This section discusses the causes of victory in war, not just in single battles per se. Some of these are:
Alliances
the ability of a Nation State to form alliances or coalitions against a potential enemy Nation State…
Battleground
the ability of commanders to decide when and where an armed conflict is to take place so as to give them a starting advantage…
Belief in the War
the faith that the war is needed to save the Nation State…
Best Practices
compiling a list of recent successful actions/results and then using them when planning for future armed conflicts and using them in current armed conflicts, this is helpful only if plans proceed as assumed, and unplanned incidents to not manifest themselves…
Confidence
when a commander feels and demonstrates confidence in decisions and actions…
Consistency
continue what works…the operational doctrine maxim –‘if it ain’t broke, not fix it’…
Culminating Point of Battle
the offensive line when the enemy side is defeated and the allied side has the defense to withstand an attack…
Deception
battles and wars can be one by the successful use of lying, confusing the enemy as to when and where an attack will occur…
Demoralizing the Enemy
when the opponent’s armed forces feel they cannot win…
Determination
never giving up…
Divide and Conquer
a strategy whereby a Nation State divides the loyalty of elements of the opposing Nation State and uses this confusion to launch an aggressive offensive…
Efficient Finances
well-regulated economy…
Enemy Overthrow
support a revolution in an enemy Nation State…
Enemies Will
using strategic bombing, propaganda, fifth column activities and other means to eliminate the enemies will to keep on fighting…
Espionage
spying, resistance fighters, Fifth Column activities…
Failure Examples
when commanders learn from mistakes of the past…
Fifth Column
foreign nationals living in a potential enemy Nation State that could be used for espionage and underground activities…
High Moral
the ability to keep up believing in victory…
Hope
the feeling that even facing short term defeats, victory can still be gained…
Intelligence Superiority
code breaking, code security, reconnaissance and surveillance…
Leadership
outstanding ability to inspire, plan and execute…
Logistics Attentiveness
being sure that supply of forces and equipment are maintained, keeping open the lines of communication…
Media Support
most journalists are for the war…
Military Achievements
excellent decisions regarding tactics, operations and strategy, military superiority
Military Maintenance
being sure that the personnel and equipment are all kept battle ready and supporting the warriors after the conflict…
Military Experience
recent successful operations gaining experience and confidence…
Morale
the fighting spirit of the civilian and military force, the willingness to suffer losses…
Patriotism
citizens love of country…
Power Projection
the ability to present a strong military posture disrupting and confusing the enemy’s defense plans…
Professionalism
a highly trained and well-equipped armed force…
Public Credit
the availability of loans to carry on a long war…
Rapid Decisions
the ability of commanders to order very fast responses to threats…
Rational Government
not succumbing to irrational thinking…
Reliable Allies
with similar interests…
Rhetorical Slight of Hand
disarming the enemy with statements that they can’t argue against…
Stealth Warfare
when a Nation State seeks influence inside a potential enemy Nation State by supporting certain domestic politicians and purchasing infrastructure ports, electrical grids, property/businesses etc., this is a form of a pre-invasion force…
Strong Economy
growing GDP and controlling non-essential spending…
Strong Military
highly trained forces, newest and best armaments…
Tactical Defeat/Strategic Victory
when a military loses battles but wins the war…
Terrain Advantage
battles are often won when the victor chooses the location of the armed conflict…
Time Advantage
battles are often won when the victor chooses the timing of the armed conflict…
Timing Decision
the stronger armed force should attack the weaker enemy at once, and not allow the weaker enemy to gather strength…
Unconditional Surrender
conducting war successfully until the enemy gives in completely, admits to total defeat and occupation, as opposed to limited war and limited surrender…
Unit Cohesion
the successful and seamless working within a military unit – platoon, company, battalion, brigade, division, corps, integrating military units – infantry, artillery, armor, and the coordination required between different branches of the military – land/sea/air/space/cyberspace…
Unrivaled Science, Technology and Industry
the best and the brightest education…
Wealth
rich in resources and manpower…
Weak Points
battles are often won by attacking the enemy’s vulnerabilities…
Weather Conditions
favorable for an attack…
Willingness to Sacrifice
more in human life and treasure than the enemy…
Wise Military Institutions
highly educated and intelligent officers…
For additional analysis please refer to the Bibliography.
Primarily, the causes of victory have much to do specifically with economic strength, political grand strategy, and military tactics, operations and strategy.
Much has been written about these issues and The WAR Times will not go into detail regarding these issues. However, a few comments about military and political affairs are instructive.
Regarding the issue of military superiority is the tactic of combining land and sea operations. (Callwell, C. E. 1996 [1905]. Military Operations and Maritime Preponderance: Their Relations and Interdependence. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.)
Other concepts affect the causes of victory. For instance, democratic effectiveness theorists posit that democracies tend to be successful in war. This has been attributed to “…superior human capital, harmonious civil-military relations, and Western cultural background…” (Biddle, Stephen and Long, Stephen. “Democracy and Military Effectiveness: A Deeper Look”. Journal of Conflict Resolution2004; 48; 525.)
Biddle and Long go on to include the “…unique properties of democratic decision making, leadership styles, economic performance, or popular commitment to state policy…” (Biddle & Long. 2004. 525.)
Other unit-level traits also impact the likelihood that a democracy will be victorious in war. One study indicates that the most important aspects of democracy impacting military achievement are “…human capital, civil-military relations, and culture…” (Biddle & Long. 2004. 526.)
Some scholars question this finding that democracy aids military victory. This “…conclusion…[is]…more consistent with…literature that considered democracy normatively precious but militarily disadvantageous (Morgenthau, Hans J. 1978 [1948]. Politics among Nations. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.)
Related to this concept is the following book: The soldier and the state: The theory and politics of civil-military relations by Huntington, Samuel. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 1957.)
Another aspect of the concept of Victory is stated this way: “In postmodern war, the word ‘victory’ often appears in such quotation marks as a philosophical construct; it is supposedly mired in complexities and spoken only by the near savage, who insists that our intricate nuclear world is still fathomable in terms of Nation States and conventional armies.
But the idea of winning will never disappear. It is easily definable and a timeless military concept of forcing an opponent to cease fighting, to abandon the real or imagined reasons for his bellicosity, and to agree to the conditions set down by those powers demonstrably able to so affect his thinking and behavior. Victory may now require a level of force deemed objectionable by civilized peoples, meaning that some, for justifiable reasons, may be reluctant to pursue it. But victory has not become an ossified concept altogether.”
It should be remembered that the strongest democracy in the world, the United States of America was “born through war, reunited by, and saved from destruction by war.” (Hanson, Victor Davis. 2010. The Father Of Us All – War and History, Ancient and Modern. New York: Bloomsbury Press: 20-21.)