Military-Strategy

Dramatic, torchlit scene of a boy putting his hand on an altar, symbolizing the oath against Rome.

The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 1: The Blood Oath and the Logistical Gamble

The Hannibalic Paradox: Genius, Grand Strategy, and the Fall of Carthage 1 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 1: The Blood Oath and the Logistical Gamble 2 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 2: Cannae and the High Cost of Tactical Perfection 3 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 3: Why Hannibal's Grand Strategy Failed in Italy 4 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 4: Scipio's Strategic Reversal in Iberia and Africa 5 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 5: The Fateful Encounter and the Price of Punic Caution ← Series Home 237 BC Year of Hannibal's oath ...

Conceptual artwork showing a large, cohesive Roman unit facing a diverse, loosely connected Carthaginian army composed of many different allied groups.

The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 3: Why Hannibal's Grand Strategy Failed in Italy

The Hannibalic Paradox: Genius, Grand Strategy, and the Fall of Carthage 1 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 1: The Blood Oath and the Logistical Gamble 2 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 2: Cannae and the High Cost of Tactical Perfection 3 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 3: Why Hannibal's Grand Strategy Failed in Italy 4 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 4: Scipio's Strategic Reversal in Iberia and Africa 5 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 5: The Fateful Encounter and the Price of Punic Caution ← Series Home over a decade Hannibal's time in Southern Italy ...

An ancient map showing Hannibal's route across the Alps with elephants.

The Poisoned Chalice – Part 4: The General Who Won Every Battle and Lost the War

The Poisoned Chalice 1 The Poisoned Chalice – Part 1: The Man Who Inherited the Tsar's Bomb 2 The Poisoned Chalice – Part 2: The Accountant of the Doomed Fleet 3 The Poisoned Chalice – Part 3: The Senator Who Tried to Save the Republic 4 The Poisoned Chalice – Part 4: The General Who Won Every Battle and Lost the War ← Series Home The Poisoned Chalice – Part 4: The General Who Won Every Battle and Lost the War 202 BC Year of Hannibal's final defeat at Zama ...

Cinematic scene of a Roman general (Scipio) watching huge fires burn in the distance at night.

The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 4: Scipio's Strategic Reversal in Iberia and Africa

The Hannibalic Paradox: Genius, Grand Strategy, and the Fall of Carthage 1 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 1: The Blood Oath and the Logistical Gamble 2 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 2: Cannae and the High Cost of Tactical Perfection 3 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 3: Why Hannibal's Grand Strategy Failed in Italy 4 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 4: Scipio's Strategic Reversal in Iberia and Africa 5 The Hannibalic Paradox – Part 5: The Fateful Encounter and the Price of Punic Caution ← Series Home Publius Cornelius Scipio Roman general who defeated Hannibal ...

Modern military supply operations under threat of attack

The Invisible Army - Part 17: Contested Logistics

The Invisible Army ← Series Home Key Takeaways Sanctuary is ending: Since WWII, American logistics operated in sanctuary—ports weren't bombed, ships weren't sunk in quantity. A peer adversary will attack the supply chain directly. Dependence is vulnerability: The global supply chains that enable modern logistics also expose them. Critical components from adversary nations, single-source dependencies, long vulnerable routes. Industrial base has atrophied: America builds few ships, produces little ammunition in peacetime. Surging production for a major war would take years that may not be available. The doctrine is changing: "Contested logistics" and "expeditionary advance base operations" acknowledge that future supply will be neither safe nor guaranteed. The End of Sanctuary For eighty years—from 1945 to today—American military logistics has operated in conditions of relative sanctuary: ...

The Kinetic Chain - Part 17: The End of Sanctuary and the Audit of Resilience

The Kinetic Chain 1 Part 1: Alexander's Invisible Army 2 Part 2: Napoleon's Fatal Calculation 3 Part 3: The Railroad Revolution 4 Part 4: The Crimean Catastrophe 5 Part 5: Barbarossa and the Battle of the Gauges 6 Part 6: The Battle of the Bulge and the Tyranny of Fuel 7 Part 7: Wholesale Distribution and the American Way of 8 Part 8: The Pacific Logistics Challenge 9 Part 9: Victory Through Logistics 10 Part 10: Vietnam and the Tyranny of Terrain 11 Part 11: Giap's Bicycle Brigades 12 Part 12: The Ho Chi Minh Trail 13 Part 13: American Largesse in Vietnam 14 Part 14: The M16 Debacle and Logistics Failure 15 Part 15: The Falklands Logistics Miracle 16 Part 16: Desert Storm and the Logistics Miracle 17 Part 17: The Future of Contested Logistics ← Series Home This final link in the series transitions from historical observation to a Forward-Looking Systemic Audit. ...

Symbolic representation of Mongol psychological warfare

Mongol Empire - Part 11: Terror as Strategy: The Calculated Psychology of Mongol Warfare

Key Takeaways Calculated, Not Random: Mongol atrocities followed consistent patterns designed to produce specific effects. Investment Mentality: Early massacres were "investments" that reduced resistance in later campaigns. Surrender Incentive: The system created clear choices: submit peacefully or face destruction. Reputation as Weapon: Terror reputation traveled faster than armies, softening targets before arrival. Warrior Preservation: The strategy minimized Mongol casualties by maximizing enemy terror. Content warning: This post discusses historical atrocities and mass violence. ...