Why Study War

City Journal ^ | Victor David Hansen

[mc5cents]

One of the best essays I have ever read by Victor David Hansen on why we have to fight wars and an insight into today's problems with waging war. While it is long it is nonetheless a great read.

While there are many references to past battles and generals, you don't have to be a history buff to understand what is being said here. Give it a read and comment.

Why Study War?

[Radix]

"I came to the study of warfare in an odd way, at the age of 24. Without ever taking a class in military history,..."

 

When I was less than 24 years old, I had already concluded that the sheer boredom and utter futility of military service was certainly not for me as a career choice.

 

My son was even younger than myself when he served, I can't say about his opinion, but I'd speculate that he did not find it all terribly boring once he began to get regularly shot at.

 

There is a part of me that believes that he actually enjoyed the engagements to some degree, and in some odd or perverse way. (I hope that he ain't reading this post)

 

The Geeks of Academia are without question setting us up for scenarios where our children's children and beyond will be so terribly ill equipped to tackle adversity that I have little hope for long term posterity.

 

I consider myself to be an optimist, but still, the future looks horribly bleak from here with these cowardly draft dodging A$$holes training our offspring.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Two misspellings on his name: Victor Davis Hanson. He’s very good and deserves to have his name properly posted.

[mc5cents]

Sorry. You are right. My bad typing and proof reading to blame.

[mc5cents]

A wartime public illiterate about the conflicts of the past can easily find itself paralyzed in the acrimony of the present. Without standards of historical comparison, it will prove ill equipped to make informed judgments. Neither our politicians nor most of our citizens seem to recall the incompetence and terrible decisions that, in December 1777, December 1941, and November 1950, led to massive American casualties and, for a time, public despair. So it’s no surprise that today so many seem to think that the violence in Iraq is unprecedented in our history. Roughly 3,000 combat dead in Iraq in some four years of fighting is, of course, a terrible thing. And it has provoked national outrage to the point of considering withdrawal and defeat, as we still bicker over up-armored Humvees and proper troop levels. But a previous generation considered Okinawa a stunning American victory, and prepared to follow it with an invasion of the Japanese mainland itself—despite losing, in a little over two months, four times as many Americans as we have lost in Iraq, casualties of faulty intelligence, poor generalship, and suicidal head-on assaults against fortified positions.

[Red Badger]

http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.html

We do study war and have for thousands of years........

[mc5cents]

t would be reassuring to think that the righteousness of a cause, or the bravery of an army, or the nobility of a sacrifice ensures public support for war. But military history shows that far more often the perception of winning is what matters. Citizens turn abruptly on any leaders deemed culpable for losing. “Public sentiment is everything,” wrote Abraham Lincoln. “With public sentiment nothing can fail. Without it nothing can succeed. He who molds opinion is greater than he who enacts laws.” Lincoln knew that lesson well. Gettysburg and Vicksburg were brilliant Union victories that by summer 1863 had restored Lincoln’s previously shaky credibility. But a year later, after the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Petersburg, and Cold Harbor battles—Cold Harbor claimed 7,000 Union lives in 20 minutes the public reviled him. Neither Lincoln nor his policies had changed, but the Confederate ability to kill large numbers of Union soldiers had.

7,000 in 20 minutes. Think about that. I know, that was then and this is now, but think how our perceptions have been changed by mass communication and repetition over and over and over again by the 24/7 instant news. We are becomming victims of our own technology. The 7th century warriors are unaffected by those things. Are we too weak and divided to win a war in this day and age? I wonder.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

I read a quote about war some months age when someone was writing about ancient Sparta. Sparta apparently supplied military advisers all over the ancient world because they actively studied war. The quote that struck me was that they studied war because it was the art without which all other arts can’t exist. I sit here tonight and type in large part because of a long line of men and women who defended this country.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

VDH Bump.

[Radix]

Earlier this evening I posted on an older thread concerning the film “300”.

I have read many contradictory books/articles concerning the mindset of ancient Sparta or Spartans.

I suppose that my biggest question(s) now is...Where did they go? What happened to them?

I’ll keep reading.

[Smokin' Joe]

7,000 in 20 minutes

With single-shot rifles, muskets, and muzzle loading artillery.

Ultimately, in the study of war we find all that is strong, courageous, honorable and valorous in the human population--and all deciet, cowardice, and abominable brutality.

In the fires of conflict humanity is rendered to its most basic essences. The frivolities, panderings, and subterfuges of peacetime are stripped away to expose the character beneath, for ill or good.

[mamelukesabre]

Popululation decline. Immigrants outnumbered citizens. They slowly dissapeared from lack of procreation.

Sound familiar?

[Eagles6]

VDH is one our most profound writers.

[tbw2]

History doesn’t repeat itself, but studying history of different eras and situations certainly would help future stratagists. Medeivel methods of clearing out resisting villages and Chinese methods of handling rebellious cities might be good education for our soldiers in 21st century urban warfare.

[Cruz]

ping

[SShultz460]

Currently reading Western Way of War by VDH.

He's awesome. Absolutely loved A War like no Other

[ReignOfError]

John adams wrote to the effect of — I’m working from memory — “I study war and politics so my sons can study business and agriculture so their sons can study art and literature”

[TimSkalaBim]

Humans love war. Always have, always will.

[Always Independent]

I heard it somewhere but can’t be sure that as for war, “its all about hunting ground”.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

7,000 in 20 minutes. Think about that. I know, that was then and this is now, but think how our perceptions have been changed by mass communication and repetition over and over and over again by the 24/7 instant news. We are becomming victims of our own technology.

Good points. I've felt for most of W's presidency it's been his failure to communicate effectively -- going to the people as Reagan did to explain his policies -- that has been his undoing. And this media has been relentless and way more biased than what Reagan had to deal with. But it shows how critical that communications ability is and it's why Hillary, if she wins, will be an awful President. Imagine listing to that shrew night after night... Lying and lying and lying.