives, becoming an ideological struggle. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How did Cold War deterrence redefine the traditional concept of strategy, according to Strachan?

It transformed strategy into a tool for preventing war rather than winning it. (D) Signup and view all the answers

According to Clausewitz's definition, what is the primary role of military force in relation to political objectives?

To serve as a tool to achieve political objectives. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes Liddell Hart's concept of grand strategy?

Coordinating all national resources to achieve policy goals, avoiding war when possible. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How did Moltke the Elder's view of strategy differ from Clausewitz's?

Moltke believed that once war begins, it should be left to the generals, while Clausewitz saw war as an extension of policy. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a valid critique of using 'strategy' as an overarching term for policy goals, according to Strachan?

It blurs the distinction between policy and the specific use of military force. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How did Cold War deterrence strategy challenge traditional concepts of military strategy?

By transforming strategy into a political-diplomatic tool focused on preventing war. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In what way did Fuller's strategic thought influence military planning?

By incorporating mechanization and technology into strategic planning. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which element did Corbett emphasize as central to strategy, expanding it beyond battlefield tactics?

The coordination of military, economic, and diplomatic elements, especially naval power. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How did Ludendorff's concept of 'total war' differ from Clausewitz's view of war as a political instrument?

Ludendorff believed politics should serve military strategy in total war, while Clausewitz argued that war serves policy. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Considering Beaufre's concept of 'total strategy,' how should military strategy be viewed in relation to economic and diplomatic strategies?

As an equivalent part of a total strategy that includes economic and diplomatic elements. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What fundamental shift in strategic thinking did Schelling introduce during the Cold War period?

A focus on shaping the opponent's choices through deterrence, rather than winning wars. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How does the operational level of war differ from grand strategy, according to critiques of the concept?

The operational level is criticized for isolating military action from political goals, while grand strategy coordinates national resources. (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to Strachan, what is a common misuse of the term 'strategy' in modern foreign policy?

Using it interchangeably with diplomacy and policy goals. (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to Clausewitz, what risk arises when war is not carefully controlled by policy?

Escalation to 'total war,' an all-consuming, unlimited conflict. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best reflects Strachan's interpretation of Clausewitz's view on the relationship between policy and strategy?

Policy sets the ends, while strategy determines the means to achieve them, with strategy subordinate to policy. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does Strachan suggest military professionals should do to improve the current state of strategic thinking?

Reclaim strategic thought and contribute their expertise to policy discussions. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In conventional strategy, what role should diplomacy play in relation to military strategy?

Diplomacy should operate alongside military strategy but not replace it. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How did the Napoleonic Wars contribute to the evolution of strategy?

They required the mobilization of entire societies and national resources, laying the groundwork for grand strategy. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best characterizes Mahan's key idea of strategy?

Seeking naval power to control sea lanes for global dominance. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is most accurate regarding the relationship between war and policy, according to Clausewitz?

War is merely the continuation of policy by other means, serving as a tool to achieve political objectives. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How did industrialization impact the nature of warfare and the development of strategy?

It expanded the scope of warfare, requiring logistical planning and coordination across multiple fronts. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes Liddell Hart's contribution to the concept of grand strategy?

Formally defining grand strategy as the coordination of all national resources towards political objectives. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How did the Cold War affect the relationship between diplomacy and strategy, according to Strachan?

It blurred the distinction, with strategy becoming a diplomatic tool rather than a military plan. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is Clausewitz's view on the relationship between political objectives and military strategy?

Military strategy should serve political objectives defined by policymakers. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of the U.S. 'War on Terror' does Strachan critique in relation to Clausewitz's theories?

Its vague policy goals and lack of clear military objectives. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What potential negative consequence does Clausewitz warn about regarding political overreach into military affairs?

Military micromanagement causing failures. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does Strachan characterize the balance between civilian policymakers and military leaders in modern governments?

Civilian policymakers dominate strategic thinking, sidelining military leaders. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which historical event is cited as an example of civilian policymakers ignoring military advice, leading to negative consequences?

The Iraq War (2003). (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the central idea of 'grand strategy' as it evolved beyond the traditional military definition of strategy?

Integrating national resources, diplomacy, and economic factors into strategic planning. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was Jomini's view of strategy?

The art of making war upon the map (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was Clausewitz's view of strategy?

The use of the engagement for the purpose of the war. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes how nuclear deterrence strategies altered the focus of strategy during the Cold War?

By shifting the focus from winning wars to preventing them through geopolitical balancing. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How did post-Cold War advancements in military technology, such as drones and guided missiles, impact strategic planning?

They enabled tactical precision but often lacked integration into a broader strategic vision. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key criticism of George W. Bush's "Strategy of Freedom"?

It blurred the lines between broad ideological aims and specific security strategies. (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to Strachan, what is the proper relationship between strategy and policy?

Strategy should serve policy by providing the means to achieve political objectives. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the tactical level of war?

How forces engage in battles (e.g., manoeuvres, direct combat). (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary reason for introducing the operational level of war in the 1980s?

To improve large-scale military planning and coordination between tactics and strategy. (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to Strachan, what is a key problem with the operational level of war?

It disconnects military action from broader political objectives, creating a 'politics-free zone'. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How does the operational level of war distort the traditional Clausewitzean view of war?

By viewing war as an end in itself—winning campaigns—rather than a tool to achieve political goals. (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the Gulf War (1991), what is Strachan's main criticism?

The absence of a clear plan for Iraq after the military's success in driving Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What strategic failure in the Gulf War (1991) contributed to long-term instability in the region?

The failure to establish a clear plan for Iraq's future governance after the war. (D) Signup and view all the answers

According to Strachan, how has the operational level of war affected Western military thinking in conflicts like Afghanistan?

It has continued to distort military thinking, prioritizing military operations without a coherent long-term strategy. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following exemplifies a strategic failure in the Iraq War (2003)?

The failure to adequately plan for post-war governance and stability. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant strategic flaw in the Afghanistan War?

The absence of a long-term strategy to build a stable Afghan state, leading to the Taliban's resurgence. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the operational level of war?

Coordinated campaigns involving the movement of forces to achieve strategic effects. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a diluted use of the term "strategy"?

A foreign policy initiative aimed at promoting democracy globally. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Strategy

Military means used to achieve political goals.

Policy

Defines the political objectives of the state.