A Modern State Is Such A Complex

The Art Of The Indirect Approach Can Only Be Mastered, And Its Full Scope Appreciated, By Study Of And Reflection Upon The Whole History Of War. But We Can At Least Crystallize The Lessons Into Two Simple Maxims- One Negative, The Other Positive. The First Is That, In Face Of The Overwhelming Evidence Of History, No General Is Justified In Launching His Troops To A Direct Attack Upon An Enemy Firmly In Position. The Second, That Instead Of Seeking To Upset The Enemy's Equilibrium By One's Attack, It Must Be Upset Before A Real Attack Is, Or Can Be Successfully Launched

The Unexpected Cannot Guarantee Success, But It Guarantees The Best Chance Of Success.

In War The Chief Incalculable Is The Human Will, Which Manifests Itself In Resistance, Which In Turn Lies In The Province Of Tactics. Strategy Has Not To Overcome Resistance, Except From Nature. Its Purpose Is To Diminish The Possibility Of Resistance, And It Seeks To Fulfil This Purpose By Exploiting The Elements Of Movement And Surprise.

It Should Be The Aim Of Grand Strategy To Discover And Pierce The Achilles' Heel Of The Opposing Government's Power To Make War. Strategy, In Turn, Should Seek To Penetrate A Joint In The Harness Of The Opposing Forces. To Apply One's Strength Where The Opponent Is Strong Weakens Oneself Disproportionately To The Effect Attained. To Strike With Strong Effect, One Must Strike At Weakness.

While Hitting One Must Guard ... In Order To Hit With Effect, The Enemy Must Be Taken Off His Guard.