The Battle as the Main Substance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Battle as the Main Substance - Assignment Example The following are the arguments that support this position. The battle analysis method was developed by the US Army Command and General Staff College to provide a format by which any military professional may find insight from historical battles and campaigns, in order to help deepen his or her understanding of warfare. It is intended to be a general guide for military personnel to ensure that significant actions or factors that affect the outcome of a battle or military operation are not overlooked (University of Southern Mississippi ROTC, p. 51). It is comprised of the following checklist: First, define the subject. This involves determining what, where, when, who and why about the study that is being undertaken. It is important to ascertain the date of the battle, its location, and the adversaries involved. This step involves looking for good sources of information such as books, articles, the Internet, and so forth. Second, set the stage (review the setting). From the mass of data, the information is reduced to the essentials among which are the strategic factors, the operational settings, and the tactical situation. In the latter, it is helpful to be guided by the OAKOC (observation and fields of fire, avenues of approach, key and decisive terrain, obstacles, and cover and concealment). Thirdly, describe the action. This step in the battle analysis is the main substance of what people consider military history. The battle should be studied chronologically, with the importance of progression of events derived in the analysis. First, the opening moves of the opposing forces in the battle should be examined, to determine which side gained the early advantage over the other. Detail should then be drawn for the major phases and the key events and decisions that turned the battle in favor of either side. Finally, the outcome should be stated: which party won the battle; what the objective was and whether the objective was attained or not; and what the long-term repercussions of the battle had been. Fourth, draw lessons learned (assess the significance). Lastly, the significance of the encounter should be assessed. This comprises the most important aspect of battle analysis. In this step, the information derived about the action is analyzed to yield important lessons for t he future. It involves relating causes of why something happened, to the effects of these events. The insights derived therein called the â€Å"constants of war† form part of the timeless lessons useful in future encounters (USM-ROTC, n.d.).