The Most Effective Indirect Approach Is One

Air Power Is, Above All, A Psychological Weapon - And Only Short-sighted Soldiers, Too Battle-minded, Underrate The Importance Of Psychological Factors In War.

To Foster The People's Willing Spirit Is Often As Important As To Possess The More Concrete Forms Of Power.

While The Nominal Strength Of A Country Is Represented By Its Numbers And Resources, This Muscular Development Is Dependent On The State Of Its Internal Organs And Nerve-system - Upon Its Stability Of Control, Morale, And Supply.

Natural Hazards, However Formidable, Are Inherently Less Dangerous And Less Uncertain Than Fighting Hazards. All Conditions Are More Calculable, All Obstacles More Surmountable Than Those Of Human Resistance.

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