Do Not Fight The Last War (The 33 Strategies of War)

Greene quickly begins the chapter by attacking tradition, tired formulas, and attachments to the past saying they will trap you. You must wage war against your past victories and defeats and react to the present moment. This may require you to take risks and do things differently, but whatever is lost in terms of comfort and security will be gained in terms of surprise. Your enemies will be unable to predict you. Wage guerrilla war on your mind, allowing no static lines of defense, no exposed citadels- make everything fluid and mobile.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) quickly rose to power. He was a captain in the French revolutionary army and eventually became emperor twenty years later, after many promotions. In 1805, he defeated Austria and Russia in the Battle of Austerlitz. Napoleon was a genius to many, a god of war. But many were not impressed, they believed he was aggressive and rash, they believed, his opponents had been timid and weak. They thought that if he faced the Prussians, he would be exposed as a fake.

Fredrich Ludwig was among such beleivers, he was prince of Hohenlohe. Much of his success as a general was due to organization, discipline, and the use of superior strategies that were developed by competent military minds.To the Prussians, Napoleon possessed none of the skills or knowledge required to be great. They believed that they would dispel with the Napoleonic myth, and restore Europe to its former state.

In 1806, Hohenlohe and his generals finally got what they wanted, the King of Prussia declared war on Napoleon. The generals were tasked with finding a way to beat the French. This was great news for Hohenlohe who had been waiting for this climactic moment in his career. The generals quarrelled about the ideal strategy until the king had to step in and find a compromise.

The generals figured out that Napoleon’s spies gave him access to the plans, but since they had a head start, they were confident that they would not be stopped.

A few days before the king was to declare war, disturbing news reached the generals. A reconnaissance mission revealed that divisions of Napoleon's army, which they had believed was dispersed, had marched east, merged, and was massing deep in southern Prussia. The captain who had led the scouting mission reported that the French soldiers were marching with packs on their backs: where the Prussians used slowmoving wagons to provision their troops, the French carried their own supplies and moved with astonishing speed and mobility.

Before the generals could react, Napoleon moved towards Berlin. The generals were confounded, and couldn’t decide where to attack. Amidst the panic, the King ordered a retreat. The Prussian troops would move north and attack Napoleon’s flank as they moved towards Berlin. Hohenlohe led the rear guard which protected the retreat.

Both armies collided in the town of Jena on October 14. Hohenlohe kept tight control of his troops and while both sides had the same number of soldiers, the French managed to capture the village of Vierzehnheiligen. Hohenlohe tried to retake the village and positioned his troops in perfect parade order to do so, staying in line with German military tradition. But they were in the open and Napoleon’s men were on house roofs, and behind garden walls. The Prussians were in a bad position, and despite further changes in formation, they could not withstand the French assault.

Eventually, the Prussians retreated and gave up the village.

The Prussian disintegrated soon followed, losing their fortresses in succession. Nothing remained of the great Prussian army.

The reality facing the Prussians in 1806 was simple: they had fallen fifty years behind the times. Their generals were old, and instead of responding to present circumstances, they were repeating formulas that had worked in the past. Their army moved slowly, and their soldiers were automatons on parade. The Prussian generals had many signs to warn them of disaster: their army had not performed well in its recent engagements, a number of Prussian officers had preached reform, and, last but not least, they had had ten years to study Napoleon--his innovative strategies and the speed and fluidity with which his armies converged on the enemy.

Reality was staring them in the face, yet they chose to ignore it. Indeed, they told themselves that Napoleon was the one who was doomed. You might find the Prussian army just an interesting historical example, but in fact you are likely marching in the same direction yourself. What limits individuals as well as nations is the inability to confront reality, to see things for what they are.

As we grow older, we become more rooted in the past. Habit takes over. Something that has worked for us before becomes a doctrine, a shell to protect us from reality. Repetition replaces creativity. We rarely realize we're doing this, because it is almost impossible for us to see it happening in our own minds. Then suddenly a young Napoleon crosses our path, a person who does not respect tradition, who fights in a new way. Only then do we see that our ways of thinking and responding have fallen behind the times. Never take it for granted that your past successes will continue into the future.

Actually, your past successes are your biggest obstacle: every battle, every war, is different, and you cannot assume that what worked before will work today. You must cut yourself loose from the past and open your eyes to the present. Your tendency to fight the last war may lead to your final war.

Most of Greene’s examples are about wars and violence(duh!!) but we all can learn a lot from the lessons he provides.Hope you liked the post.

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