Ile H110 Argumentative Essay

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H110 Argumentative Essay
The study of Frederick the Great, Napoleon, Ulysses Grant, and the other “great captains” is still valid for a current military professional even given the changes in warfare over the past 150 years.

September 4, 2010













Winston Churchill once said, “those who forget history are bound to repeat it.”   As I progress through my military career, I find that this is more true than I previously thought.   Even with the changes in warfare over the last 150 years, the study of Frederick the Great, Napoleon, Ulysses Grant, and the other ‘great captains’ is still valid for the military professional.   Warfare has changed greatly over time.   The advances in weaponry, transportation assets, and intelligence gathering equipment show little resemblance to the equipment used by Napoleon’s army, or even that used by Army of the Potomac.   However, the use of those weapons and assets, and the traits of the leaders directing those weapons and armies, have a number of similarities that have survived across the advance of time to the modern warfare of today.   Therefore, by becoming a student of past successful leaders and successful operations, today’s military professional can find traits and strategies to help him find success on the battlefield today.   A review of some of the great military leaders of the past will show today’s military professional some of the traits and tactics to help be successful today.

Let’s first examine some of the traits of Napoleon, Clausewitz, and Grant that contributed to their success on the battlefield.   Napoleon possessed an exceptional understanding of terrain and troops, both friendly and unfriendly.   This attribute is not to be taken lightly.   With this skill, he was able to select and motivate talented subordinate field commanders.   With his subordinate commanders excelling, he was able to focus his own great will power and energies into the command requirements...