CHAPTER 3 Army /military organization

3.1 Meaning of Army

It is an organization of men in arms to wage war.

Is led by doctrine

Is shaped by the government (party) on power and serves to protect and promote its policies.

The behaviour of the army is determined by and is the reflection of the political system.

The size and equipments OrganizationsDoctrineThe concept and direction of its development

The development of armies is related with the evolutionary development of society

Mission complexityImprovement in Armament & equipments.In the conduct of war

3.2 Armies /military/ organization in Ethiopian context.

FDRE Army Regimental Field Manual states: - The Military serves as instrument to protect national interests and security objectives

It is one of the instruments of national power

The Alpha-Omega (Fundamental objective) of national security policy is safeguarding national survival

For the reign of peace, stability, and economic development, Military serves as means to ensure these goals.

Military build- up is a broad and continuous activity

Building up of Military is inseparably related with the development our society

The behavior of the military and its role is determined by the nature and character of the political system

In a democratic system the military takes democratic character

Objectives of FDRE military build up

Deterrence

War is not FDREs priority

Building strong military protects and sustains the relative peace the nation enjoys and avoids any threat of war

2. Winning the war

Should deterrence fails, in coordination with all other instruments of national power, defeat aggression launched on the country with the lowest cost and the shortest time possible.

3. Ensure democratic leadership in the military

The above two objectives can be achieved through implementing this objective

The military must be composed of members from beneficiaries of the political system and reflect Ethiopian society.

Shaped in line with the political system and ensure unreduced democratic leadership

Tasks of FDRE Armed Forces

Preparing for war

In peace time prepare for possible war in future

Preparations made, and the capacity built in peace time, serves to deter future war

The objective of maintaining peace can be ensured through preparation for war and observable capacity and skill built

B. Defeating adversary in war

In war the main task is to win enemy in short time possible and with the least cost

The capacity built in peace time enables it to win war by reverting aggression and/ or defeat anti constitutional war.

With respect to the provoked aggression, with least preparation, sound planning and deployment, destroy adversary, nullify the aggression and bring the status quo-ante.

CHAPTER 4 Contributors on the developments of Army and War

War as a social phenomenon, all other social factors affect on its conduct and development positively or negatively.

The study of the history of war and military affairs is inseparably related with the history of the society

Contributions of these Factors

4.1 Economy

In order to train, equip, maintain, transport, and sustain the military in war, there must be economy capable of enduring such burden.

In all social systems in history (slavery, Feudal, and capitalist etc) the role of economy in developing military power and conducting war is important.

4.2) Social and political Factors Politics is the cause of war and war is the means to achieve political objectives

All economic, political and social changes are subject to and determined by the nature of the political system.

War also is subject to the political system.The political system is the decisive force in defining the mission, organization, purpose and conduct of war.

4.3) History, Cultureetc Play strong role in military organization and conducting war.

4.4 Contributions of Military thinkers/theoreticians/

Theory does not provide the answers to war.

Theory does provide a framework that stimulates questions and to seek workable answers.

Theory offers insight and improves your judgment.

Theory is not doctrine and has few definitive answers.

Who is Sun -Tzu?

Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, there was a period in China known as the Age of Warring States.

This was an age of great conflict and uncertainty as sevenstates fought for survival & control of China.

For these states to win they sought out any means of gaining advantage over their opponents; those with knowledge on strategy & leadership was especially sought after.

It was during this time that there arose a general from the state of Ch'i known as Sun Tzu. His ability to win victories for his warlord gained him fame and power.

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To hand down the wisdom he had gained from his years of battles Sun Tzu wrote a book, The Art of War, that became the classic work on strategy in China.

His book, which details a complete philosophy on how to decisively defeat one's opponent, has given guidance to military theorists and generals throughout the ages. In The Art of War, military readers found a holistic approach to strategy that was powerful and deep--it is truly a masterpiece on strategy

According to Sun Tzu, Warfare is important to a nation. It is a matter of life and death. It is the way to survival or to destruction. So study it. Study the five factors of warfare: Way, Heaven, Ground, General, and Law. Calculate your strength in each and compare them to your enemy's strengths.

