Brands, Hal, ed. The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2023
Sawyer, Ralph D., trans. The Art of War. New York: Basic Books, 1994
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The Battle of Lake Trasimene illustrates the critical role of deception and intelligence in warfare, as demonstrated by Hannibal’s ambush of the Roman army. Roman Consul Flaminius’ failure to gather intelligence on terrain and enemy positioning led to a devastating defeat, highlighting the importance of strategic foresight and understanding one’s opponent.
Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 was a classic case of strategic miscalculation. This analysis explores how his leadership failures align with Sun Tzu’s warnings about reckless generals and the consequences of ignoring proper strategic planning.
Throughout history, many battlefield commanders have allowed their weaknesses—whether arrogance, indecisiveness, poor intelligence, or underestimation of the enemy—to cost them a battle or even an entire war. Below are some notable examples of military leaders whose personal or strategic failings led to defeat.
Imagine a state lead by a person who never reads. A person who never thinks long or contemplative on issues, domestic or international. An individual who never pays attention during their intelligence briefings or to briefings from generals tasked with developing war plans. Or imagine a leader who has so cowed the military generals and…
The Art of War is one of if not the most universally known works of strategy. Unfortunately, The Art of War or the Chinese title, Sun Zi Bingfa “Master Sun’s Military Methods”[1] cannot be traced to a particular historical figure or time period in Ancient China. The Art of War is traditionally placed in the…
Note: this post was generated by Chat GPT. I wanted to see what a full blog post would look like with various themes. Sun Tzu, author of the ancient Chinese military treatise The Art of War, is a figure who has transcended time, influencing generations of military strategists, politicians, and even business leaders. Yet, despite…
Strategy in Brief 