Masters of War: History’s Greatest Strategic Thinkers

Overview

Take an inside look at both the content and historical context of the world’s greatest war strategists, guided by a member of the elite U.S. Naval War College. You’ll gain a new appreciation for the subtleties and complexities of strategy.

Course No. 9422

From Napoleon’s revolutionary campaigns to the way insurgency, terrorism, and nuclear weaponry have defined warfare in the 21st century, these 24 thought-provoking lectures explore how military strategy has shaped history.

Key Topics Covered

• Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War

• Sun Tzu’s The Art of War

• Machiavelli’s strategy for a republic with a citizen-army

• Jomini, Clausewitz, and the Napoleonic revolution in warfare

• Naval strategy and the rise of airpower

• Mao Tse-tung, Galula, and Trinquier on insurgency and counterinsurgency

• Just-war theory from ancient Greece to modern conflicts

• Nuclear war, terrorism, and 21st-century strategic challenges

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this course are those of the professor and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

Video Lessons

1. Why Strategy Matters (33 min)
   • Case study: WWII’s “Operation Torch” and the military as an instrument of policy.

2. Thucydides on Strategy (32 min)
   • Analyzing the Peloponnesian War and its lessons for future generations.

3. Thucydides as a Possession for All Time (32 min)
   • Debate over the Sicilian Expedition and the Melian Dialogue’s relevance today.

4. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War (31 min)
   • Historical context and Sun Tzu’s core principles: efficiency, avoiding protracted wars, and valuing intellect.

5. Sun Tzu through Time (33 min)
   • Sun Tzu’s influence from ancient China to Operation Fortitude in WWII.

• Machiavelli’s The Art of War (30 min)
  • Tactics for a citizen-army modeled on the Roman Republic.

7. Machiavelli’s Discourses on Livy (32 min)
   • Strategy, fortuna, and virtù in republican military action.

8. The Napoleonic Revolution in War (31 min)
   • Battles of Jena and Auerstedt and the rise of Jomini and Clausewitz.

• Baron Jomini as a Strategist (30 min)
  • Jomini’s definition of Napoleonic warfare and modern critiques.

10. Clausewitz’s On War (31 min)
    • Key ideas: paradoxical trinity, center of gravity, and continuity.

• Jomini and Clausewitz through the Ages (30 min)
  • Comparing tactical vs. strategic mastery and political oversight in war.

12. From Sail to Steam—The Sea-Power Revolution (31 min)
    • Naval warfare’s transformation from Napoleon to WWI.

13. Alfred Thayer Mahan (30 min)
    • Naval dominance through concentrated fleets and global bases.

14. Sir Julian Corbett (31 min)
    • Integrating land and sea operations, exemplified in Wellington’s campaigns.

15. Mahan, Corbett, and the Pacific War (31 min)
    • Japan’s Pearl Harbor failure and U.S. naval strategy in WWII.

• Air Power in Theory and Practice (29 min)
  • From Douhet’s air dominance theory to WWII bombing campaigns.

17. From Rolling Thunder to Instant Thunder (31 min)
    • Vietnam’s lessons and precision air strikes in the Gulf War.

• Nuclear Strategy (31 min)
  • Deterrence, MAD, and arms limitation in the nuclear age.

19. Mao Tse-tung in Theory and Practice (31 min)
    • Three phases of revolutionary war against Chiang Kai-shek.

20. Classics of Counterinsurgency (31 min)
    • French theories from Algeria applied to Iraq and Afghanistan.

21. Just-War Theory (32 min)
    • Moral frameworks for war, applied to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

• Terrorism as Strategy (31 min)
  • Five audiences of terrorist action and the Irish independence case study.

23. Strategies of Counterterrorism (30 min)
    • Spectrum of responses, from ignoring terrorists to military action.

• From the Jaws of Defeat—Strategic Adaptation (33 min)
  • General Washington’s post-New York strategy and civilian-military nexus.