Civil war tactics appearing elsewhere in history

milhistbuff1 · #1 03-03-2006, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johan_steele

No, a professional soldier once told me that battles are won in the will and in the mind. If a general thinks he is beaten he is and if he has lost the will to fight he has lost.

Apparently, the Seven Days battles and Chancellorsville were both used as examples of this in Soviet Military academies... scary thought eh?

Shane made the above comment in the what if thread What if Hooker hadn't been stunned at Chancellorsville?

Two points,
Shane, what was your source for for the comment on the Soviet Military Academies?

Has anyone else come across such references in their WWII or other military history reading.

I'll start off,
The Iron Cavalry by Ralph Zumbro, extensively describes similarities between WWI+ WWII arty tactics of Rommel replicating Forrests HA action at Brices Crossroads Miss 1864, Cossack cavalry emulating the union cavalry raids but applying them to breaking german armor and other relevant chapters.
Respectfully,
Matt

gary · #2 03-03-2006, 10:01 PM

I believe Liddell Hart mentioned Sherman in his book, Strategy. However, it had to do with the "indirect approach" as opposed to cleaning out Scarlett O' Hara's smokehouse and larder, taking her milch cow, chickens and pigs, and descending upon her vegetable garden like locusts, stealing her horses and mules and carrying off her silver before burning everything they couldn't steal.

milhistbuff1 · #3 03-03-2006, 10:03 PM

Ah yes, had quite forgotten, believe his Great Captains book goes into detail on some WBTS figures as well.
Matt

johan_steele · #4 03-04-2006, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milhistbuff1

Shane made the above comment in the what if thread What if Hooker hadn't been stunned at Chancellorsville?

Two points,
Shane, what was your source for for the comment on the Soviet Military Academies?
Matt

Matt a friend of mine from College served 15 years in the old Soviet Army as an Airborne Officer & military advisor; went to the Suvarov School & Ryazan military Academy. I remember a conversation about subjects studied. He recalled Sun Tzu as one of his texts as well as in depth study of the ACW. I remember him talking about 7 days, Chancellorsville, 2nd Bull Run, Vicksburg & the Atlanta campaign & the march through to the sea. There was certainly a concentration of study about manuever and mobility.

How much of it was to learn how US miltary commanders think and what they study I don't know... but he certainly knew a lot about the ACW.