Strategy : The Logic of War and Peace, Revised and Enlarged Edition

“If you want peace, prepare for war.” “A buildup of offensive weapons can be purely defensive.” “The worst road may be the best route to battle.” Strategy is made of such seemingly self-contradictory propositions, Edward Luttwak shows—they exemplify the paradoxical logic that pervades the entire realm of conflict. In this widely acclaimed work, now revised and expanded, Luttwak unveils the peculiar logic of strategy level by level, from grand strategy down to combat tactics. Having participated in its planning, Luttwak examines the role of air power in the 1991 Gulf War, then detects the emergence of “post-heroic” war in Kosovo in 1999—an American war in which not a single American soldier was killed. In the tradition of Carl von Clausewitz, Strategy goes beyond paradox to expose the dynamics of reversal at work in the crucible of conflict. As victory is turned into defeat by over-extension, as war brings peace by exhaustion, ordinary linear logic is overthrown. Citing examples from ancient Rome to our own days, from Barbarossa and Pearl Harbor down to minor combat affrays, from the strategy of peace to the latest operational methods of war, this book by one of the world’s foremost authorities reveals the ultimate logic of military failure and success, of war and peace. Luttwak's become the unthinkable. And here he has succeeded magnificently. For peacemakers and warmakers alike." -- Harry G. Summers, Jr., New York Times Book Review. "If you want peace, prepare for war". "A buildup of offensive weapons can be purely defensive". "The worst road may be the best route to battle". Strategy is made of such seemingly self-contradictory propositions, Edward Luttwak shows - they exemplify the paradoxical logic that pervades the entire realm of conflict. In this widely acclaimed work, now revised and expanded, Luttwak unveils the peculiar logic of strategy level by level, from grand strategy down to combat tactics. Having participated in its planning, Luttwak examines the role of air power in the 1991 Gulf War, then detects the emergence of "post-heroic" war in Kosovo in 1999 - an American war in which not a single American soldier was killed. In the tradition of Carl von Clausewitz, "Strategy" goes beyond paradox to expose the dynamics of reversal at work in the crucible of conflict. As victory is turned into defeat by over-extension, as war brings peace by exhaustion, ordinary linear logic is overthrown. Citing examples from ancient Rome to our own days, from Barbarossa and Pearl Harbor down to minor combat affrays, from the strategy of peace to the latest operational methods of war, this book by one of the world's foremost authorities reveals the ultimate logic of military failure and success, of war and peace Acknowledgments 8 Contents 10 Preface 12 PART I THE LOGIC OF STRATEGY 14 1 The Conscious Use of Paradox in War 16 2 The Logic in Action 29 3 Efficiency and the Culminating Point of Success 45 4 The Coming Together of Opposites 63 PART II THE LEVELS OF STRATEGY 100 5 The Technical Level 106 6 The Tactical Level 116 7 The Operational Level 125 8 Theater Strategy I: Military Options and Political Choices 151 9 Theater Strategy II: Offense and Defense 160 10 Theater Strategy III: Interdiction and the Surprise Attack 171 11 Nonstrategies: Naval, Air, Nuclear 181 12 The Renaissance of Strategic Air Power 198 PART III OUTCOMES: GRAND STRATEGY 220 13 The Scope of Grand Strategy 222 14 Armed Suasion 231 15 Harmony and Disharmony in War 247 16 Can Strategy Be Useful? 271 Appendix A Definitions of Strategy 280 Appendix B The Gulf War Air Campaign 284 Appendix C Instant Thunder 292 Notes 294 Works Cited 312 Index 317 In this widely acclaimed work, now revised and expanded, Luttwak unveils the peculiar logic of strategy level by level, from grand strategy down to combat tactics. He explores examples from ancient Rome to present day to reveal the ultimate logic of military failure and success, of war and peace. 5 tables If you want peace, prepare for war. The worst road may be the best route to battle. Strategy, Edward Luttwak shows, is made of such seemingly self-contradictory propositions. In this book, Luttwak unveils the peculiar logic of strategy level by level, from grand strategy down to combat tactics.