U.S. Army Doctrine: From the American Revolution to the War on Terror (Modern War Studies)

About this book

From the American Revolution to the global war on terror U.S. Army doctrine has evolved to regulate the chaos of armed conflict by providing an intellectual basis for organizing training equipping and operating the military. Walter E. Kretchik analyzes the services keystone doctrine over three centuries to reveal that the armys leadership is more forward thinking and adaptive than has been generally believed. The first comprehensive history of Army doctrine Kretchiks book fully explores the principles that have shaped the Armys approach to warfare. From Regulations For the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States in 1779 to modern-day field manuals it reflects the fashioning of doctrine to incorporate the lessons of past wars and minimize the uncertainty and dangers of battle. Kretchik traces Army doctrine through four distinct eras: 1779-1904 when guidelines were compiled by single authors or a board of officers in tactical drill manuals; 1905-1944 when the Root Reforms fixed doctrinal responsibility with the General Staff; 1944-1962 the era of multiservice doctrine; and beginning in 1962 coalition warfare with its emphasis on interagency cooperation. He reveals that doctrine has played a significant role in the Armys performance throughout its history-although not always to its advantage as it has often failed to anticipate accurately the nature of the "next war" and still continues to be locked in a debate between advocates of conventional warfare and those who emphasize counterinsurgency approaches. Each chapter presents individuals who helped define and articulate Army doctrine during each period of its history-including George Washington and Baron von Steuben in the eighteenth century Emory Upton and Arthur Wagner in the nineteenth and Elihu Root and William DePuy in the twentieth. Each identifies the "first principles" set down in manuals covering such topics as tactics operations and strategy; size organization and distribution of forces; and the promise and challenges of technological innovation. Each also presents specific cases that analyze how effectively the Army actually applied a particular eras doctrine. Doctrine remains the basis of instruction in the Army school system ensuring that all officers and enlisted soldiers share a common intellectual framework. This book elucidates that framework for the first time.