[John H K]

Actually, coming up with contigency plans is good training for up-and-coming mid-level officers and what not.

And lets face it; for anyone interested in things military, it's fun sitting down and coming up with a plan for invading a country.

Somewhere in some folder in the Pentagon there's probably a "plan" for invading and taking over Monaco, Brazil, Luxembourg, New Zealand, etc.

Just as some German major drew up plans for a war with the US in 1904 or so...

[Denver Ditdat]

Just as some German major drew up plans for a war with the US in 1904 or so...

"1901" by Robert Conroy is based upon the German war plan for the US at the turn of the 20th century, except in the novel the plan is actually carried out. It's an interesting premise and a good read. I enjoyed seeing many familiar figures out of their normal historic context - a young Chester Nimitz, James Longstreet returning from retirement to lead the Army, and Theodore Roosevelt as a wartime president to name a few.

The book has been out of print for several years but it's well worth hunting down a copy if one is interested in the era, subject matter, or speculative fiction in general.

[cibco]

"Somewhere in some folder in the Pentagon there's probably a "plan" for invading and taking over Monaco, Brazil, Luxembourg, New Zealand, etc."

DPTO - Dept. of Planning, Training and Operations. In between and during wars... there are always plans. When the need arises, they go to the files, blow off the dust and revise to current needs and conditions.