Sun-Tzu

Felt that a good general gains victory without battle and that no nation ever benefited from a long war

Understood history as a dynamic process and subordinated military to political consideration. Stressed destruction of the enemys will rather than merely of his physical forces.

Discussed tactics and strategies of actual combat.

Bloodless struggle refers to political and psychological matters rather than actual war.Accepted the traditional Chinese ideal of uniting all under heaven, even though China was split into warring states, which ended in the unification of China.

to subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skillFrustrate enemys plansBrake alliancesDissent between sovereign and ministerSuperiors and inferiorsCommanders and subordinatesEnemy is isolated and demoralized, will is brokenOnly if this does not work should resort to armed force

Attributes of ideal generalLeadership or Command- Sun Tzu meant the abilities and qualities a general possessed. courage, quality of being bravewisdom, - accumulated learning benevolence, kindness, helpful sincerity, honest and genuine strictness. Maintain discipline

Jominni

Place superior power at the decisive point.

Emphasized the advantages of interior lines to the exclusion of other possibilities.

Comments on the importance of morale.

Comments on the impossibility of fixed rules (except tactics).

Believes war is an art (not a science).

Made a clear differentiation between mere military knowledge and battlefield skill.Wrote his book after reading Clausewitzs On War.

Clausewitzs On War

Carl von Clausewitz was born in Prussia in 1780Before he was anything else he was a Prussian soldier. He entered service at age 12 and died in uniform 39 years later in 1831. Carl entered the Prussian army himself and attended the military school in Berlin in 1801

Clausewitz graduated at the top of his class in 1804 in time to serve as an aide to a Prussian prince in the battles of Jena and Auerstadt in 1806.

Prussian forces lost badly, and Clausewitz was obliged to spend a year as a prisoner on parole in French territory

Clausewitz and some thirty other officers resigned their commissions and took service in the Russian Army.In 1818 Clausewitz was made administrative director of the war college in Berlin and promoted to major general

and he is well known by his famous book on war

Clausewitz

War (as opposed to strategy of tactics) is neither an art nor a science.

War is a form of social intercourse.

War is an act of force to compel our enemy to do our will.

ABSOLUTE WAR Is a philosophical abstraction, a logical fantasy that is impossible to achieve in reality. It is war in a pure form, violence at its most extreme, unrestrained by intelligent forces or by the frictional effects of time, space, and human nature. It occurs for no particular reason and takes place in a maximum effort by warring parties. It aims at the overthrow of the enemy through the destruction of his physical means to resist.

REAL WAR Is constrained by social and political context, by human nature, and by the restrictions imposed by time and space. these factors forbid that the absolute should ever occur.

FOG OF WAR Is both the unreliability of received intelligence, and the psychological reaction to war that causes you to doubt your own judgment.

FRICTION Is another source of unpredictability coming from Wars uncertainty, chance, suffering, confusion, exhaustion, and fear. FRICTION comes from the effects of time, space, and human Nature; it is the fundamental and unavoidable force That makes war in reality differ from the abstract model of Absolute War.

CLAUSEWITZIAN Trinity of war

Center of GravityOne must keep the dominant characteristics of both belligerents in mind. Out of these characteristics a certain center of gravity develops, the hub of all power and movement, on which everything depends. That is the point against which all our energies should be directed.Common cogs include the army, the capital and alliances.

Von Moltke

Moltke argues that: Strategy can direct its efforts only toward the highest goal that the available means makes practically possible. It best supports policy in working solely to further political aims, but as far as possible in operating independent of policy. Policy dare not intrude itself into operations.

A courageous leader wins by grabbing the opportunities that come his way without hesitating. A wise leader has the ability of recognizing changing situations and act accordingly. If benevolent, he empathizes with his men, and appreciates their toil and diligence. When he displays sincerity, his troops are assured of their just rewards as well as punishments. With strictness, he inculcates discipline in his men. The leader in any situation defines and creates his organizational unit by his skills of making correct decisions and his character. ***