FOCH ON STRATEGY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16881, 20 June 1918, Page 6

FOCH ON STRATEGY.

OFFENSIVE THE ONLY WAY.

THE DECISIVE battle.

LONDON. June 0.

An important article on strategy by ioii•'l.'il I'oi'li is published In-day. The (•eneralissimo argues that modern war, in order to arrive at its end of imposing its will on the enemy, recognises only one means, namely the destruction of the enemy's organised forces. War undertakes this destruction by the battle which brings about the overthrow of the adversary, and disorganisation of his command, destroys discipline and liaisons, and nullifies the fighting powers of units. In order completely to achieve its object the battle must not be purely defensive. A purely defensive battle, even well conducted, is simply a game which must be replayed.

j It is an obvious corollary from this that the offensive, whether started at the beginning of an action or whether it follows the defensive, can alone give results, and consequently must at the finish always be adopted. Theoretically the conduct of battle is the carrying through of a decisive attack to success, and to apply one's forces in greater strength, unexpectedly, at a given point at a given moment. In practice other things must be taken into account. The idea of protection reappears, and absorbs forces. Importance of the Reserve. Numerous combats of lesser importance are necessary, but undoubtedly the decisive attack is the very keystone of the battle, and all the other actions which make up the battle must only be envisaged. considered, organised, and provided with forces in the measure in which they prepare, facilitate, or guarantee the development of the decisive attack, which is characterised by its mass, its surprise, its speed, and for which consequently it is essential to reserve the maximum force possible of troops of manoeuvre. In the manoeuvre battle the reserve— namely, the prepared bludgeon—is organ-, ised and kept back, and carefully instructed, in order to execute the single act of j battle from which results are expected, namely, the decisive attack. | The reserve is husbanded with the mast | extreme parsimony, so that the bludgeon may be strong enough and the blow as violent as possible. Let loose at the finish, without any lurking idea of saving them, with a well-thought-out plan of winning the battle at the point chosen and determined, the reserves are thrown in altogether in an action surpassing in violence and energy all other phases of the battle. Appearances May Be Deceptive. - After dwelling on the essential points to be considered in connection with the organisation and the scheme of the decisive attack, and showing how it mayhave to be varied owing to the altered enemy plans, General Foch argues that frontal fighting absorbs in practice a greater part of all forces and of time, whereas the decisive attack employs a lesser part of troops and lasts only a few moments; a double effect of perspective which confirms superficial minds in the idea that frontal fighting is the battle, because they judge only by quantity (of forces or time), not by the results and the causes of them. ;

General Foch in conclusion says: "We must not be deceived by appearances. Although theory fails when applied by feeble hands, and accessories obscure the main principle, yet history and reason show us that in battle there is a single argument which is worth while, namely, the decisive attack, which alone is capable of assuring the overthrow of an adversary."